KENYA: Live Like A Maasai On The Plains

While the wildebeest migration is the biggest attraction in the Mara during this season, it is not the only activity that a tourist can engage in.

Tour operators and hoteliers offer game drives at different times. While some opt to have a full-day game drive, others schedule them in the morning or evening.
Talk to your travel agent or camp manager to take part in other activities they may be offering.

Normally, you pay extra for the activities, but some hotels offer complementary game drives for extended stays. Here is what you can do while at the Mara.

Game drives

Maasai Mara is home to the Big Five. For bird lovers, Mara has over 450 species.

Tour operators and hoteliers offer game drives at different times. While some opt to have a full-day game drive, others schedule them in the morning or evening.

Most animals can be seen when it is not too hot as they come to drink from a waterpoint, or in the evenings when they start hunting.

If you want to take a peek into the life of nocturnal hunters like lions and leopards, night game drives will give you that thrill. When it is dark and quiet you get to experience nature at its best— hearing the sounds of the animals or even seeing them make a kill.

Not all camps and lodges offer the option of night-time game drives and tourists can ask the camp manager to organise for a tour van and guide.

Find out if your children can go for the game drives; some lodges have age limits.

Treks

Treks are most convenient for bird watchers and if you want to view the wildlife more closely. The walks are organised by the lodges and often within the proximity of the hotel to avoid areas dominated by large predators.

There are places within the Mara where walking safaris are not allowed for safety reasons, although they can be organised in some ranches and conservancies.

With trained guides during the walks, you can explore smaller ecosystems of the dung beetles and termites that you would ignore if you were in a tour van.

Being in the Mara provides an opportunity for you to learn more about the culture of the Maasai. Some hotels provide cultural visits to manyattas where tourists can interact with community members. Some lodges also organise for tourists to attend traditional Maasai ceremonies.