Best safari in Kenya in the maasai mara

As a young girl growing up in Nairobi, Kenya, my relatives often took me to different game reserves, animal orphanages and what would be similar to an American zoo periodically. Those were my favorite trips. I still remember them like it was yesterday. The one thing I never did was go on a safari, it never even crossed my mind that I could go on safari, and it was the 90s, we considered safaris to be a tourist thing. That was until I moved to the states and all I could think about was going on a Kenyan safari. At the end of 2015, I finally had time to take a proper vacation and decided to squeeze in a safari while visiting family in Kenya.

After spending a few days with friends and family in Nairobi, we hopped on a plane for a one-hour trip to Maasai Mara. Words can not describe the beauty of the Mara. I was completely awe-struck by the beautiful landscape and abundance of wildlife, which you can view as the plane descends. This place is pure magic, Mother Nature at her best.

Mahali Mzuri Safari Camp by Richard Branson, was high on my list, so that was a no-brainer, we had booked to camp, or should I say glamp, with them. Upon arriving at the Mara North Air Strip, we were met by Levi from Mahali Mzuri with his Land Cruiser (at this point it really sunk in, we’re on safari), who welcomed us with champagne, so far, so good. It was another one-hour drive to the camp, which was sort of like a safari drive because we got to see wildlife along the way. When we arrived, we were ushered to our unfenced tent (right in the wilderness), which had spectacular views. You may run into an animal or two in the camp (the lady ran into a giraffe as she walked to her tent lol), but the animal won’t bother you, they go about their business. At camp, there are some activities you can pick, from safari drives to visiting the local villages to shopping at the local market.

The food was outstanding each and every time, there was no off day, oh yeah and the food and beverage were all included with the stay, we are talking top-shelf drinks. Seriously, typing this, I realize how much I miss it and that I should probably look to book again soon. Some of the regular guests I met there told me the best time to go back is July to October during the great Wildebeest migration (check off one of the New Seven Wonders of the World).

We were able to take a ton load of photos, which I need to upload to some sharing platform. For now, I hope you enjoy some of the ones I’ve shared below. It was such an incredible and surreal experience that I will cherish forever.