Masai Mara
Travel Advice for Seniors: Masai Mara
The Wildebeest Migration is one of the most spectacular sights in the world. The place to best experience it is in the Tanzanian Serengeti and in the Kenyan Masai Mara.
We had gone on safari in 2018 to Botswana and thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. As soon as we got on the plane to return to the US, Mom and I looked at each other and agreed that we wanted to come back as soon as possible! The lure of the Wildebeest Migration was calling…
The Wildebeest Migration happens at a particular time of year when the millions-strong wildebeest population decides to move to different pastures across the Grumeti and Mara rivers. The rivers are loaded with crocodiles, so the crossing is always dangerous for them and intensely dramatic for those watching.
The wildebeest are a nervous group that will gather by the thousands at the edge of the river milling around in circles until a small group move forward to test the water. If just one of them sees any problems they run back up the bank of the river and lead the whole herd miles away, running full tilt the entire time. This same action is repeated for hours until they finally do cross the river as a unit. It is truly a spectacular thing to witness. No photos can convey the primal sense of survival and the natural beauty of the sights and smells of the moment.
We entered the Masai Mara from the Serengeti and Tanzania. We did have to go through customs and surprisingly they asked to see our yellow vaccine cards, looking to see if we had been vaccinated for Yellow Fever. We had been vaccinated so went through but we did see some tourists that had not, and they were delayed quite a long while waiting for some assistance. The customs folks also were inspecting every bag for any piece of rock, bone or anything else that would have been removed from the Serengeti. So be warned.
We stayed at Entim Camp which is a semi-permanent bush camp. It was one of the more outstanding bush camps at which we stayed. There was a large building housing a relaxation area and the dinner area, an option of which was to dine and relax outside. The view was of a beautiful watering area where you could see occasional wildlife. The rooms were glamping style tents with a front porch and a few lounge chairs. Inside were two comfortable beds, a bathroom and a desk/chair and lounge chairs. There was electricity in the rooms and we were always able to charge our phones and cameras. The main building area had Wi-Fi. This was not your everyday camping for adventure seekers, but a real luxe experience.
The food was outstanding and safari drivers picked us up from the main area every day. But the best thing about the camp was its proximity to the Mara River and to the rolling savannahs that is the Masai Mara.
You have to have a bit of patience when watching the wildebeest migration. All day you may see a miles long line of tens of thousands of wildebeest in pairs or triples heading toward the river in one unwavering line. That in itself is a spectacle to behold. However, the actual crossing may take quite awhile. We found it best to head to possible crossing sites in the early morning when the wildebeest were already present and thinking about crossing. The best thing about staying at Entim Camp is that we were already along the Mara River and the drive was short.
While on safari, do expect that you will need to get up very early. The wake-up call is usually someone with the hotel whispering very softly outside your tent flap “Good morning, Madame”. This is normal. It is also normal to have a very light bite to eat and then have a much larger breakfast when you return from the first game drive of the day. The animals are more active in the early morning and at dusk when it is hunting time. Most of the day, they will lay around and take a nap, which you should do too! Expect two game drives a day.
The Masai Mara is mainly a grassy savannah with a few widely spaced desert date trees providing shade. There are also valleys and rock outcrops. The valleys home to prides of lions and the rocky outcrops home to leopards if you are lucky enough to spot them. All of the “Big Five” (cape buffalo, leopard, lion, elephant and rhino) are present in the Masai Mara. We had despaired that we would see a rhino on this trip, but on the afternoon of the very last day one of the known young rhinos made an appearance. It was a real gift to see one as they are very well protected from poachers and their location is protected by the guides. It was like watching a prehistoric animal and we couldn’t take our eyes off of him.
We did have a wonderful brunch one day while on safari that our guide had packed up for us. We ate in the shade and delighted in watching the animals (from a distance!) in their natural habitat. We were very well taken care of at Entim.
The Masai Mara is so big that there is always a vast assortment of wildlife to watch while driving in your Land Rover. The Land Rover usually seats six and sometimes we had an extra couple with us and sometimes we did not. The vehicles here were covered, well maintained and clean. The animals don’t pay any attention to the vehicles and use the same dirt paths. The animals view the vehicle the same as a large rock or obstacle and you are not for dinner unless you get out of the vehicle which is a very big no-no. Out of the vehicle, into the food chain, inside the vehicle, out of the food chain!
The safari vehicles pass down dirt tracks for the most part and occasionally go off track to view a pride of lions, a leopard or other difficult to spot animals. Keep in mind that you are not the only safari service using the park. If you stay inside the park, you have the advantage of getting to the best viewing areas early and staying later. But you will find usually six or more other vehicles at the same wildlife sighting, especially if it is for unique animals that are hard to spot.
The range of animals at Masai Mara is extensive. Besides the Big 5, we saw plenty of giraffe, elephants, hippos, bird life, zebras, hyenas, warthogs and herds of impala to name a few. Further, we stayed at Entim three full days and thoroughly enjoyed each and every game drive. We never tired of seeing what the lions were up to each day.
It would be difficult to choose which park has the best opportunity for seeing wildlife between the Serengeti and Masai Mara. Both were similar terrain and had an incredible assortment of animals to view. As a sidenote, do not be alarmed if you see or get stopped by game patrol. Since poaching is such a huge issue at both parks, a stop by the patrol is not uncommon and they are armed. Your driver will just show his license you’re good to go. No worries.
The memories of an African safari last a long time. I can still immerse myself in the sights and smells by looking at my photos and conjuring memories. It is one of our favorite trips ever taken. Can’t recommend it highly enough.
Where we stayed: Entim Camp. Meals and safaris included. Very nice accommodation and excellent food.
How we got there: Bush flight from Serengeti to Masai Mara. This was part of a three-week private tour through Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa.
General Accessibility Information: Kenya is generally not considered very handicapped accessible, with limited wheelchair accessibility in most places. Some tour operators offer accessible tours and some high-end hotels are accessible. Nairobi National Park has barrier-free pathways for wheelchair users. Call in advance to verify and make specialty arrangements.See our sections on specialty apps and accessible travel for more on accessibility assistance.
