• Home
  • About us
    • Get Updates from Women Travel
    • WomenTravelBlog.com meets WomenTravel.info
  • Tours for women
    • Stories of Tours
  • Accommodation
    • Accommodation Stories
  • Retreats
    • Retreat Stories
  • Local Guides
    • Local Tour Guide Stories
  • Tour Companies
    • Tour company Stories
  • Cheap Travel Insurance
    • OnLine Booking

Women Travel The World

Women Travel - stories and news for women travellers, solo travelers

womentravelannimated banner

  • Story Map
  • Destination Stories
    • Europe
    • North America
    • Asia
    • Australasia and the Pacific
    • Africa/Middle East
    • Central/South America
  • Niche Stories
    • Women Travel India
    • Women Travel New Zealand
    • Adventure Tourism
    • Budget Travel
    • Business Travel
    • Cycling Women
    • Eco/Sustainable Tourism
    • Food and Wine
    • Girlfriend getaways
    • Lesbian Travel
    • Packing Tips
    • Photography
    • Travel Resources
    • Volunteering
  • Links
    • Women Travel Links – our pick of the best
    • Rosemary’s Pick of Links For Volunteer Links and Work Exchange Travel
  • For WT Business
    • About Women Travel
    • Advertise Women Travel Businesses
    • Women’s Travel Business – Join us
    • WTW Promotional Items
    • Updates from Women Travel
    • Link to Women Travel
    • Login NOW
  • Travel Writing
    • Guest Bloggers Welcome
    • Women’s Travel Writing

Ballooning over the African Wilderness

September 12, 2013 by Rosemary

Elephant from the air
Elephant from the air

Guest Post by Aimee Claire describing the experience of camping out and ballooning in the Maasai Mara National Reserve 

The Maasai Mara National Reserve is in south-western Kenya, often referred to as Masai Mara and, as I discovered on my safari adventure recently, known to the locals simply as The Mara. This huge park, originally established in 1961, is now an amazing 583 square miles of open grassland and occasional clumps of acacia trees.

Father and SonWorld famous for its population of cheetahs, leopards and lions, I was keen to catch a glimpse of as many different species as possible and hoped to be lucky enough to see some of the herds that migrate annually – wildebeest, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle for example. From July to October hordes of them travel to and from the Serengeti, which lies to the south of The Mara.

Camping out

Mara from the airI had managed to find cheap flights to Nairobi and chose a company offering daily flights from Wilson Airport in Nairobi to the camp where I would be staying. I was relieved to note that June, July and August are the cooler months in Kenya, with an average daily maximum in Nairobi city of about 21ºC (70ºF) although it can reach 28 C (83ºF). In the event, the heat was bearable and it was cool enough in my tent to keep me from overheating at night.

To be honest, I was a little nervous about accommodation having heard some unsettling stories about dirty campsites, unhygienic toilets and indifferent staff in some places. However, I had no worries on that score – I was deeply impressed by the quality of the accommodation at my chosen camp.

A small and intimate campsite in a stunning location around a little lake that I found was teeming with both bird life and wildlife. To get there I took a boat trip across the Mara River, and walked, escorted, through the forest.

Hippos in the river
Hippos in the river

My tent had comfortable furnishings, polished wooden decks and a full en suite bathroom. The large veranda provided a perfect vantage point from which to watch the animals visiting the watering hole; especially enjoyable was the daily visit by the elephants.

Safari days

With a range of packages to choose from it was difficult to know which options to pursue, and in the end I couldn’t resist the chance to include a hot air balloon trip over The Mara. Just before dawn we set off from the launch site behind the camp and I could scarcely believe how still and silent it was as the balloon rose majestically into the brightening sky.

Balloon deflating at the end of our wonderful flight
Balloon deflating at the end of our wonderful flight

The views over the Plains and the forest were extraordinarily beautiful and for the full hour’s flight I couldn’t stop taking photographs of the scenery and the animals we spotted – including herds of blue wildebeest. As we drove back to camp in a 4 x 4 we came across a young male leopard that apparently likes to visit the riverine forest, and a young lioness with three cubs, which the camp guide Julius said was from the Paradise Pride.

A truly unforgettable trip – I count my first African safari a major success, and look forward to visiting The Mara again soon and would like to say “ashe oleng” (thank you very much in Kimaasai) to all staff at the camp who made my African wilderness experience so wonderful.

 Other Women Travel Links for Africa:

  • Tours for Women in Africa
  • Accommodation for Women in Africa
  • Other blogs from Women on Africa

Filed Under: Adventure Tourism, Africa, Africa/Middle East, Featured writers Tagged With: Safari

Keep in Touch with Women Travel

  • Facebook
  • Flickr
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
email list sign up

WTW Quick Links

  • Accommodation for Women Travelers
  • Womens Tour Calendar
  • Womens Tour Business
  • Women Local Guides
  • Retreats for Women

More Stories here

Local Websites

wtnz Women Travel India

Great Packing Advice

whattowear

Women Travel NZ Blog

Rosemary Neave PO Box 17727 Sumner Christchurch 8840 New Zealand Phone +64 27 289 0383 Email Rosemary

Women Travel the World

Accommodation and Tours for Women in New Zealand around the World

Women Travel the World Blog

Stories from Women Travelers

Web2Blog:

Would you like a website like this? You can have one! Contact Rosemary

Rosemary on Trip Advisor

Follow Rosemary's travel and reviews around the world

Tags

Adventure Women Bali Indonesia Bushwise Women Camino de Santiago de Compostela ceridwyn parr Cooking classes Cruises cycling holidays cycling women Food and wine India Ireland Italy Kenya Kerala keralablogexpress Ladies trekking Club Lyn Taylor Morocco New Zealand Paris Tour pilgrimage Portugal Rensina van den Heuvel retreat for women Safari sailing shopping skiing solo traveler Solo Women travel Spain Sustainable Tourism Thailand tours for women Tuscany VakanShe Venus Adventures volunteer travel Walking Tours what to pack Wild Women Expeditions womens travel blog women travel women trekking
Olivia Jones Uluru Photo
Olivia Jones Uluru Photo Uluru base ride
Olivia Jones Uluru Photo
Blue Walk Walking Vacations - mindful walking
Global heart journeys
Wild women expeditions

Copyright © 2023 · Magazine Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in