Our Masaimara Safari--in Kenya

FIGTREE TENT

 

  

It was in 2008 Easter vacation.We decided to go for a package tour to MASAI MARA[in Kenya] which is famous for migration of animals during July August every year.Thousands of wild beasts migrate in a line from Masaimara to Serengeti safari park in Tanzania.Many foreigners visit this country during this period to see this amazing phenomenon. Masaimara is a vast grassland with few bushes in between where you can see thousands of various kinds of animals like zebra,giraffe,various kinds if deer,wild beasts ,lion,.....etc.

We booked in Olare safari camp-it contains luxury tents with double bed n attached bathrooms.The package tour includes picking us from Nairobi house in a van,full board accommodation,and game drives.[taking us in four wheel -drive vehicle for seeing animals] and dropping us back home .It was a two nights n three days package.

I was sooo excited about the whole journey--as iam so fond of seeing animals.We started our tour on good Friday along with our friends family.We carried some fruits,biscuits chips , water n started at 7am.But due to bad road n rain it took more than 8hours to reach there.

As it was raining heavily they made accommodation for us in another tent called Figtree,because Olare was further away and travelling to it was difficult as there was no proper roads n have to cross a river.[normally river is dry but floods when it rains].there was no bridge over river.

Figtree is a big hotel with many luxury tents all on the banks of a narrow river. Just 5feet from our tent was the river--there was no barricade !!!!!!!!other side of the river was the forest where we could see giraffes grazing.

we relished the buffet dinner having various continental items followed by Masai dance.MASAIS are tribal people in masaimara.

As we were too tired we slept by 10.30pm. By 3.30am we got up with a sound.when the sound repeated my husband asked me 'is it the sound of a lion'--we just whispered each other due to fear--we could hear the roaring sound clearly--as if its standing in front of our tent--my heart was pounding like the drum beat. 

Both of us ran in to the bath room [as it was built in stones ]and closed the door--but the tent was made of thick tarpaulin! night was sooo cold that i started shivering hiding inside bathroom.we didn't dare to take blanket from the bed.We tried to call our friends who are in the next tent.But there was no signal for the mobile. The roaring sound continued...

                     HIPPOS IN MARA RIVER

 
By 5am roaring reduced and we could hear some people talking outside. Regaining courage we peeped out--

then friends told us that it was hippos sound--their sound resembles lions roaring. Hippos come out from water at night only.There were many hippos in the river just in front of our tent.But guard said they cant climb up due to their weight and short limbs.But hippos are the first killer in Africa--as they crush out whatever coming on their way!!!!!

This is one of the most hilarious incident in our life.