Go Slow in Kenya's Maasai Mara

The Basecamp exceeded expectations: very well appointed and comfortable tents, good food, and very friendly staff. For example the waitress serving our table took the trouble to learn the names of everyone in the party. A good general focus - birds, animals, plants - which I thought was great. It is really nice to stay in one place for the whole week, it removes the pressure on the guide to try and deliver everything in a very short space of time and makes the whole experience more relaxed. Davies was excellent, though I guess you already know that as I gather he has been leading Naturetrek parties for many years now. So many highlights it is hard to single one out, but probably the big cats. We saw lions every day, leopard and cheetah two or three times each.

I was thinking that this might be my last safari in Africa. It won't be. I think we all enjoyed staying in one place for a week and visiting the same areas again, always a new perspective. For instance, we watched the lovely crowned cranes one day and found them again the next day having moved about 5 yards (presumably with an overnight roost). This is much more pleasant than rushing around. The highlights included Cheetah and four subadult cubs, a lot of old friends eg crowned cranes, secretary birds, giant eagle owl, lilac breasted roller, superb starling etc. Seven species new to me, thanks to Davies. Probably the pick of the bunch for me was the ground hornbill - ridiculous looking bird. Davies is informative and experienced. We benefited enormously from his knowledge of the Mara and its wildlife. I particularly appreciated hearing about Kenya history and Davies' perspective on current issues. Five star. Camp staff could not do enough for us. All of them quite delightful.