Chambers at Large in Masi Mara, Kenya
- Amelia Chambers
- Jan 23
- 6 min read
Coming to the end of my safari I was very excited as I had a great deal planned. A balloon ride across the plains, birthday celebrations and the chance of seeing the Big Five: elephant, buffalo, lions, rhino and the elusive leopard. My travel companions and I had seen four, but I sent a plea to the universe asking for us to see a leopard, (although I had seen a couple in India and Sri Lanka).
Before arriving at Masi Mara National Park we stopped at a Masi village, which is not very far off the road. We were welcomed by a dance display by the young warriors, which could be considered a wee bit intimidating, but they quickly had a competition as to who could jump the highest, the winner being the one who would get the prettiest girl from another village.
We were shown around by Jack, a junior head man. His English was excellent as he had gone to school with one other young man in the village. Now all Kenyan children go to school, but when Jack was younger, (and I didn’t ask his age but I’d say he’s around thirty-five,) only two boys from the village went to school.
There are 210 people living in the Masai village at the moment, but I predict their way of life will change radically in the coming years. All the warriors had mobile phones and many of the younger men spoke English very well. One, who was married with twin daughters, was keen to talk to me in English, because he said he wanted to improve it. He was quite open about his way of life telling me the women make the adobe houses and the men make the fire.
We were shown how to make fire with a piece of hard wood, and a piece of soft wood, then using the bark from a cedar tree as kindling. I explained I too lit a fire of an evening but used matches, small sticks and dried hair from my hairbrush as kindling. I think the men were interested in the difference, but I was certainly impressed by their method of creating fire without matches.
There were children, small dogs and cats playing in the centre of the village and goats were in a wooden pen, a source of milk and meat. Leopards were a major predator being able to jump the fences, but barking dogs warned the villagers of approaching danger. The women of the village were minding their children and making souvenirs for tourists to buy. We bought a few trinkets, thanked Jack for his hospitality and wished all the young men well.
We arrived at Mara Leisure Camp in time for lunch, said hello to welcoming baboons, then went out on a game drive. We were treated to a fantastic number of animals roaming the plain. Herds of Thomson gazelle, prides of lions, dazzles of zebra, towers of giraffe, and herds of elephants. It was amazing.
The land is much drier in this part of Kenya, more what I expected, with sandy soil and shrub. It's is a wee bit hotter by possibly a couple of degrees too, but the heat did not bother us as to cap it all we finished our first game drive seeing a leopard climbing up a tree having caught an impala. My travelling companions and I rejoiced as we had now seen the Big Five.
But there were more celebrations to come as early the following morning I was met by Nicholas who drove me to an open area where Captain Muhammed was ready to take me and several others up in a hot air balloon. Had I have known how one gets into a balloon basket I may have had second thoughts but ignorance is sometimes bliss and I managed to shuffle myself into the basket lying on my back with my feet in the air. When the balloon was upright I was seated and when above the ground, we were encouraged to stand up.
The view was incredible. From a distance I could see elephants, Thomson gazelle, impala, and we actually followed a hyena who lolloped across the plain, heading for his or her pack. Hyenas, like elephants, live in a matriarchal society, having an alpha female.
The flight was about 45 minutes and landing was no more uncomfortable than having to deal with the potholes on Kenyan roads, a wee bit bumpy. We were then driven to a lovely picnic setting, given a glass of champagne and encouraged to eat our fill. I was seated with some very beautiful Kenyan ladies from Mombasa and Nairobi and I happened to mention it was my birthday the following day, and they immediately burst into song wishing me A Happy Birthday.
As it was still reasonably early in the morning, we set off on another game drive, seeing even more animals. A sounder of warthogs with piglets, elephants with a calf, giraffe, hippos, more zebra, Thomson gazelle, wildebeest, and an antelope I had never heard of: a topi, which is related to the wildebeest.
We spent a little while sitting looking at a shrub behind which was a cheetah. I managed to see his ears twitching, and suddenly he raised his head for a millisecond, then flopped back under the bush. I couldn’t blame him as nearing midday the temperature was heading towards 27 degrees centigrade.
We stopped for a picnic lunch and were seated where malibu stork were scavenging and lovely blue starlings were chancing their arm too.
That afternoon we saw crocodile and prides of lions but towards the end of the drive we saw a lone couple, a male and a female, lying by the side of the road. I don't know what a gentleman in the jeep in front of us did, but it obviously upset the male as the cat suddenly jumped up and roared. The tourist was so shocked he fell back into his seat, and I didn’t see him move again. People need to realise the national parks are the territory of the animals, not the tourists.
We watched the pair of lions for a while longer and I wish the universe to grant them many cubs. We left them to see even more animals: crocodile lazing by the river and a steenbok, which is a small antelope.
I'm sorry I didn't see a dik dik, the smallest of the antelopes and the ones that mate for life. Seemingly when one spouse dies the remaining spouse starves itself to death or puts itself in the line of a predator. In short it commits suicide. Every day is a school day.
To finish the game drive around about three o'clock we went back to the tree where the leopard had been the day before and, sure enough, he was lounging on a lower branch, fast asleep. He'd eaten his fill, had a lovely belly on him and I only knew he was alive by his deep breathing. He was one very contented cat.
The following morning it was my birthday, and we had breakfast outside in the bush. No champagne this time but a delicious chocolate cake. The staff, to whom I am most grateful, sang Hakuna Matata (from The Lion King) and it was a very fitting end to my safari in Kenya.
I would like to thank Charles, my guide, who went above and beyond to make sure I saw as much as possible; and all the staff at Mercury Holidays and Sense of Africa, both very professional companies I would highly recommend.
But an even bigger thank you to my two travelling companions. It was a pleasure to share our trip together. We had a great deal of fun and I wish them well for the future. They know who they are!
Kenya was a joy, a surprise in many ways, but a pure delight. Thanks for reading and happy travels.
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My other blogs regarding my safari in Kenya can be found by clicking on the following links:
I also enjoyed a tiger safari in India as I saw leopards there too (as well as a host of other animals and birds). Please click on the link to find out more.
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