As we dropped below the clouds, the plains of the
Masai Mara National Game Reserve sprang into
view. At first glance, the fields and hills appeared
barren and I wondered if the pilot had taken a
wrong turn. However, as the plane descended, visitors began
excitedly pointing out animals on the ground. As our Air
Kenya flight came to a stop, it was clear from the giraffe near
the runway that we were no longer in bustling Nairobi.
Although there are a host of hotels, resorts and camps to
choose from when visiting the Masai Mara, we stayed at the
Governors' Camp, located within the Reserve along a calm
stretch of the Mara River. Not only did this cut down driving
times to view the spectacular scenery, but the animals also
came into the camp. Each night, we were serenaded by the
snorts and hoots of the Mara River hippos as they sang to
one another. We witnessed hippos, giraffes, elephants, bush
babies, warthogs, bats and a guidebook's worth of birds
without even leaving camp. How close do the animals get?
Visitors must move about the camp at night with an armed
guard – just in case.
At Governors' Camp, guests sleep in tents and use gas
lanterns for illumination at night, but the similarities to any
camp I ever stayed at ended there. Our huge tent had two
spacious beds, a small writing desk and a huge bathroom
with a rain shower and all the comforts of five star accommodations
– minus electricity, of course. Multi course lunches
and dinners were served under the shade of trees or a large
dining tent and they served appetizers at the bar along the
river.
Before dawn, we were roused from slumber by the soft mu-

sical call of a staff member, "Wake up, wake up, wake up," as
he carried tea, coffee and hot chocolate on a tray. After a cup
or two of strong Kenyan tea, I was ready for a game drive.
We set out each morning at 6:30 to track predators on
the hunt while making our way to the section of the Mara
River where the migrating wildebeest herds cross. On the
first morning, the beasts were crossing at an area difficult to
reach by jeep. Consequently, there were too many vehicles
without places to stop for the passengers to observe the migration.
This forced people to leave their jeeps to catch a
glimpse of the migrating herds. Wildebeests are quite skittish,
and once they spotted the humans, they stopped crossing
the river. I noticed one German mother trying to coax
her young daughter to sit beside her on a rock, oblivious or
indifferent to the crocodile sunning itself a mere five meters
away.
On an afternoon game drive, we encountered two hunting
cheetahs at dusk- brothers, according to Robert, our game
tracker and driver. Although I have heard that cheetahs are
finicky hunters, this pair stalked everything that crossed their
path. After unsuccessful attempts at getting within striking
distance of zebras, gazelles and more zebras, they finally
got it right with a herd of wildebeests (the snack food of the
game reserve). The svelte cats patiently crept along the tall
grass before singling out a calf amidst the herd. Without
warning, the older cat sprang into action. The ensuing chaos
of hooves, horns, claws and dust made the action difficult to
follow. In spite of the mother's attempt to protect her calf,
when the dust settled, she could only look on in vain as the
cheetah suffocated the calf in its powerful jaws. Robert said
it was rare to see a cheetah kill on the Masai plains. During
the next three days, I saw a lot of carnage, but no killing.
The next morning, we located a pride of lions with seven
cubs near the camp. From what I can tell, lions are not active
unless cubs are around. The adult lions tend to lounge about
and catnap all day. The cubs, however, persistently demand
attention by chewing on the lionesses' tails, legs and backs.
Their antics earn them a gambit of gentle swipes and tussles
to all out running tackles from the larger cats that sometimes
clearly wish to be left alone.
As we neared the Mara River, it was clear to Robert that
the wildebeests were congregating for another crossing. He
gunned the engine and started racing towards the river, sliding
on the muddy turns in the red clay road and eliciting encouragement
to "drive faster" from the younger passengers
of the vehicle. The animals collected at a wider stretch of
riverbank than the previous morning, one where hippos and
crocodiles lazily sunned themselves. Robert managed to arrive
just as the animals started to enter the opposite side of
the river and before most of the other jeeps showed up. After
the first few animals plunged into the river, the masses followed,
most of them exiting the water and lumbering up the
riverbank beside our jeep. The scene was so alive with activity,
I failed to notice anyone outside our jeep and I would not
have been surprised if a wildebeest had landed in the seat
beside me. Thousands of migrating beasts streamed out of
the river and onto the grasslands while the calves and mothers
frantically tried to locate one another. A lone crocodile
tried to clamp down on one passing wildebeest, only to get
trampled by several dozen more before beating a hasty retreat
down river. In all, it was the noisiest, most chaotic and
fascinating bit of wildlife I ever witnessed.
The Masai Mara is a stunningly simple yet beautiful place
that I hope to return to someday. Staying at the Governors'
Camp made the experience all the more memorable. If you
haven't been on a safari, start planning to go soon.