The Masai Mara is one of the best game parks in all of Africa.  It is the crown jewel of the Kenyan parks and is an extension of the massive Serengeti in neighboring Tanzania.  The Masai Mara has become littered with top notch tented camps and safari clubs.  I stayed at the Fairmont Mara Safari Club and loved every second of it! Here is how I would spend 48 hours in the Masai Mara.

Day 1

10am Arrival and Masai Warrior Welcome

When you fly into the small gravel air strip 10 minutes from the Fairmont Mara Safari Club, you will be greeted with refreshments, safari-mobiles and of course Masai Warriors.  These are the highflying indigenous people that still populate the Masai Mara.  They sing, dance and amaze.  It’s such a pleasure to listen to their music and watch them jump.  Oh and yes you can join in but spoiler alert…they can jump higher than you!

1pm Lunch Overlooking the River

The Fairmont Mara Safari Club has an awesome restaurant where you can sit indoors or out.  Of course I recommend sitting outdoors looking out over the river flush with hippos doing hippo things!  The proximity of hippos is one of the coolest things about the lodge so enjoy them!

3pm Afternoon Game Drive

Enjoy some of the richest pockets of animals anywhere in the world.  The Masai Mara is absolutely stunning and so are its inhabitants.  Your guide will know the best spots to spot the Big 5 and everything in between.  Bring a good camera and some patience and experience one of the best parks on Earth.

6pm Sunset Cocktails on the Masai Mara

After a few hours game drive the Fairmont Mara Safari Club driver and guide will bring you up to a stunning viewpoint where you can see forever.  It’s truly one of the most spectacular sunsets I’ve ever witnessed.  It’s a pleasure to set up a bar and snacks in the bush and enjoy Africa at its finest.

9pm Go to Bed Early and Experience Nature

Probably one adventure on everyone’s bucket list is sleeping in a safari tent. Sleeping in the Fairmont Mara Safari Club is interesting because it’s a tented luxury camp. There’s nothing like falling asleep to the sounds of the animals and wind in Kenya.  It’s nature at its finest!

 

 

Sunrise over the Masai Mara is more evidence that Africa is the most beautiful place on Earth! #FairmontMoments

A photo posted by Lee Abbamonte (@leeabbamonte) on Jan 15, 2016 at 10:23pm PST

Day 2

6am Morning Game Drive

Like sunset, sunrise in the Masai Mara is a special time.  The nocturnal animals give way to the day animals and they all live serendipitously.  The sunrises can be as spectacular as sunsets so have you camera ready and don’t forget a jacket because it can be downright cold in the early morning.  The cold will soon give way to heat as Africa starts its day.

12pm Swim in the Pool

The Fairmont Mara Safari Lodge has a pool in the middle of the bush and it’s really hot out during the day.  So why not use it?  It’s an experience you won’t find too many places and I highly recommend it.  Also, don’t forget sunblock because the Equatorial sun can be brutal in Kenya.

3pm Afternoon Game Drive

It never gets old and it’s never the same twice.  Enjoy the best of nature.  Try standing up in the Land Rover as it gives a more authentic feel because you feel on top of things and in control.  I love game drives so much-just writing this makes me want to hop a plane to Kenya!

7pm Bush Dinner

The Fairmont Mara Safari Club set up what was essentially a high-end barbeque for me and the other guests in the bush.  It was nothing else I’ve ever experienced.  We were literally in the dark, in the bush, where animals could come and go as they pleased.  The food was spectacular and then there were some special guests.  The Masai Warriors returned to do a massive show for us around the fire.  It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen and I am not exaggerating.