Masai Mara Experience - Independent

Welcome to Kenya! Your Masai Mara Independent Experience starts very early this morning to get you to the Mara for a late lunch. Please speak to your hotel about an early or packed breakfast. You will be picked up from either Hotel Panafric or your Nairobi hotel at 6 am. Please advise your sales consultant at the time booking of your Nairobi hotel details. After lunch at the Mara Camp, enjoy an afternoon/evening game drive, during which you may have the good fortune to observe a black-maned lion, leopard or a cheetah. Your camp on the edge of the Masai Mara is a classic luxury bush camp and is completely unfenced, seperated from the reserve by the Talek River. The cosy dining area, open fireplace and tented accommodation make for a unique and intimate ambience. Enjoy dinner served al-fresco in a clearing overlooking the sweeping Masai Mara plains or in the spacious dining tent.

Continue your exploration of arguably one of the finest game reserves on the continent. Take in vistas of rolling green plains and riverine woodlands, not to mention many species of game. Your daily routine at Masai Mara will vary, however, a typical day involves waking at dawn for a light breakfast followed by an early morning game drive, setting off at sunrise and returning to the camp three to four hours later. Breakfast is a leisurely affair, taken outdoors in the morning sunlight, with lunch usually served al-fresco too. During the heat of the day there’s time to relax and enjoy the tranquillity of the bush, punctuated only by intermittent bird calls. An afternoon game drive departs around 4pm and returns after sunset. On returning to the camp, freshen up before joining other guests around the campfire for a pre-dinner drink. Dinner is served by candlelight in the dining tent. Enjoy a nightcap by the fire before retiring to the sounds of the wild.

Today is another full day of game drives. The Masai Mara National Reserve is famed for its physical beauty and abundance of wildlife – along with the ‘Big Five’, there are also 570 recorded bird types in the park, including the grey-crowned crane and the colourful lilac-breasted roller. Because you leave the camp as the sun rises you shouldn't have any trouble spotting wildlife, as this is often one of the most active times of day for animals. Look out for massive herds of wildebeest, zebra, and Thomson's and Grant's gazelle, all of which roam these verdant grasslands. Elephants, giraffes and elands are also commonly sighted. There are also escorted bush walks available from the camp, when you can great right into the heart of the landscape, learn to identify animal tracks, and get closer to African wildlife than you ever thought possible.
An optional balloon ride over the Masai Mara at sunrise is an unforgettable experience. If you have pre-booked this activity you will be picked up from camp before dawn and driven to the launch site for a safety briefing with your pilot. You then glide through the dawn, sometimes at tree height, making the most of the amazing photo opportunities. Sometimes you'll ascend to get an overview of the enormity of the Masai Mara plains and the early-morning movements of the teeming herds. Upon landing you'll be treated to champagne and a bush breakfast.

This morning you’ll enjoy your final sunrise game drive to soak up as much of the Masai Mara as possible, then have a leisurely breakfast before departing. Upon arrival back in Nairobi, you will be dropped at your nominated hotel or directly to the airport for any onward travel. If you are planning to depart Nairobi today for an international destination, please ensure that your flight is no earlier than 7 pm.