Into the wild at Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve

Love happened…the minute our 12-seater Safarilink aircraft landed at the Keekorok airstrip, in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. With no runway, no conveyor belt and no airport building, we know for sure we’re in the wild. Josphat Mako, our Masai guide, greets us at the aircraft while the pilot gets the bags from the aircraft hold. Soon, we're on our way to Cottars’ 1920 Safari Camp, our home for the next two nights while we explore the Mara, known for the great migration during July to September.

We barely drive 10 minutes from the airstrip and we're already squealing in delight as we see zebras. Ahead, a troop of baboons run around and a business of mongoose are busy eating. Not far off is an African elephant. But there's more to the Mara than the animals; from a blue sky speckled with fluffy clouds the African sun shines down on the savannah landscape – a sea of brown grass, broken by shrubs and acacia trees. I'm delirious; it's all I can do to restrain myself from jumping out of the open-sided Land Cruiser and hugging every tree and animal in sight.

A lioness and her cubs rest in the shade in the Maasai Mara 

Mako hurries us along to see a lion he’d spotted earlier. But we ask him to stop every few feet, so that we can get better photos of the zebras, an Acacia tree, even a carcass. “We normally say 'rest in peace,' but in the bush we say 'rest in pieces’,” jokes Mako. However, when we're face-to-face with the lion, all excitement about elephants and zebras vanishes. We’re close enough to become the lion’s lunch in one swift move, if we get out of the car. “They’ve never seen anyone leave the car to attack them, so they’re not aggressive as long as you don’t get closer,” Mako assures us, adding that “lions hunt for four hours and sleep for the rest of the day.” It's the highlight of our morning until we find three lionesses with three cubs. Before long they’re napping; one lioness plops down on her back, her right hind paw sticking up in the air for more than 15 minutes. One of the cubs wakes up to feed and the other two join in, clambering over their sleeping mother. Nature in all it's glory!

On the way to Cottars', which is 1.72 km from Tanzania (we're very close to Serengeti), we see zebras, giraffes, waterbucks, reed bucks, warthogs and, of course, some Maasai folk with their livestock. “The warthog has a short memory,” says Mako. “They forget why they're running and get caught. And the waterbuck secretes an oil, which has an odour, so they're not the first choice of prey for many predators.”

One of the tents at Cottars' 1920 Camp

Our spacious tents at Cottars’ overlook the Mara and are spread out to ensure privacy. Walkie-talkies replace phones, and there's a flashlight and a whistle for emergencies. “Once it's dark, do not leave your tent alone. Should you need to go out, shine the flashlight and call out. One of the guards patrolling outside will come and get you,” we’re told.

In the evening, we drive through the savannah again as the setting sun’s rays filter down through the clouds. Kittipa, our local spotter, has spotted a cheetah and soon we’re following it. The cheetah sits, strikes a pose and then saunters off, but not before we have a zillion photos.

Next day, we leave for our morning game drive at 5 30 under a canopy of twinkling stars. The sky lightens casting a golden hue over the bush, and our first sighting is a lion (finally, one that’s walking around). As we slowly follow him, we hear another lion roar in the distance and zoom off to find him atop a rock. The morning drive is perfect, complete with a scrumptious bush breakfast with zebras grazing in the distance.

Two Maasai girls in the village  

A trip to the Maasai village is in order that afternoon, but the sky grows dark as we set out; there's a definite storm coming. Dust swirls all around as we walk from the car to the Maasai homes, as little boys herd their livestock into the houses. We have just enough time to say hello and click a few photos before Mako urges us to get back to the car as big, heavy raindrops plop down on our heads. Safe in the vehicle, it gets colder and the next thing we know, we’re in a hailstorm. Later, I’m grateful for the hot-water bottle hidden under the sheets when I crawl into bed to the sounds of zebras and hyenas.

The Cape buffalo is said to be the most dangerous of the big five 

In two days, we've seen a lot – hartebeest, topi, a hippo, hyena, yellow-throated longclaws, ostriches, a lilac-breasted roller, hornbills and guineafowl, to name a few. There's a good chance of seeing the Big Five (lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhino – we saw four), even though the rhino and leopard are slightly difficult to spot. But there in front of us, is a leopard napping in the shade of a bush. It's the best farewell we could’ve ask for. As we bid goodbye to Mako and Kittipa, we know we've left our hearts in the Mara.

​Before you travel

Maasai Mara lies at an altitude of 5,300 feet (1,600 metres).
It rains from November to May, with peak rainfall in December-January and April-May.
The annual wildebeest’s migration alone involves over 1.5 million animals arriving in July and departing in November.
There have been approximately 95 species of mammals, amphibians and reptiles and over 400 birds species recorded on the reserve.