Enjoying a Masai Mara safari without a vehicle
Kenya’s incredible Masai Mara is world renowned for its dense wildlife population and the beauty of its iconic ‘Out of Africa’ landscapes. With wide open rolling plains dotted with acacias and desert date (or balanites) trees, patches of dense riverine forests, stands of olive trees on hillsides and thickets of croton bushes on rockier country, it’s a restful and restorative landscape, good for the soul as well as for wildlife. Because the land is so fertile, the Mara supports a huge number of herbivores, which in turn sustain healthy populations of lion, leopard, cheetah and hyena. With so many predators, plenty of elephant, and big herds of buffalo the Mara has traditionally been a place where the wildlife was best seen from the safety and comfort of a vehicle. While this is still true in the Masai Mara National Reserve, in the Private Conservancies surrounding it, visitors can enjoy a safari amongst the wildlife without the noise and physical barrier of a vehicle.
The standard of guiding is first class and this, along with an excellent understanding of wildlife behaviour and movement patterns allows guides and managers to safely allow guests to get out of vehicles and properly connect with the bush and the wilderness. Walking safaris, sleep outs, bush breakfasts, picnic lunches, and dinners under the stars are now regular offerings at plenty of camps. Horse riding is also a simply superb way to experience the Mara, with the exhilaration of the speed of a horse and the thrill of getting so close to wildlife that perceives no threat from you while you are aboard a quadruped.
Below, we’ve rounded up our favourite ways to immerse yourself in this extraordinary landscape beyond the safari vehicle.
Walking
Plenty of our favourite Masai Mara camps include walking safaris as part of their regular offerings. You never walk fast in the bush, so walking safaris are not arduous, more an opportunity to microscopically examine your surroundings and immerse yourself in Africa. You will see wildlife, although animals will see you long before you spot them, and they tend to move away when they see humans approaching on foot. Here are some examples of what is possible:
Serian and Ngare Serian have shared access to a private concession which only permits walking, allowing guests to spend hours without seeing anyone else or any vehicles. Tucked under the Siria escarpment alongside the western bank of the Mara River, this is a very beautiful part of the Mara. Naboisho Camp is managed by an expert walking guide, Roelof Schutte, who loves taking guests out on foot into the superb Naboisho conservancy, which has a large population of elephant, buffalo, giraffe, lion and hyena, making it a very exciting place to walk.
Kicheche Walking Safari
Kicheche offers part-day walking safaris from all of its Mara camps, each of which is in a superb wildlife location. They can also arrange an overnight walking safari with a night fly camping on the way.
Maasai Trails offers multi-day walking safaris in the magical and remote Loita Hills and the Forest of the Lost Child, between the eastern edge of the Masai Mara and the Shompole and Lake Magadi region of the Great Rift Valley, allowing guests to spend up to a week walking with Masai guides and a team of donkeys to carry the luggage and the camp. It’s a fabulous opportunity for spending time with Maasai people who live here, and to learn more about their way of life and culture.
Sleepouts
Serian has a gorgeous, romantic treehouse on its private concession. Walk from camp in the afternoon, enjoy sundowners and dinner out in the bush, followed by a cosy night in the Nest. It is a treehouse raised off the ground in the shade of a huge walburgia tree with a super view of the Mara River in front. Sleeping here is not exactly roughing it either, as the Nest has two huge double beds, a flush loo, a bucket shower, and excellent weather proofing should it be required. If you can’t sleep, make use of the infra-red binos and night vision camera to see what is out there.
Kicheche Fly Camp
Kicheche operate a terrific overnight walking safari between Kicheche Valley Camp and Kicheche Bush Camp. Guests spend a night out in the bush, sleeping in dome tents which are largely mosquito netting, watching the chef prepare dinner over a campfire, and enjoying the sounds of the night and the flicker of oil lanterns.
Naboisho Camp offers a lovely walking and fly-camping option on the Naboisho conservancy, combining the excellence of the walking experience with the chance to enjoy the wildlife and wilderness of this rich habitat.
Masai community visits
One of the lovely aspects of staying in a Masai owned camp or on private conservancy in the Masai Mara is that you’re directly helping the local Maasai people who own the land. A good chunk of the price paid to stay there goes direct to the local people, allowing them to invest in educating their children, providing healthcare, and offering a more secure income than raising cattle and goats.
Cottar’s Safaris, credit: Jodee Debes Photography
Thanks to this relationship, visitors are always welcomed to the communities on whose land they are staying. It’s a properly authentic visit to people who really appreciate the help you are giving them and their families. Learn about the challenges of grazing domestic livestock in an environment that’s rife with predators, and the fascinating traditions of the Maasai people and their daily lives. Visit schools and meet people who grow produce to supply the safari camps. It’s a wonderful opportunity to broaden your own horizons, and also to better understand the subtle relationship between the Maasai and the wildlife; it’s no accident that many of the best wildlife habitats in East Africa are also those which the Maasai favoured for their herds.
Cottar’s Maasai Warrior School
Offbeat Mara, Tangulia Mara, Serian, Naboisho, House in the Wild and Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camp are among the properties that have excellent links with the local people, and can arrange a sensitive and authentic visit for their guests.
Horse riding
The horse riding in the Masai Mara is among the best in Africa. With terrain that is ideally suited to fleet-footed creatures, vast expanses of open grassland to canter across, numerous fallen trees to jump, it’s a veritable playground for keen and experienced riders.
Offbeat Riding Safaris arrange seven night rides, which travel across the full width of the Masai Mara, taking in the escarpment as well as the conservancies. The lightweight but comfortable camp moves three times during the week, and each time it has a beautiful and secluded setting.
Offbeat Riding Safaris
Safaris Unlimited rides are always guided by Gordie Church, one the finest guides in Kenya. Started by his father Tony in 1972, Gordie’s safaris build on a legacy of excellence, with fabulous food and service, beautifully schooled horses, and the finest tack and equipment.
Balloon flights
They are a ‘bucket-list’ experience for many people, and I have to admit that the view from 1,000 feet up can be utterly sensational. It’s worth knowing about the size of the balloons, and if sharing a balloon basket with up to 16 others does not appeal, we strongly recommend a private flight, which would elevate flying over the Masai Mara to a spectacular, world-class experience that’s genuinely worthy of the destination.
Governor’s Balloon Safaris
Fishing
House in the Wild, Serian and Cottar’s also offer opportunities to go fishing; this is very much seasonal and dependent on water levels, but for something different it is a fun way to spend an hour or two.
A vehicle still gives you the best odds of finding a hunting lion or a leopard up a tree, and there’s no substitute for that when the sighting really matters. Get out of it, even for a morning, and the same landscape reveals itself differently: sounds carry further, footprints and dung tell their own stories, and time with the Maasai who call this place home adds a dimension no wildlife drive can.
That’s where we come in: a tailored safari makes room for both wildlife drives that focus on the sightings and time on foot, on horse, or under canvas for everything else.
What next?
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Hi. I’m planning to visit maisa Kenya next year. I would.like to find out about maisa mara safari walks and game drive so I can plan in advance.
We can certainly help. I will ask one of our experts to be in touch by email
Really enjoyed this perspective! Most people think a Masai Mara safari is only about game drives, so it was refreshing to read about walking safaris, cultural experiences, horse riding, and other ways to connect with the landscape. It shows that the Mara offers much more than just wildlife viewing. Thanks for sharing such an informative and inspiring article for anyone planning a safari.
Thank you for your lovely comment! I’m so pleased you enjoyed the article. We love showcasing the incredible variety of experiences the Masai Mara has to offer beyond traditional wildlife drives, so it’s lovely to hear that this resonated with you. Best wishes, Maggie