Visiting the Masai Maara - a dream come true!

I watched enough documentaries on Nat Geo and Discovery about the pristine splendor of the Masai Maara. About the multitude of animals, the big-5 in specific, their own natural hierarchy, their behaviors and that the migration. 
But nothing can substitute the exhilarating feeling of being there in person. This was a dream come true. 
We booked our logistics through the Lion Trails which means they picked us up from our residence at Nairobi and also took us out for all the game drives in their modified Toyota vans. The 13 of us occupied two such vans. Mr. Francis was our driver and a fantastic guide who helped make our experience at the Maara memorable. 

Let the pictures speak for themselves :-)

On the way:

Ashnil Mara Camp: 
Location - Ashnil is located about a 1 hour drive inside the Maara gates. The journey to get to the camp was a game drive in itself. The Ashnil Maara Camp is just by the Maara river and we could see the hippos wallowing in the murky water along with elephants, giraffes and other herbivores :-)
The Camp and its staff - The Camp had comfortable twin and three bed accommodations, great food and very lively and friendly staff. Our stay was a pleasure!

 

Game drives - some breathtaking scenes:

The splendid game-drives: 

Video: Our first Hyena and Cheetah spotting -

 

Video: Lions1

Video: Lions2

Video: Rendezvous with the Masai (including a peek inside their hut)

Assorted pictures - 

The Masai Village: 
Although the Masai village we visited was closer to the Maara gates, yet most of the Masai folks still live in the abandon of the wilderness. They still hold their traditions close. During our visit, we interacted with them, danced with them, showed us some of their primitive techniques, we went inside one of their huts, understood their ways of living and had many an interesting conversation.
One of those that jumped out was how they marked the stages of a man's growth - e.g. 'killing a lion' is the first step towards adulthood :-) 

We also got access to one of their super sharp knives - lo and behold engraved on it was 'Made in China'.

#ibmcsc Kenya