Day  16   Serengeti Tanzania to Masai Mara Kenya 21 July 2018

We had a slow start to our travel day. All packed and out of our room by 7.20am for a 7.30 breakfast. Damien our waiter knew our order and just confirmed with us before heading off to the kitchen.  Breakfast was tasty as usual.

We got away at 8.10am after being farewelled by the camp staff.

After an interesting drive we arrived at the airstrip around 9am. The overall manager of the Lemala camp was flying out as well. She had been at our camp for a few days.

Our flight left at 9.30am for a town just short of the Kenyan border, about a 15 min flight. We were met by representatives of our travel company and had to fill in around 6 forms before heading to the border crossing. Our tour reps make crossing borders less arduous and much faster than if we did it ourselves. With all our paperwork , e-visas and Yellow fever vaccination cards ready the crossing out of Tanzania and into Kenya was seemless.

The people who live around the border area can cross the border with out a passport as long as they stay within 15km of the town, if they go further they need passports etc

We got our flight from a small airstrip about a 20 min drive from the border. We left at 12.10pm, first stop at 12.30 one couple were dropped off, took off again at 12.40, second stop 12.52, took of at 1300.

Landed for our camp at 1.08pm, and met by Douglas, our guide for the duration of our stay here at Angama Mara. Turns out our camp was only 3 mins away, and no bumpy roads.

It appears that Kenya is in dispute with Tanzania over the grass fires they are continuing with in July. It is interrupting the migration, and costing them huge amounts of tourism $.

We dropped our stuff in our amazing “tent” then went and had lunch. We have a game drive this afternoon at 3:30pm.

Our “Tent” is in the North section of Angama Mara and is perched on top of the edge of The Great Rift Valley Escarpment overlooking the Mara Triangle in the Masai Mara National Park. It has floor to ceiling glass fronts taking in all the view down over the plains, polished parquet floors, huge bath, views over the plains from the toilet, a lounge and a magnificent deck with chairs and sun lounges.
We met Douglas at 3:30pm and then went to pick up another couple to do the afternoon game drive with. The camp has it’s own private road down the escarpment and entrance into the NP. We didn’t see anything different but we did see soooo many elephants, I think it was over 50, as well as lots of zebra, giraffe, eland, warthogs, mongoose, lions, impala, topi, buffalo and many very colourful birds. It was a great afternoon.

We returned at 6pm for “Sundowners” and a Masai dance performance. Here we were introduced to a local drink called a “Dawa”, lemon, honey and vodka, smashed together with a stick. Delicous.
The show was interesting, which shocked us both I think, we don’t do “cultural shows” very well. I learnt that the Masai dance where they jump high into the air is all about the young men impressing the ladies in the tribe.

Before the last dance the Chief announced that there were some guests celebrating significant events, and myself and another guy were called out and presented with a traditional tribal “Talking Stick”. It is a stick of authority, and the person holding it raises it aloft everyone is meant to become quiet to listen to what the holder of the stick has to say. (This might come in handy ??)

We had a few canapes and then headed to dinner. The food was very good and another memorable day has come to an end.

We have a hot air balloon ride over the Masai Mara early tomorrow morning. 4.30am start for us, it will be our first balloon ride, and we are looking firward to it.