Maasai Mara in Kenya
One of my first exiting trips to a safari was in Maasai Mara in Kenya. Since it was my first time in Africa, it felt scary; the wild animals brought some fear. During the safari, the fear dissipated, and there were more fun and excitement. It later started to feel like more of an adventure and not some scary walk into the unknown. During the trip, we got to interact with the natives, and they told us that Maasai Mara means the spotted land of Maasai; Maasai is a tribe in the country.
We flew into the country and spent in Nairobi. Very early the following morning, we took another flight from Wilson Airport in Nairobi to the place. The aerial view of the site was already so beautiful even before we landed. Wild animals, such as elephants, were visible. On the first day of the tour, we spot a herd of elephants; we later had a great trip around the Emboo River camp in the Mara and encountered several wild animals. We spent three nights in the safari tents at the centre in the Emboo River. The following day we had the options of going for night game drives, morning game drives, and watching the sunset, and that is when you are most likely to find cheetahs and spot lions hunt either during the morning or evening game drives. There is also a whole day drive.
The tour guides in the Maasai Mara were friendly, and they made the trip a learning experience and not just an adventure. We learned that male lions do not hunt; they spend 18 to 20 hours a day sleeping; the females go hunting and rest for 15 to 18 hours. They spend their lives sleeping, mating, and hunting and training their cubs. The new information acquired about these wild animals made the safari even better, as it was a learning chance. Lions only appear in the evening or at night.
Later during the second day, we so several wildebeests crossing the Mara River. Fortunately, we went for the safari at a good time because that was the time wildebeests were migrating from the neighbouring country and camps in Tanzania into Maasai Mara. They migrate for mating and giving birth and search for food. When crossing the rivers, the wildebeests get exposures to risks, such as predators in the water like crocodiles and lions after crossing. After their migration, the animals also sink, and over ten thousand dead ones fail to make it across the river. The animals stay in Tanzania for a longer time; in Kenya, they only last for like three months before moving back.
My experience on the third day was equally great. Woke up from the luxurious tents at 7 am and after breakfast, prepared for a ride on a hot air balloon. It felt better each day; it was not just an adventure; it also involved learning about wild animals, seeing them, and very cool relaxation time. On that day, we had an aerial tour of the Mara on a hot air balloon; we had a beautiful view of the hippopotamuses during the ride. The animals stay in the waters during the day and go out to the land at night to feed. They give birth to their calves in the waters.
On the last day, we woke at 6 am and left the camp later for Nairobi to take our flight back home from the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi. Before living the Emboo River Camp in Maasai Mara, we interacted with the communities and learned a few cultures of the Maasai. We went to their Manyattas; the houses they live in, they are structures made of grass and mud, and they looked so cool though some kind of scary to stay in, as it was my first time to see them. The people from the communities entertain tourists through dancing and jumping rhythmically. Other cultures common in the community involved cutting ears to form some shape and covering themselves with some clothes or sheets. They do not dress up formerly. They also practice polygamy, men can have as many wives as they wish, and they all should submit and give birth to as many kids as possible. We later left the country after so much fun, relaxation, and a remarkably satisfying encounter.