Is a Masai Mara Safari Worth the Hype? (Honest Opinion)

[Music] the Masai Mara arguably the most famous Safari destination in the world renowned for its high density of big cats the mara features in countless Wildlife documentaries and is particularly famous for housing the mara River Crossing part of the Great wilderbeast Migration where millions of wilderbeast risk their lives crossing the crocodile infested Mara River but I want to know is the Masai Mara worth the hype today is an extremely exciting day as we are J in to the Masai Mara National Park which is around 5 to 6 hours away from Nairobi where we're currently staying I cannot wait hello Mambo okay here we are about to go on Safari we're with Daniel and Gideon from meek Trail Safari so come with me and we're going to get in the vehicle yeah kib s you are welcome Santi s kibu oh this is nice and so we began our journey venturing away from the bustling city of Nairobi and into the Lush Countryside after a couple of hours it was time for our first stop off here we are at the rift valley Viewpoint Where You Can See For Miles down this Rift Valley escarment wow the view is something to behold we're here in the short rains so there's a lot of clouds here at the moment and quite a bit of rain so the view is not as good as it could be but I mean I've not seen it before and I'm still pretty much blown away by this we have a little friend by our vehicle the reality of coming in the rainy season we had a slight view before but now as you can see it's pretty much completely covered up the rainclouds may have swallowed up the viewpoint but they were unable to dampen our excitement as we hopped back in our vehicle and continued our journey East miraculously as we descended into the rift valley the clouds cleared away and we were greeted by clear skies around an hour later we made our final stop off at narok the largest town before you're truly in rural Kenya after that point the landscape drastically changed and we were even treated to our first Wildlife sightings long before we reached the mara itself self after 5 and 1/2 hours on the road we arrived welcome to zebra Plains Mara River Camp our home for the next three nights we're located on the tallic river here and just behind the tallic river is the Masai Mara National Reserve that's how close we are to the Masai Mara which is going to be amazing tomorrow when we go on our early morning Safari because the drive isn't that long to get to the [Music] gate welcome come on in welcome to a master suite herey here we have the bed oh my gosh it's so soft and then in here this way we have the bathroom with his and her sink we have LA tolet and then in here we have a big shower but perhaps the best thing of all is out here we have got a balcony but not just any balcony look at this view wow this is my favorite part of the room I mean just look at it that is the tallic river in the mimara National Reserve these little wooden posts are the only thing that's keeping us from the wildlife after settling into our room we had a delicious lunch whilst overlooking the talic river then as Darkness began to fall we made our way for some dinner where we were gifted to a little surprise I can think of no better way to spend my first night in the Masai Mara than in the company of the massai tribe listening to their traditional songs it made me feel all the more excited for our first Safari tomorrow morning good morning everyone it is 6:00 a.m. woke up at half five today and we're brought in back on our first Safari in the Mas Mara which is a really early Dawn Safari this is the absolute best time to try to spot Wildlife especially predators in auction so fingers cross let me see something exciting I am so excited the Masai Mara does have a reputation of being one of the best Safar destinations in the world so I really cannot wait to see what it has to offer it's like it almost feels like a dream contr true moment for me right now cuz growing up I watched like loads of Nature Documentaries I just thought one day I want to do that I want to go around and like film wildlife and present videos and it's crazy to think that that could be that dream could be coming true today [Music] sh we' got a really incredible sighting we've just found a mother cheetah and her Cubs and she's just left her four Cubs to go hunting so she's just sitting in the Grass at the moment and we're all just here waiting to see what she's going to do next oh she's hunting she's hunting oh my God the the hunt was unsuccessful the gazel that she had been interested in saw her long before she was able to sneak up on them she starts to wander back to her Cubs this cute chirping sound is how she communicates with her Cubs letting them know she's on her way home this beautiful female cheatah is known as nasip Pai which means happiness in the Masai language we make our way over to where her four Cubs are resting and are delighted to spot them eagerly anticipating their mother's arrival oh there they are all four of them oh my gosh that is so that is so lovely that guy just yawned oh my [Music] God [Music] they're like hustling with each other it's adorable they're so excited cuz their mom's come back she didn't catch anything this time but they're just pleased to see her Nasha Pai is 8 years old and over her lifetime she has had several litters despite this these adorable fluff balls are only her second litter to have survived long enough to have made it out of the dam I'm happy to see that all four cheetah cubs are doing well they are four months old and full of [Applause] [Music] energy [Music] this is incredible they are just frolicking about in these bushes chasing each other it's so adorable it's just the sweetest thing this is like so wholesome my heart is so happy I think cheetahs are probably my favorite and I just love the Cubs they're just so tiny and fluffy I love how they got their little fluffy white backs it's just so cute and wholesome my heart was melting I had no idea the sweetest moment was yet to [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] come [Music] by coming in the rainy season I had secretly hoped to come across a cheetah family with young cubs but I never would have dreamed of seeing interactions as beautiful as this I honestly felt like pinching myself as Nasha pie set off her Cubs not far behind I was wasn't ready to leave the family just [Music] yet after spending over an hour with the young family we decide to let them continue their Journey alone I think baby cheaters are my favorite thing yeah they're so fluffy and my heart is so happy right now it doesn't take long for us to come across our next Wildlife sighting here we are with the elephants there's so many of them it's so nice just to watch them grazing hair ripping all the grass out and eating them look at this little one here this little baby one it's so cute just watching it [Music] the elephants are right in front of the car just there just crossing my God that's amazing can't believe how close they are and they're just like grazing so happily it's feels so special that little baby's so funny we continue our journey spotting more zeas than I can count a huge herd of [Music] elens and some dazzling ostriches but then so we've just stumbled across a whole pride of lions here just lazing about in the sun we've got some lionesses and then I think there's some smaller ones too some cobs as well and they're all just like enjoying themselves sleeping it's really cool to see them so close like look how close they are to the vehicle it's [Music] amazing one of the reasons that the Masa Mara is so famous is as a result of its high density of lions the lions in this Reserve are well documented and researched the guides therefore know each of the Prides by name Gideon tells me that this family group is known as notch family named after their father Notch who was one of the most famous Lions to have ever lived in the Masai Mara this is how Lions spend up to 20 hours of their day sleeping as someone who loves to sleep myself I feel like I found my spirit animal [Music] there we go okay yes thank you Lions this Safari in the Masai Mara is unbelievable already we've had so many incredible sightings and we haven't even had breakfast yet we wouldn't have seen half as much Wildlife without a fantastic guide like Gideon who is incredibly skilled at Wildlife spotting if you'd like to book your own Kenya Safari click the link in the video description and ping comment it gives you the opportunity to get a quote for your Safari from the exact same tour companies who I used and who I highly recommend we still had one more surprise in store before breakfast you can see here there's a big giraffe on the giraffe which is really nice to see but to make things even better there's a baby over here just following I have never seen a baby giraffe before it is so cute look at him oh my goodness [Music] [Applause] [Music] it's been a very eventful morning we've seen a lot and now it's 10 a.m. and we have just stopped at this beautiful spot here to enjoy some breakfast I can think of no better place to tuck into a delicious breakfast than here in the middle of the Masai Mara before long we're back on Safari the morning gradually shifting into afternoon we come across this dung vetle showing off his immense strength by Rolling this huge amount of dung down the road many people come to the Masai Mara hoping to see the famous big five but if you look around you the Mara's smaller residents are just as impressive next we stumble upon this impressive male lion he's a young Nomad his man not yet fully grown he has strong Ambitions to one day have his own territory and pride but he has some growing to do before he's able to take on the resident males today is certainly our lucky day for Big Cat sightings as our next sighting is another female cheater oh my God that so cute it just flopped down just looks like a little cat it's adorable this is Nora one of the Mara's older cheaters but you wouldn't know it as she rolls around like a kitten theara has gifted us with some magical Wildlife encounters I had no idea that one of the best sightings of the day was Yet to [Music] Come okay so here we are we've stumbled across this amazing sighting there's a oh he's sneezing there's a beautiful male lion behind me and he's got a buffalo kill right now him and his pride killed this Buffalo last night and they've been feasting through the night got nice full bellies the rest of the pride had just gone off to get some water and um he's left in charge of the remainder of the kill trying to fend off all the vultures and other scavengers that are Keen to get some food this fabulous male lion is one of two huge males who form the marsh Coalition together they run and protect the Salis pride in the very south of the mara a buffalo is not an easy animal to catch especially such a large one like this so this is an incredibly impressive kill Gideon hears on the radio that the rest of the pride are nearby so we decided to go and [Music] investigate after such a huge meal there isn't much action going on here and so we decide to leave the pride to rest I've been blown away by the sheer quantity of animals residing in the Masai Mara but numbers like this would never have been possible without the extraordinary conservation efforts going on behind the scenes in order to preserve this pocket of wilderness I'm Keen to find out more this is the Masai tribe they are pastoralists their livelihoods revolving around their cattle they have called the Masai Mara home for centuries and today play a crucial part in the conservation of the mara but living alongside lions and elephants hasn't been easy today I'm meeting with Eric to find out more about what it's like Living With Lions on your doorstep you live so close to the wild animals do you ever have any issues with that wild animals when the lions attack our cows they attack your cows they are almost coming they try to attack but very easy to secure them you don't kill the Lions we don't kill them no because the we depend about them we're getting many things through animals you depend on the lies is that through tourism or the tourism that the time of the tourism coming because when we try to kill them no tourist no tourist the M Village because we normally we try to kill but we finish them we realize that important of animals now now they there are very many in the park because we realize they very important they are very important so you're working to protect them more more is coming human Wildlife conflict is a huge problem all over Africa it's one of the biggest threats to Wildlife it can be so difficult for communities to make a living when Lions take their cows and elephants trample their crops you can easily see how FK ities killing animals may feel like the only option but through education and communities directly benefiting from tourism local communities are starting to see the value in preserving Wildlife the Massi are one of the biggest success stories when it comes to getting local communities involved in conservation as a result of the masa's involvement in preserving the mara the masi mara has actually grown in size the Masai Mara is now made up of 12 individual conservancies which surround the main Reserve Massi land owners living with within the conservancies lease their land to Safari operators who practice sustainable tourism the Safari operators pay the Massi to use their land creating a crucial Revenue source for the Massi whilst also encouraging them to preserve both the land and its Wildlife Additionally the tour operators and lodges within the masi mara provide jobs to members of the local masi communities for example most staff members at R Lodge are from this massai Village things are not perfect and from time to time human wildlife conflict does still happen here but as each new generation of masi goes to school and learns about the benefits of wildlife the future is looking bright in my opinion the masi tribe and their centuries old traditions are just as important to the mara as the wildlife and we have a duty to protect both of them as evening starts to fall it's time to say goodbye to the Massi and head back to our lodge where we have a lovely relaxing evening before another full day of safari so it is 6 15 a.m. and we're setting out on our morning faari today we had breakfast at the lodge but now we're ke to get out there early and see what we can spot it's a beautiful day I'm really relieved because yesterday was good the days before there was a lot of rain so it's good to see the sun coming down let's see what animals we can find today so we're at the gate now we're at a different gate today this is the m gate I'd seen so much yesterday that even if we saw nothing today I wouldn't be disappointed still it's good to be ambitious and if I had to be honest I was secretly hoping to see all of the Big Five in the Masai Mara we'd seen three already Lions elephants and buffaloes now I could only hope that we'd stumble across the most elusive of the Mars residents Rhino and leopard it isn't long before we come across our first sighting of the [Music] day this is the Ango Yani Pride after a night spent hunting the Lions make their way one by one back to their Denning area their full bellies and blood stains across their chests are signs of a successful [Music] hunt the most special part of this sighting for me is the Cubs I have never seen lion cubs as young as this they must be only around four or five months old and are still completely dependent on their [Music] mother as the sun climbs higher in the sky the Cubs Retreat to the heart of the bushes out of sight of prying eyes it's time to move on we drive deeper into the main Reserve soon encountering this Tower of giraffes yes a group of giraffes really is called a [Music] tower we pick up speed when Gideon gets a call on the radio something exciting must be going on but when we get there everything is quiet these two male lions behind me they just made a kill just missed it it's a buffalo and they're just resting now cuz it took a lot of energy to come Buffalo I just my under this tree before they dig into their view it's a little frustrating that we missed a successful hunt by a few minutes but that's just the nature of safaris nothing is ever guaranteed and honestly safaris wouldn't be half as exhilarating if if it was it's turning out to be a morning filled with lions as no sooner had we left the two nomadic males had we come across this Pride doing what Lions do best relaxing we found a pride of lions and right Bush me and then on the other side of the road got this male here this is the wrong ey Pride led by a powerful Coalition of five male allons known as the Black Rock boys they are one of the strongest coalitions within the [Music] mara as we continue our journey movement catches my eye and I turn to see two lionesses streaking through the Savannah a warthog had grabbed their attention but as they drew closer the duo changed their mind about hunting and settled down in the grass to rest onwards we go to one of the most famous spots in the whole of the Masai Mara welcome to the mara River the greatest obstacle that the Great wilderbeast Migration has to face on their long journey from the serenti to the Masai Mara these murky waters are teeming with crocodiles and hippos the best way to admire the river and its Wildlife is actually on foot via a walking Safari we're going on a guided walk walk along the river where there's going to be some hippers and crocodiles and with Bennett yes who's the ranger here oh wow the hippers are big I probably did not wear the best Footwear for this walk but it's all part of the adventure the first animal that we encounter is this mother crocodile if you look closely you can actually see dozens of little babies in the grass beside her I never expected baby crocodiles to look so adorable have you ever had to use your gun yeah back G the hippo outside the water for as we wander alongside the Great River we see plenty of hippos and crocodiles but they aren't the only creatures that can be found here we also come across Rocka lizards of all kind of colors and a king [Music] fisher the walk takes around 15 minutes and before I know it I am reunited with Gideon and our vehicle as we set off we come across this beautiful lilac breasted roller munching on a grasshopper then we see this shy little turtle oh he's so cute next is this massive hippo outside the water it's only when you see them like this when you realize just how huge they are a call on the radio alerts us to something exciting so we've just arrived at an interesting sighting behind me in this tree here some other cars witnessed a leopard take a kill up a tree we're just trying to see if we can catch a glimpse of the leopards I can see the killum tree it's taking a baby zebra but the tree is so dense I cannot see anything else right now but fingers crossed you see something leopards are really hard to find they're very elusive another epic sighting Mist by only a few minutes still it would be a lie to say we were unlucky as whilst we were waiting for the leopard to return another call comes through the radio prompting us to set off again the speed in which we drive S yes we could be heading to something magical this is really exciting we have spotted a black rhino they are incredibly hard to find they're very Elusive and in the day they'll be in the bushes so not that easy to see but this one's right in the open and he's just chilling with an ostridge right now this feels very like a very special moment I am so happy a few decades ago rhinos would have been a very common sighting in the mara however years of illegal poaching for their horns have absolutely decimated the population reducing them to less than 50 individuals and making them the rarest large mammal to see in the Masai Mara we are therefore incredibly lucky to see this individual we've now seen four of the big five we'll return to the leopard tree later to see if it's returned but in the meantime we encountered two lions beside a buffalo [Music] kill alongside the rest of the pride these Lions took down this huge Buffalo last night and have since been enjoying the spoils of their hard work patiently waiting nearby is a hungry hyena who seems too nervous to come any closer suddenly he moves at first I think he's going to try his luck and attempt to get some food but the presence of the Lions is clearly making him uneasy and so he moves further away Bell's full it doesn't seem these two lions will continue eating anytime soon and so we decide to move on evening isn't far away and so we make our way back to the leopard tree for one last opportunity to see a leopard we've gone back to the area where a leopard killed us ever and put it in the tree and we're just going to wait here for a bit and see if the leard makes an appearance the whole time we've been on sparing it hasn't come back since we're hoping that maybe it's been gone long enough that it wants to go back to its food now after waiting for over an hour the leopard didn't make an appearance with the reserved Closing Time looming ever closer we sadly couldn't wait any longer so you're probably wondering at this point is the Masai Mara worth the hype or I can say is yes yes and again yes the density of wildlife here is something to behold and it really lives up to its reputation of being a big cat Lover's Dream i' forgive you if you are feeling bored at this point by lion sightings seeing four of the Big Five in 2 days is seriously impressive the good news is that our time in the Masai Mara isn't over we still have two more days of safari ahead of us two more days to try and find a leopard will we succeed whilst the Masai Mara is no doubt a fantastic Safari destination it has serious competition for being the best and for me the serengetti may just have the edge check out this video on my spectacular experience in the seretti to find out why

Channel: Ella McKendrick

Views: 233,783

Keywords: kenya safari, masai mara, masai mara sightings, masai mara safari, masai mara national park, masai mara kenya, kenya travel, kenya travel video, kenya travel guide, kenya travel vlog, masai mara guide, masai mara safari guide, Ella McKendrick

Id: Y2EwTrsCD64

Length: 28min 10sec (1690 seconds)

Published: Sun Mar 10 2024