Enkishui Safari Camp guests having a sundowner in the Masai Mara while on safari

A Beginners Guide to Safari Drives at Enkishui Safari Camp

It's early in the morning, what woke you up this morning wasn't your alarm but rather hippos grunting and a friendly voice offering coffee! What lies ahead is the anticipation of what is to come, what will you see today, will it be elephants or will it be a cheetah. What a privilege it is that this is your biggest stress for the day.

What to Expect on a Morning Safari

After a good cup of coffee the day really gets set up by the conversations happening around the fire pit where everybody shares their stories of what sounds they heard throughout the night.

As the sun starts to rise you will head out on your morning safari. There is just something special about watching the sun rise over the plains of the Masai Mara and Mara Triangle. Adding to this is the fresh and cool breeze touching your skin from the massive open side of your safari vehicle. Stop your guide and ask him to switch off the vehicle and take in the sounds of the bush waking up.

This is the perfect time of day as it is still cool and most of the animals are active during this time especially animals such as lions.

Morning safaris are also known to be the true "searching" or "hard-work" drives that often get rewarded in the afternoon. What I mean by this is that animals can move around a lot during the evening (especially cats) and it can take some time to find them and once they are found (later in the morning) they will settle for the day and you can just return to that spot in the afternoon. If you however, manage to find them early in the morning, which happens often at Enkishui Safari Camp because of its close proximity to the river, you often get to spend real quality time with them.

As the sun is rising higher and the morning warms up you will stop somewhere under a tree and enjoy breakfast in the middle of the Mara Triangle. From here it is time to do the same as most of the animals and rest for the remainder of the day until it is time for the afternoon safari.

"Stop your guide and ask him to switch off the vehicle and take in the sounds of the bush waking up..."

What to Expect on an Afternoon Safari

You had delicious lunch, stared at the hippos in the Mara River in front of camp and maybe had a short nap. Now it is time to head out on your afternoon safari. Your guide spoke to other guides in the area and got a full update on where the animals were seen in the morning. This buys you some time to look for wildlife like elephants and giraffe while the afternoon is still hot and later on head to the area of where the animals like lions or a leopard were seen to sit and wait to see if they will show any sign of getting active.

While you wait, why not sip on a Gin and Tonic and have a snack. Look at birds with your binoculars or try getting creative with your camera.

On your way back to camp take in the sunset, but really take it in as it is breathtaking more often than not.

Back at camp head straight to the fire pit and exchange stories of all the sightings that everybody enjoyed during the day.

A male lion photographed in the Masai Mara

Our Safari Vehicles

A safari is only as good as your 4x4 safari vehicle. At Enkishui Safari Camp this is taken very seriously and not only are the Land Cruiser safari vehicles capable off-roading vehicles but they have been modified to have excellent suspension, pop-up roofs for the best safari viewing and massive openings on either side so that you can sit back enjoy the breeze and enjoy the beauty of the Mara Triangle.

The vehicles take only 4 guests to ensure every person has amble space and even space for each to have a backpack or camera gear. The best part- a large refrigerator between the back seats filled with ice cold beverages for you to enjoy at anytime.

There are also blankets on each seat for those cooler morning safaris. On rainy days the sides can close and the pop-up roof can be pulled down and you can stay dry and still enjoy your safari drive.