Timothy picked us up bright and early today at 6:20am and off we set for a morning of leopard tracking. We saw many paw prints on the dirt road but didn’t manage to track down this elusive cat before one of our compatriots had to fly out. Returning them to the airstrip and us to camp for a great buffet lunch. Timothy was set on a more active game drive for us, so we made a plan and headed back out to complete our wildlife experience and look for a cheetah before heading to a Maasai village.
We set off to the plains of the Mara triangle and to our delight we found a beautiful cheetah and her two cubs poised on a termite mound surveying the area for a lunch of their own. We stalked the cheetah and her babies as she followed her prey in the distance. The kids finding a lone tree to climb while mama looked for a bite, never straying far from her cute little fluff balls!
After leaving these three speedy cats it was time to hit the village. But not before running into an extremely full lion family of 6 beautiful beasts panting heavily in the shade of a tall tree. They had just finished dining on a huge feast! Lions do not sweat and therefore dramatically pant so that they can cool off after eating such a large meal. Their bellies were stretched so tight you could see the veins and fresh blood on their faces…..what a smorgasboard they had finished. They were all so sleepy and would now nap for most of the day, so it was now time to again go on or way to the village. Like the Samburu, the local Maasai warriors danced and sang on our arrival, showing us into their community culture and homes.
Unbenounced to us, after leaving these lovely people we were on our way to an incredible sundowner. Perched on a hill overlooking the magnificent plains stretching far into the serengeti, with Maasai dancing, a large bonfire, drinks and some of the best guacamole we’d ever tasted. This really made for an incredible sunset. Each experience going further than our expectations!
The view we had overlooking the Mara, is where parts of the movie “Out of Africa” were shot!
As we arrived back at camp we had planned to go to our room and clean up a bit before dinner; to our delight we walked in to find a romantic surprise for 2! The managers at Bateleur Camp had kindly arranged for an exclusive surprise dinner on our own private deck. An experience they proudly provide on a special occasion. And wow did it blow us away, once we confirmed it was definitely for us and not for the honeymooners in the tent next door haha! We happily accepted the beautiful rose pedaled floor, covering every surface of our room. The deck was surrounded by lanterns….and all we had to do was take in the incredible sounds of Africa!
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