“If you can visit only two continents in your lifetime, visit Africa twice” - J.L.B. Matekoni Writing now from the dining table outside the Mara Toto mess tent where the morning calls of our resident birds are creating the soundtrack to the scene of the rising sun breaking through the breezing leaves of the canopy [...]
A safari is definitely about more than just the big cats but it’s not everyday that one can see the three big cats of Africa in one drive. ‘Cat-trick’ last night with Ping. Cheetah with yearling cub, Notch’s boys (4 mafioso male lions) and Fig the Leopard.. who ended up getting chased up a tree [...]
Considering our last post was a little over a week ago we thought it may work out well to give you all a teasing taster of another incredible day-long experience at Mara Plains Camp from the eyes of a honeymoon couple in Africa for the first time. They left the camp yesterday morning and headed [...]
Last night, like so many others was one to write home about, with two cars out on drives and one on a walk the feedback was as follows: Mara Plains guides, Ping and Kevin, spent the first part of the drive with the whole Enkoyeni lion pride. After this they found the leopards, Acacia and [...]
Into October now and the annual Migration, despite many huge herds having headed south towards the end of September, is far from over. There are still huge daily crossings of the Mara River by both the dazzles of Zebra or the Wildebeest or both. Recent crossings have seen the monster crocodiles just watching the proceedings [...]
‘Toto’ means baby in Swahili, and was often used as a term of endearment in reference to young safari staff in the days of early exploration. But today, in our context, it is simply meant out of respect to its sister camp,
Yesterday the Great Migration reached and began crossing the Talek river just half an hour south of the camp. Over the course of the day guests watched tens of thousands of tildebeest and pockets of zebra crossing the river heading north. It was an epic day to say the least, The Great Migration, cheetah, two lion hunts and [...]
January and the year 2012 started beautifully in the Olare Orok conservancy, a few early month showers kept the huge plains of grass lush and growing, some strands reaching over 5 feet and hiding all but the larger mammal species. Then by the 12th the sporadic rain had given way to the warm wind from [...]
To all our readers, guests current, past and future… we hope you have had a very merry Christmas and we wish you the happiest of new years! This December has been one for beautiful crystal clear mornings, huge impressive afternoon and evening storms, mud (lots of it), fishtail driving (Masai Mara drift style), getting stuck [...]
26/9/2011- 7:55am Report just in that Narasha, one of our resident Cheetahs, has been spotted with two little fluffy two-week-old cubs, who are still wobbly on their feet and milky eyed. We wish them all the best of luck and will be keeping a close watch on their progress, so watch this space!
Grab a cup of coffee or tea and enjy reading this interview Dereck Joubert recent had with the folks at Safaritalk http://safaritalk.net/index.php?showtopic=7291
Yesterday morning at 3am we were woken by the sound of cracking wood, a big splash, loud angry groans and thrashing. We knew exactly what had happened before we got there… Our resident 2 old bulls had recently discovered the camp vegetable garden, which lay in ruins, but right next to it is the well, [...]
A valiant effort by this lone Lioness to put a monster feast on the table, but without the strength of her pride to help bring down this awkward giant the Lioness was fighting a losing battle. Photograph by Mr. Wayne Tremblay In recent weeks, the five massive males that are Notch and his four sons [...]
July has been truly spectacular here at Mara Plains. At the start of the first week word reached us in camp that the Great Migration from the south had crossed the Talek River and was heading our way! Unable to wait patiently, guests and staff alike drove out to park on hill tops, sit on [...]
Recent guests K. Reynolds & M. Summers from California, who visited both ol Donyo Lodge & Mara Plains Camp in May 2011, (booked by Eyes on Africa in the USA) just sent us the following: “Our guide Kevin was great and animals were spectacular. Just a few highlights: · A Tawny eagle trying its best [...]
The first waves of the Loita migration are arriving near Mara Plains, which is located in the Olare Orok Conservancy on the northern boundary of Kenya’s Masai Mara. Great snaking lines of cantering wildebeest and herds of Zebra are rolling over the hills from the East, and the air is abuzz with anticipation for the [...]
I was recently at Mara Plains, post-Indaba, hosting my parents on a bit of a family safari. We had just completed our 4-night stay at Mara Plains and it was hard to imagine that we could top the sightings we had already had over the course of the previous days…..cheetah with cubs, multiple kills, the [...]
A stunning female Serval cat lay with us for over an hour yesterday at Mara Plains in Kenya, cleaning herself in the fading light as she waited for a nearby flock of Guinea Fowl to forget that she was there! It is extremely rare to glimpse these beautiful little creatures, so it was very special [...]
Only 2 weeks left to vote for our camps Zarafa, Selinda, ol Donyo Lodge, Mara Plains & Great Plains Conservation in the Overall Category in the 2011 Good Safari Guide Awards. Winners will be announced at this year’s Indaba trade fair in Durban in May. Many thanks! Feel free to cast your vote for our [...]
Yesterday, February 4th, Mara Plains received a phone call from the Olare Orok Conservancy management asking for assistance in finding a male Cheetah suffering from a very bad mange infection. The wildlife vet had been called in and was waiting for the Cheetah to be located. Being the nearest camp to the last known location [...]
So January has been beautiful. What is remembered in the past to have been a dry month in the Masai Mara, January has proven to be one of the wettest and greenest yet. On a number of occasions large storms have swung and spun over the central Masai Mara region shedding three inches of the [...]
A very concise summary of the Conservancy movement surrounding the Masai Mara. A good read on the background, including Olare Orok where Mara Plains is located. Over the past few years, Kenya has given itself a make-over as a global travel and tourist destination of choice. But rarely has this change been driven largely by [...]
General The last month of 2010 began dry in the Mara with warm, strong, mid-morning winds blowing any attempt at clouds southwards. By the end of the second week this lost moisture was building up in the north and to the south forming into silent thunderclouds in the distance. At the beginning of the third [...]
