The Masai Mara immediately conjures up images of being a kid watching your first David Attenborough wildlife documentary, with lions, leopards and cheetahs chasing gazelles, impalas and wildebeest . . . and indeed that is the immediate thought. But the Masai Mara is also home of the Masai who run all things around here and who, themselves, are one of the highlights. Spending the time with them in their bright red and black shukasas as they take you for a wander around the plains and through their villages is a magical experience and, if in Kenya, unmissable.
What was particularly interesting / funny for me was how the traditional living still bumps into the modern world – I remember distinctly being woken up one morning very early in my tent by one of the Masai Warriors to then be taken on a walk to see the animals in their morning routines. We started off the conversation about how he lived, how he wants to be one of the leaders of the village so needs to learn how to jump high, and how he killed a lion when he was younger in his brutal initiation. Felt full blown colonial adventurer with world’s colliding. By the time I came back, we were discussing Manchester United’s preferred midfield and he was showing me his fantasy football team on his smart phone! Amazing stuff.