Embarking on a safari adventure of a lifetime in Maasai Mara national reserve was the perfect way to wrap up our family reunion in Kenya this summer. After our nostalgic trip down memory lane to our old haunts in Kakamega, Kisumu, Lake Victoria and Nairobi from the late 1980s – it was fitting to end our trip by creating new enduring Kenyan memories, especially for our kiddos.

Maasai Mara is the original blueprint for an African safari – with its sprawling savannah grasslands dotted by solitary acacia trees providing the perfect backdrop for some of the best and most approachable wildlife game viewing in the world.

Luxurious Entim Mara tented camp

Our base for the 3 day safari trip was at Entim Mara luxury tented camp, which is situated within the preserve and right on the Mara river. Entim had surprisingly luxurious furnishings for a tented safari accommodation, and we were thoroughly pampered by the super attentive and thoughtful service throughout our stay. The resident hippos on the other hand would regularly remind us of their loud presence throughout the night – it was exhilarating yet terrifying at the same time that these ferocious creatures were just grazing and roaming around our tents after dark! We were also treated to some epic sunset views from the camp’s porch while enjoying our sundowners aperitifs in the evenings.

Safari with Twinkle Star Tours

Over the 3 days we had 4 game drive safaris to various parts of the Mara reserve – from early morning starts to catch the awakening wildlife at sunrise, to late evening excursions to view the animals in the soft light of the golden hour before dusk. Our friendly Maasai guide & driver James from Twinkle Star Safari Tours was extremely knowledgeable about the flora, fauna and history of Mara – he was great at spotting camouflaged wildlife from afar, took us to all the best spots for viewings, and kept us entertained with his storytelling and humor.

Game viewing highlights in Maasai Mara

Our initial goal was to view all of the Big 5 – a term that was coined by big-game hunters in the colonial days and referred to the 5 most difficult animals in Africa to hunt back then on foot: lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and water buffalo. Unfortunately the shy rhinos of Maasai Mara stayed elusive throughout our visit, but we were still lucky to get multiple sightings of the other Big 5. And of course there were plentiful zebras, wildebeest, antelopes, hippos, hyenas, warthogs, and the occasional cheetahs roaming around the vast savannah grasslands. There were a wide multitude of birds that we spotted too – from giant ostriches to scavenging vultures, and even the national bird of Kenya – the colorful lilac-breasted roller.

Some of the main highlights from our safari excursions were seeing a pack of hyenas attack then devour a hapless wildebeest, watching a cheetah on a hunt, getting super close to a pride of lions, and gazing on a herd of graceful elephants at a watering hole. Visiting a zoo will never match up to the excitement and awe of seeing these animals in their natural wild environs!

Big Cats – the stars of the show

Elephants – the graceful giants of the Mara

Hyenas on the hunt

The main herbivores

A couple of birds of the Mara