Masai Mara, 3 days
- How long
- 3 days / 2 nights
- Starting from
- Flights from Malindi, transfer back to your Watamu resort
- Park
- Masai Mara
The Masai Mara is the northern end of the Serengeti ecosystem and the single best-known piece of wildlife country in Kenya. It takes its name from the Maasai, who live across this region, and from the Mara River that runs through it.
It is famous for the Great Migration, when millions of wildebeest, zebra and other grazers move between the Serengeti and the Mara. The timing shifts from year to year with the rains, but the significant sightings usually fall between July and October.
The reserve also holds the Big Five — lion, elephant, rhino, buffalo and leopard — along with hippo in the Mara and Talek rivers, Maasai giraffe, zebra, gazelle and a long list of antelope.
Day 1
To the Masai Mara
Travel in the morning, into camp around midday, and the first game drive from 16:00 until the light goes.
- 06:00
An early start
The day starts at around 06:00, heading for the Masai Mara National Reserve.
- 12:00
Camp, lunch and a pause
We reach the lodge or camp at about midday for lunch, and the afternoon is yours until 16:00.
- 16:00
First game drive
Out into the reserve in the afternoon, looking for wildlife and getting a first sense of the country, through to sunset.
- Evening
Dinner at camp
Back after dark for dinner, and the night in the reserve.
Day 2
A full day in the reserve
Out at first light with a lunch box, back after sunset, and the whole day in between spent inside the Mara.
- 06:00
Breakfast and a lunch box
Breakfast at around 06:00. The lodge puts up a lunch box so the day does not have to be broken by a drive back to camp.
- Morning
Out while the animals are moving
The first hours of the day are the best of them, and we use all of them.
Across the day there is a real chance of lion, elephant, buffalo, giraffe, zebra, gazelle and hippo, and with some luck leopard and rhino as well.
- Midday
Lunch somewhere with a view
We stop in a safe spot with something to look at, preferably with shade, and take a proper break before going out again.
- Afternoon
Back out until sunset
The drive picks up again in the afternoon and carries on exploring the reserve until the light goes.
- Evening
Dinner at camp
Back to the lodge or camp for dinner and the night.
Day 3
A last morning, then the coast
One more drive at first light, then the flight and the transfer to Watamu.
- 06:00
The last game drive
Breakfast at 06:00 and out for a final morning inside the reserve — the last chance at the animals and at the Mara first thing, which is when it is at its best.
- Midday
The flight back
After the drive, the transfer to the airstrip and the flight back towards the coast.
You land at Malindi and we take you privately from the airport to your resort in Watamu.
Transfer and flight times are set by the airline schedule and confirmed with you before you travel.
The times in this itinerary are indicative. Flight schedules, roads, weather and what the animals are doing all move them. The shape of the day holds; the clock bends around it.
Where you sleep
Subject to availability, and confirmed when you book.
Masai Mara
- Sentrim Mara
What the price covers
- All transfers in a 4x4 safari vehicle fitted out for photography, with an opening roof
- Entrance to the Masai Mara National Reserve
- Return Malindi–Masai Mara flights, on the published schedule
- The airport transfer to your resort in Watamu
- Accommodation at the selected lodge or camp
- A double room — single rooms on request, and a supplement may apply
- Full board, served buffet, drinks excluded
- A lunch box on the full-day game drive
- Bottled mineral water throughout every game drive
- A professional local driver qualified for game driving, who also acts as your guide
- Comprehensive safari insurance, including a replacement vehicle and rescue assistance
What it does not
- Drinks with meals
- Breakfast on the morning you leave, where the property does not serve it
- Tips and gratuities
- Personal expenses
- Entrance to a Maasai village
- Anything not written down under what the price covers
Worth putting in the bag
- Light summer clothing
- A hat or cap
- Something warm for the evening and the early starts
- Tropical insect repellent
- High-protection sunscreen
- Sunglasses
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Swimwear
- A power adapter
- Binoculars
- A camera or a phone you like taking photographs with
And an adventurous spirit, obviously.
Ask about this trip
Quoted per person sharing a double room, and it moves with the season and the flight. Single rooms are available on request with a supplement. Send us your dates.