Maasai Mara
We lived in Nairobi, Kenya for three years. As an ex-pat in Nairobi, you’ll inevitably hear or be asked about the Mara. Almost every chat as a new ex-pat arrival to Nairobi would touch on the, “Have you been to The Mara, yet? Oh my gosh! You have to go. It’s amazing!” The Mara also known as the Maasai Mara is a huge wildlife reserve in southwestern Kenya.
About an hour’s flight from Wilson Airport in Nairobi (the local domestic airport near the Langata neighborhood) in a single-engine prop aircraft, and you can be where the wild things are. Initially, I was very much game to go. Being able to experience the beautiful landscape and wildlife that live on the Mara is one of those once-in-a-lifetime things. I knew it was on my bucket list of things to do before we left Nairobi.
The first two years I kept allowing the sticker shock of a trip there to keep me from
going. One could easily spend over $1,000 per person to enjoy the enviable glamping, safari, and sundowners typical of a trip to the Mara. It’s common when booking such a trip to the Mara that the resort or campsite is all-inclusive. You get food, drink, and often as many safari trips with a guide and safari truck as you’d like for each day.
Almost all the resorts will have a pool and offer extras that may or may not be included like sundowners (basically outdoor happy hour at sunset), fishing expeditions, and tea on the Mara. I knew if I went my husband would likely not be going with us. He is not a fan of camping of any kind. Not even glamping. So, I’d also have to cover the costs for our nanny to go with us.
As my husband’s time at his job in Nairobi was coming to an end, I decided it was go or miss this opportunity. I wanted to find a spot that was nice and would be as close to being at a nice hotel as possible without missing the experience of being in the natural world of the Mara. Don’t judge me. I’m not opposed to camping entirely, but if I’m with the kids without my husband I need as many creature comforts as possible to help me stay sane and assuage the inevitable overstimulation.
The Perfect Boutique Lodge – House in the Wild
I landed on House in the Wild, a boutique lodge. It was a good friend’s recommendation. In a private estate in the Enonkishu Conservancy on the banks of the Mara River in Naretoi, House in the Wild seemed like the best choice. I liked the idea that it was on a conservancy. Conservancies focus on moving away from mass-cattle grazing to support and boost the natural wildlife, but how they do it seems to support the local Maasai and allows them to be authentic stakeholders in the “re-wilding” of the area.
Once I knew that was where I wanted to be I went about booking the space. In the US, its commonplace to just handle all that on your own. You buy airline tickets, then book the accommodations and all the other experiences you might want, and one can absolutely do that in Nairobi. It had been my experience, however, that employing the help of a travel agent could often streamline the whole process and even sometimes make things a bit cheaper. This can be especially true when it comes to the flights and the accommodations. So, I used an agent to book the flights and to initiate the process of securing the cottages at the lodge. I ended up handling the last details with the accommodations, because I was traveling with the kids and they were concerned that the cottage we wanted wouldn’t be safe for my (at the time) 2-year-old son. Once I convinced them that my son was unlikely to hurt himself on the stairs in the Warburgia Cottage, we were set.
Airport Time!
We left early in the morning on a Tuesday from Wilson Airport. This was my first experience leaving Wilson Airport. All our other trips left from Jomo Kenyatta International. It’s the larger airport in Nairobi. Wilson Airport was mostly for domestic flights. It was a smaller airport, but it was also extremely busy as it was the primary way folks got to the interior lands of Kenya. I was grateful we were leaving so early as it helped to avoid some of the busy-ness. Checking in was super easy and chill.
My experience in Kenya is that folks are very accommodating and patient with kids and parents with kids. My son was two at the time and a bit cranky due to the before-sunrise trek to the airport. The gate attendant told me just to sit down and he would take care of our check-in as I handled my son. I think it also helped that there were barely any other travelers there at the time.
Our trusted tutor/nanny, Ann, went with us to help out with the kids and she played with my then 7-year-old twin girls while we waited. In Kenya being able to afford a tutor/nanny like Ann was a game-changer. If I were taking a trip like this in the States, there would be no way I could afford to bring along a tutor/nanny. Whew! I miss her.
It wasn’t long before we were escorted to our plane. We were the only travelers on 
this plane, so it was a super special experience. Usually, the plane would hold about 8-10 people, but we had it all to ourselves. The girls giggled, “It’s like we’re famous and fancy.” My son’s fascination with all things flying machine was activated and he was in awe of the whole experience. As a black mama, the experience of having my children be flown in a plane by two black Kenyans to the Maasai Mara was mind-blowing in itself, but to be able to see them and watch them in action in what felt like a private flight was a memory I know my kids won’t forget.
The flight was about an hour. While the ride is loud, as the buzz of the engines fills the cabin, the views are stunning. My camera pics unfortunately do it no justice. We arrived at the Mara North Conservancy Airstrip and were delighted at the sight of the lack of just….everything. My kids have traveled a lot, and have experienced so many airports. Watching their astonished faces when we arrived and saw that the savanna was the primary view and a few giraffes in the distance was cute. “This is IT!” They said almost in unison. I laughed with them.
Arriving to the Maasai Mara in Style
The driver from House in the Wild arrived about 15 minutes after we landed in a forest green safari truck. The ride from the airstrip to the lodge is about an hour, but along the way you get to see so much wildlife and the richness of life for the Maasai living there that you barely notice the time. There is also the treat of riding in a safari truck. No windows and sitting up so high?! My kids were in heaven. Of course, mommy mode kept the fear of “they’ll fall out” in the back of my mind, but I managed to keep cool and Ann helped as well.
The lodge property is situated just on the edge of the Mara River. After a short walk through beautiful trees and brush teeming with wild hogs and even giraffes, you walk into an open green expanse to see the main lodge, a pool, a large covered patio with well-maintained cushy couches, a dining area, and the cottages. There is also a small boutique where one can buy locally-made gifts or souvenirs. It is a gorgeous property, to say the least. In total, there are 6 cottages.
The kids and I stayed in the Warburgia Cottage. This cottage was at the very edge of the river. It had a wooden balcony you could sit on and watch the hippos cooling themselves in the river by the rocks below. The kids made quick work of judging the king-size bed, adoring the view of the river from the large soaking bathtub, being incredulous about the outdoor shower, and begging to stay forever in the upstairs loft with the daybeds. Needless to say, they loved it.
Vivian insisted that we determine the appropriateness of Ann’s cottage as well, so we walked further into the forest to check out her Olerai Cottage. We all were impressed with the copper claw-foot tub. She had a lovely view of the forest as well as the Mara River from the tub. It, too, took our breath away. Vivian and Sahara said they liked that it felt like they were taking an adventure in the forest on the walk to her cottage from ours. It was settled. The accommodations would suit us well.
Unforgettable Experience
The staff prepared lunch for us which was served in the main lodge. Well-appointed like a luxury open-air cabin in a secluded forest the lodge boasted gorgeous high ceilings, two seating areas with large plush sofas and coffee tables strewn with gorgeous picture books and games, a huge wood-burning fireplace, and a fully stocked bar with barstool seating. At the back of the lodge was the dining room table.
It was there that we had most of our evening meals, breakfast and lunch were usually served at the dinette out on the lawn overlooking the river. Prior to our arrival they had inquired about our dietary particulars, and I had told them that we were mostly pescatarian, avoiding sugars and dairy as much as we could. I was so delighted that they were able to accommodate us and still create a delicious meal. This is no small feat. My kids are a bit selective about what they consume, but they ate well at each meal.
The next few days were spent waking just before the sun and driving out on the Mara to catch glimpses of the wildlife. Some parents had warned me to be prepared for the kids to grow bored of the game drives, however, my little people never did. I attribute that to our guide. He’d created a game that kept the kids eager to sight as many creatures as they could. Even my youngest, Zuri, got in on it. We managed to see lions, cheetahs, countless giraffes, hippos, rhinoceros, zebras, water buffalo, hyenas, ostrich and other myriad birds. Each time we went out they’d pack us tea with cookies and hot cocoa for the kids. The guide would seek out a nice flat space far enough from wildlife and he set up a table and we’d snack on the Mara. It was truly a surreal experience.
Saying Goodbye
On one of the last days there we visited the Mara Training Centre. House in the Wild does a great deal to encourage conservation and sustainable practices on the Mara. We had a chance to see this in action in their vegetable garden which is where a great deal of the food we had consumed came from. There was also a beading centre where the kids had a chance to experience making something like the gorgeous Maasai beaded creations. Vivian and Sahara were most fascinated with the young zebra they’d rescued and was now living in their stables.
We all left the Mara feeling so very revitalized and wishing we could stay longer. House in the Wild owes us nothing.
