My two-day safari in Maasai Mara, Kenya was hands down my favorite safari destination in the five months I spent backpacking Africa.
Wildlife sightings were easy and often, and I ticked off the trio of big cats, all firsts for me: cheetah, leopard, and lion cubs! (Okay, maybe the third wasn't "big" – but they will be. 😉)
The game drive itself was an experience. Fording a river? Walkie talkie alerts of big game sightings? Racing through the brush to beat the other Jeeps? Honestly the ride alone was exhilarating and made me feel like Indiana Jones.
The highlights in less than 90 seconds.
Left to right, from top | (1, 2) Sunrise on the first day; (3) A large herd of wildebeest; (4) A cheetah resting in the shade of a bush; (5, 6) A hyena eats leftover kill.
Left to right, from top | (1) Most of the scenery in Maasai Mara National Reserve is like this, wide open spaces, with tire tracks for roads; (2, 3) We did cross this river. If I was in the driver's seat I would have had a heart attack; (4) White storks by the riverbed; (5) Hippos cooling off in the river; (5) Zebras are basically like wild horses; (6, 7) Shrubbery grows up around the water sources; (8) Two zebras with oxpeckers on their backs. Oxpeckers and zebras have a symbiotic relationship, eating parasites and ticks off of zebras while getting a free ride.
Giraffes are so photogenic.
Their cries sound like little torpedoes.
Left to right, from top | (1-4) Mom was not fazed really by the swarm of Jeeps that came to photograph her and the babies. (5-7) A little further away, Dad was in the bush taking a nap. He, too, was unfazed by how close we got in the Jeep (like 5 feet away). 😂
Left to right, from top | (1-3) Giraffes at sunset; (4, 5) Ostrich at sunset; (6, 7) The light is just so incredible in Africa. I learned that the pink and orange sunset is actually caused by dust pollution, which refracts the light differently and changes the color to the eye.
I thought I'd seen it all after starting the day with The Great Migration, then an afternoon of big cats topped off with a stunning sunset – but woke early the next morning for a breathtaking sunrise from a hot air balloon over the savannah.
Though they call the hot air balloon a "safari" experience, it's pretty hard to spot wildlife from high up, even with binoculars. That said, my big cat energy was clearly firing, because our balloon guide did spot a Serval (another cat) which apparently is quite rare due to their solitary, nocturnal behavior.
The hot air balloon wasn't cheap ($450 when I went), so if you're looking for the best bang-for-your-buck safari, a visit to South Africa's Kruger National Park is still your best bet.
But if you're a little more rugged like me, and can get yourself from Nairobi to a game lodge outside the reserve, booking game drives as individual activities rather than one big safari package is pretty affordable. I also pitched my own tent at the lodge to save on accommodation. All in all, it was a surprisingly low-cost trip. Without the hot air balloon, I spent less than $300, which included: park fees, a morning and afternoon game drive, tent camping, full board meals, and my bus & shared taxi transportation to get there.
If your only goal is to see wildlife? Skip the hot air balloon. But the views of the sunrise and the landscape are definitely worth the experience.
See for yourself.
Your dream adventure doesn't have to break the bank.
Upgrade to our Traveler membership for exclusive budget travel secrets and guides that will teach you how to see the world on $100/day – for only $100/year.
Upgrade
I loved the peaceful feeling of floating over the savannah, taking in the landscape below. The way that a river would snake through it, trees lining either side, yellow grasses like football fields in between. I loved watching all the other balloons on the horizon. I could float forever. The vista moving beneath you as though you are a drone, your eyes capturing the scene like a movie.
Feeling inspired? Leave a comment below if you have any questions about planning your own Maasai Mara adventure!
