The Maasai Mara, quintessential Africa

Andy and the Bartter family finally found the lions on Loisaba after tracking them for over an hour. The pride of 7 was resting in the shade of a croton thicket in the heart of their territory. Licking and grooming each other it was lovely to see the close knit social behaviour of these beautiful felines. As the light began to fade they headed down to Falcon rocks for a sundowner to be met by 10 Samburu warriors who then proceeded to do a dance with the backdrop of Loisaba’s stunning landscape. With a gin and tonic in hand they sat and watched as the warriors, who were dressed in their traditonal costumes and covered in variety of colourful beaded necklaces and flowers, sung and jumped and then vanished into the bush. It was a sad farewell to Loisaba the next morning but with great anticipation they set off for the Maasai Mara in hope of some spectacular wildlife viewing.

The flight to the Mara took them over the Great Rift Valley and the Mau escarpment – Kenya’s largest remaining indigenous forest. They were met by Alex, Andy's spotter, in his trusty landcruiser and drove to Naibor Camp. 4 inches of rain had burst the banks of the Talek River so they had to drive the long way round as the normal crossing points were impassable. The short green pastures of the Mara allowed for easy wildlife viewing – a lioness from 500 yards away browsed the horizon for her next meal while a journey of 15 giraffe ambled across the expansive plains. Dom and Martha settled us into Naibor – their luxury tented camp and home for the next 3 nights.


Situated in a tranquil spot half a mile up from the confluence of the Mara and Talek Rivers, Naibor Camp is in the perfect location in the heart of the Reserve. The camp is a striking combination of contemporary style and comfort with 7 well positioned fully equipped tents from which you can sit and relax whilst watching the resident hippo pod in the river below as well as a variety of other thirsty animals as they come to the waters edge to drink.

After an afternoon siesta they all jumped into the car for a game drive. The beauty of safari is that you never know what you are going to see out there, around every corner there is a surprise. Andy knew the surrounding area is well known for its leopards and as the kings of stealth they are not often seen but they were going to give it a go. Andy drove up onto a raised ridge and scanned the horizon, herds of Topi, gazelle and zebra littered the flower strewn open savannah. It was with a double take that he focused in on a lone tree 200 yards away. All Andy could see was the tail hanging down silhouetted against the skyline. ‘You are not going to believe this’ he whispered ‘ but we’ve got one’. Draped on one of the horizontal branches 30 feet up was his favourite cat. It was Bryndl’s smile that let on how happy she was!  For 2 hours they sat quietly and watched this beautiful leopardess as she groomed herself and occasionally hissed at the superb starlings that fluttered around her. What a start to their time in the Mara, they couldn’t have asked for more. On return to camp and a hot shower they sat around the open fire and swapped stories with the other guests in camp.

Who knows what is in store for tomorrow but we are sure the Mara will produce more amazing wildlife spectacles....