Masai Mara Game Reserve Favorites

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Favorite thing: The African Water Buffalo is one of the socalled "big five". It's an aggressive and bad-tempered beast, killing more people than lions or crocodiles do. They will charge for any reason, at the least sense of danger. It can reach a weight of 900 kilograms. A wounded buffalo will fake dead to let predators come near and thus deliver a last desperate attack. Buffaloes lives close to swampy ground where they can wallow. A male is recognizable by the thickness of his horns.

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Favorite thing: An antelope is an animal like a deer which can run very fast. Some of them have long legs and horns. There are a lot of different antelopes in Masai Mara, like Thomson's Gazelle, Eland, Topi, Impala, Duiker, Dik Dik, Hartebeest, Grant's Gazelle, Waterbuck and Oribi.

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Favorite thing: Female lions will mostly stay with the pride all their life, and a male will usually leave after a year. If another male comes into the pride, he will fight the leading male lion for head place of the pride. Then he will kill all the puppies, so that his puppies are the only ones in the pride. Females give birth to 1-5 puppies, after a period of three months. The female lion on the pictures has 4 puppies. The small lions face a high mortality rate from starvation or attacks by other large predators.

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Favorite thing: The male lion is recognized by his mane, and can weigh up to 250 kg, the females weigh up to 150 kg. In the wild lions live for around 10-14 years, while in captivity they can live over 20 years. The lions are hunting in teams to surround and kill. Lion kills with a neck bite to break the neck or by covering the throat, preventing breathing. The lion lacks the stamina for a sustained chase, and is a bad hunter on long distance.

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Favorite thing: Lions hunt mainly at night, bu also early in the morning or at dawn, when temperatures are cooler. The Zebra on the picture was killed by the Lions at 4 PM, right before our safari car was heading towards the camp right outside Masai Mara. It's a strong hierarchy by the lions, where the males are eating first, so the females, and the puppies are eating at the end.

Favorite thing: Our favorite part of Kenya was simply absorbing and knowning that due to it's immense, we would need to catalog and jot down for posterity as much as possible in a journal.
It is easy to become confused and awed due to it's immensity and overwhelming experiences, especially when you first arrive.

Took me back to my young days as a child on Christmas day when I didn't know which way to look first under the Christmas tree!

Carry a journal, make as many notes as you can and, if traveling with others, take the time to compare notes and cross reference experiences each may have had within the same journey!

Fondest memory: Our fondest memory was all collaborating during the mid afternoon rest period which is common in safaris. You are given the opportunity to relax and either take a nap, soak some sun around the pool or walk amongst the gardens at the lodge.
We chose to sit, the group of 5, near the pool or at the bar writing in our journals and copying notes off one another.

It was also a great source of accurate information which I am now using here on VT.
By getting 5 different peoples perspective on an experience or an accomodation, I feel we were able to form a more unbiased rating system for our tips.

Favorite thing: We're overwhelmed when we first find ourselves in our dream destination: Kenya, with hordes of Masai and herds of animals all around us. All set against that dreamy Kenya panorama we've only dreamed about.
It happened to us, it'll happen to you. Touts, vendors and aggressive sellers all bank on this to make their living.
Here's the most important thing to remember:

That "One of a kind" necklace you saw back there but didn't have time to bargain for? Another just like it is waiting for you down the road...
That "Special hand hewn giraffe carving" you're sure will look good over your fireplace mantle so, in order to snatch it up you are willing to pay overly inflated prices for? There's a twin about 3 blocks away!

Bid your time, shop around, you'll have plenty of opportunity for it! Even the gift shops at the lodges and hotels will often have the same item selling for the same or just cheaper than what you were able to bargain down for.

Favorite thing: You will be offered souveniers from the Masaai whenever you enter a park. This is particularly true at the Mara and Amboseli, home to the tribe.
The Masai will approach your vehicle and try to shove trinkets and hand made items in through the windows encouraging you to bid on the items.

Prices are extremely inflated, even by Western standards.

You should offer at the most only 20 - 30 percent of what they initially quote (they'll act insulted), gradually coming up in price as the negotiations keep taking place.
NOTE: This will all be taking place very fast while your guide pays for your entry fees to the park.
The secret is to stand firm and realize that ultimately, both parties should agree on approximately 40 - 50% of the original price.

Don't dispair, the item you saw them selling back there will undoubtedly be found again at another shopping stop! Theirs is but an exact duplicate of a craft done by the Masai for many generations!