Day 1 in the Masai Mara, and we've already seen something that belongs on a BBC wildlife show. Two brother lions were resting, but we noticed a herd of elephants closing in on the lions' position. The suspense built as we watched. Finally the lions had played chicken long enough, and they got up and walked quickly away, keeping a close eye on the elephants as they did. Then one younger elephant took off from the herd and charged the lions, trumpeting and flapping his ears. The lions moved farther away, before lying back down again. As we caught our breath, David our guide, reminded us that this was just another day in the Masai Mara here in Kenya!
There are travel moments that stay etched in memory forever, and our first day in the Masai Mara is one of them. We are staying at Kichwa Tembo Luxury Tented Camp, where the canvas walls open up to sweeping views of the East African savanna. It felt both indulgent and raw, like being wrapped in comfort while standing at the edge of the wild.
Our first game drive set the tone. Dark storm clouds gathered on the horizon, forming a contrast to the afternoon light on the golden grass of the plains. Against that dramatic backdrop, our guide David introduced us to the Mara, and navigated the winding roads with confidence. The air was charged, not just with the coming storm, but with the knowledge that anything could happen around the next bend.
And it did! We watched in awe as an elephant herd drove away lions, giving us insight into the true pecking order of the savanna. We lingered by hippo pools as massive cape buffalo wallowed in mud nearby. Overhead, brilliant birds flashed. Lilac breasted rollers, bee eaters, and different eagle species got us excited for the many bird encounters yet to come.
The Masai Mara isn't just about spotting animals, its about being immersed into a living, breathing wilderness. Its about the silence before a lion's roar, the sudden rush of elephants in defense, and the dance of birds above the storm-lit plains. It's feeling small, but alive. There is a reason that African safaris are described not just as trips, but as life changing experiences.
And we are just getting started.
This is one of the most unique photos from our game drive. Just was the gate into the National Reserve, these workers were having to keep a very close eye on this solo elephant. This combination of people on foot, close to a wild elephant, is not something you see every day.
An African elephant walks through the savanna in front of our camp, Kichwa Tembo Luxury Tent Camp, here in the Masai Mara. This was how we were greeted on our short drive from the airstrip to camp.
This was our warm welcome to Kichwa Tembo Luxury Tent Camp in the Masai Mara. The warm welcome never stopped over the next five days.
Always a fun sign to see!
I love that this guy jumped into the photo with Greg and Sue in front of our plane that will take us from Nairobi to the Masai Mara, here in Kenya.
We finished our afternoon game drive with some beautiful stormy skies. This elephant, walking through the golden grass of the Mara, under those skies just made the entire scene so surreal.
David, our driver and expert guide, is giving us an introduction to the Mara, with maps and different star animals to look for.
Our home for the next four nights here in the Mara is a luxury tent camp called Kichwa Tembo. It has a great location. From the pool you can look out and see all kinds of animals walking through the savanna.
We took our plane from Nairobi to this private airstrip, near our camp in the Mara. We were met by our guide David, and proceeded to see so many animals just on the short drive to camp.
Well, I did say 'luxury' tent camp, right? Walking into the tents was like walking into another world. The spacious interiors were fit for a king.
The tents were just updated here at Kichwa Tembo. Now there are fewer of them and they are more spacious. The little black square to the left of the door is where your morning wakeup coffee is slipped through. Its a classic way to start your day here on safari.
The warm welcome continues!
Lunch set up next to the pool, overlooking the savanna here at camp. Complete with Masai blankets and a nice bottle of pinotage.
A few wild animals have set up shop inside the camp perimeter, like these dueling warthogs. The also make for great lawnmowers.
At first, Greg and Sue thought they would take a photo of every elephant they saw. They quickly realized just how many elephants there are here! This one stood out in front of the storm clouds building in the sky.
These two white fronted bee eaters were our first birds we stopped for, on our to camp. They set the pace for all the amazing bird encounters still to come!
We got so close to some of the animals today that I was able to get a bit creative with the photos.
Two little bee eaters, perched on some branches, keeping a lookout for insects buzzing around.
The biggest eagle species in the Mara, the Marshal Eagle, scans the savanna. They can catch and eat small antelopes if they want! They are a good reason not to bring your small dog on safari.
Everyones favorite bird on safari, the Lilac Breasted Roller. The purples, greens, and blues of this bird make it one of the most beautiful in Africa.
Yawning hippo caught on film! Now I just have to get one with big tusk!
Towards the end of our drive we saw this Coke's hartebeest. It was the only one we found. There were lots of similar hartebeest called topis, but only one of this species. I wonder where his herd got off to.
Towards the end of our drive we lucked upon these two magnificent male lions. They were resting, as lions do, but were roused by some approaching elephants. We found out who the real kind of the jungle is here... the elephants!
A topi keeps watch over its partner in the beautiful golden grass of the Masai Mara.
Greg and Sue were anxious to see primates, and these blue monkeys showed up right in camp!
David drove us right up to a hippo pool which provided us endless entertainment. The hippos were snorting and bellowing and seeming to really enjoy themselves.
I was very impressed that our guide, David, spotted this big Nile monitor lizard peeking up over the grass.
Reflections of stripes.
A tall giraffe peeks up above the orange crouton plants of the Mara.
A safari vehicles drives past zebra and topi on the main road in the Mara.
One of the 'Big 5', these cape buffalo were having a good time rolling around in the mud near the hippo pool.
A male impala shows off an impressive set of horns.
The skies grew dark towards the late afternoon, but that made for some amazing lighting for shots like this. A family of elephants, including a tiny baby, stroll through the grass.
We saw elephants of all sizes today. I would say that the Masai Mara is one of the best places for elephant lovers to go spend time with these giants of the savanna.
I was surprised how many tiny baby elephants we came across today. There is nothing cuter than baby animals!
This young elephant peeked out at us from the forest that our camp was located in. We have an electric fence around this camp, but animals like this cruise the perimeter, which is only a few feet away from our tents!
As always, keep traveling and keep posting!
- Dai Mar