When you are in the jungle, there is never a dull day. Not for the visitors and even more so not for the residents, the animals. The savanas give you ample opportunity to witness the excitement. Each safari was a story or a set of stories to be told. What I felt good about was that we spent a lot of time enjoying each story, rather than jump from one place to another to get glimpses of many.

Day 6: Morning Safari

This was ‘the’ safari! We had opted for a bush breakfast (packed from the hotel and eaten in the jungle) and the drivers offered to take us for a longer safari to the river crossing where some of the best scenes emerge during the migration. We started at 5:30 am, slightly delayed by the hunt for a morning coffee and picking of the breakfast boxes. It was still dark when we left but the first light of the Sun was just breaking when we entered the park. The hot air balloons were rising in the background and we could see a lot of Gazelles and Topis in the foregoround.

After a bit of driving around and spotting some hyenas, wild buffalos and Marabou Storks, the true magic happened. We saw a few safari vehicles parked on the road but no animals in sight. As we got closer, a lion cub appeared from behind a jeep, just strolling down the path. A few seconds later there was another cub, and another and one more. There were 15 lions in that pride just strolling down the pathway. They were likely planning for a mass hunt, but given the time of the day a nap was coming up sooner. The walked a long way, giving some stunning photo opportunities – some so close that I couldn’t zoom out enough. The vehicles kept turning around and stopping at the best vantage spots and for most parts the kings of the jungle didn’t seem to care. It was a good 30 minutes before they all settled down into a bush and disapeared from view. The photographers also moved on…

It was then we thought of the breakfast and there are designated spots for breakfast that can be blocked. These spots are still in the jungle but are considered safe enough. Ours was about 200 meters from where the lions had decided to rest. It was a little scary at first, but then the idea became quite exciting. We got out of the vehicles, opened up the boxes and sat on sheets spread out on the grass. The food was just average, but the environment made the idea spectacular. Just savana grass on all sides and three landcruisers! We did quite some photography, chilled a bit and then the drivers asked if we wanted to do a longer safary – why not?

We drove towards the river, about an hour away. Just a little further, we spotted a pair of lions that looked like they would mate soon. We hung around and got some great shots, but the pair did nothing but show extreme laziness. We spotted an elephant and some other regular wildlife before spotting this magical shot – a lone giraffe eating the leaves of an acacia tree right on the horizon. I only wish it was darker and we could get a silhouette version of the shot, but even with the blue skies I loved the shot. There was a nice rest area on the way and a elephant walked right by us while we were there. The river was full off hippos and one lone crocodile. We could get off the vehicles, click picks before moving on.

On the way back, we spotted a herd of elephants, and that was just the icing on the cake – three magical sightings on one safari. It was about 20 elephants, including some cubs. We had passed them and we were late for lunch in the lodge. Better sense prevailed and we turned around to get closer. The scenes of those majestic creatures playing around with mud and water while grazing in the background of pristine blue skies were just incredible.

We returned to the lodge in time for a quick shower, lunch, and a drink before the afternoon safari would begin.

Day 6: Evening Safari

After the amazing morning ride, our spirits were high. Even though it had been a very tiring day already, the discussion was more on the hope of seeing a kill, a leopard, and the elusive black rhino. We returned to the park from a different gate and started the now-familiar wait. A call soon came to the drivers, and off we went. It was a leopard! My first sighting of the cat in the wild. It is one of the shyest among big cats and is usually tough to spot. We got some good shots and then it disapeared into the grasses. The concensus was to wait for it to come back out. Two dozen vehicles waited paitently.

A herd of deer passed by, and hopes grew of a kill. Nothing happened! We waited a while and kept telling each other that patience is a virtue that will get rewarded. Not tonight! It got darker, and soon, it was time to move to leave the park by closing time. We didn’t see the leopard again, and while we spotted a beautiful saddle-billed stork on the way back, there was a little bit of disappointment in the air. We had still checked one of the three remaining sighting boxes.

The evening was quiet – regular dinner and an early pack up to prepare for the last day of action.

Day 7: Morning Safari

This was the blockbuster safari, one I will talk about for years to come till something better pops up. It was a usual start, and we planned for a bush breakfast again, but not a very late return.

It wasn’t long before we spotted a solitary lion walking in the bush. A bunch of portraits later, we spotted a herd of buffalos that included a calf. Hopes rising! Both for the lion and for us. The lion got close and crouched and hid in the bushes. Was he waiting for the calf to wander away? A short while later, we see three fully grown buffalos walk towards the lion in a ‘V’ formation. The buildup was slow but intense. We had assumed the buffaloes were walking into a trap – the lion still waited! As they got close we had phones and cameras at the ready for some bloody action and then the most anti-climactic thing happened – the lions retreated and ran away. The buffaloes were going to scare him away, he could not have fought them alone.

The lion hadn’t given up, though, it retreaded a few hundred meters and waited. We hadn’t given up either; we waited as well. The herd of buffaloes was moving on, and the calf soon started trailing behind a little. This is what the king was waiting for, he charged. Silently but swiftly! Just as he got within striking distance of the calf, two bulls charged back and blocked his way. The scheme had failed! The lion was driven away and this time the herd did move on, but not before giving us the best story, pictures and videos of the trip.

The lion, though defeated, gave us a spectacular king of the jungle pose before we were distracted by some commotion. The park ranges had spotted two people from our group sitting on the roof of safari vehicles – something prohibited in the rules and subject to a substantial fine. Some negotiations and settlement later, we were back in the same spot as the day before for our bush breakfast.

After the break, we drove around a bit and spotted another pride of lions sleeping. They did wake up in a bit and walk around to give us some good shots.

This time, we got back to the lodge in time for some rest and afternoon drinks. We also got some time to explore the property and spot some hippos in the river just behind. Lunch was filling and led to some siesta before we settled in for a slightly late safari. The drivers seemed to be in the mood for some rest, so we agreed on a shorter version starting at 4.

Day 7: Evening Safari

This was our last chance at catching a kill. We had spotted a near-kill in the morning, and the afternoon got us a post-kill. Just next to the track were the remains of a hippo and a lion nibbling away. It was just a perfect photogenic shot of something extremely gruesome. The light was near perfect, and so was the angle to get some really clear shots of the lion. There were actually two lions who took turns enjoying the treat while some hyenas waited for the leftovers.

After one gruesome sight, we found another on the drive back. Two beautiful gazelles in a territorial fight to the death. It started so suddenly and went on ferociously for a few minutes before one of them got injured and ran away. We got some beautiful parting pictures from the Masai Mara as the sun went down before getting to the lodge for a usual drink and dinner.