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The Big Five Safari is an experience that should be on every bucket list. Touring the Maasai Mara – Serengeti ecosystem is a journey full of epic scenery that makes a drop in your bucket of experiences. The vastness of the savannah plains dotted by Zebras, Giraffes, Antelopes and Wildebeests grazing harmoniously makes an incredible backdrop for any photographer.

The 1510 sq.km Maasai Mara Reserve can be explored over a couple of game drives during the dry season. However, this is the rainy season, which translates to muddy roads, flooded terrains, and heavy showers. On the other hand, lodges are extending heavy discounts and the long Madaraka weekend is coming up (of course we are all considering taking Friday off). So, is there another way of touring the wild expanses that are home to the most diverse plains wildlife on earth?

• Enjoy Glamping

Just because you’re in the wild doesn’t mean everything has to be bare bones. Olumara Camp has mastered glamorous camping (glamping) in an eco-friendly way. The tented camps are well camouflaged in the indigenous trees on the banks of Mara Rivers. Not only will you enjoy exclusivity in a romantic setting, but you will also have wildlife at your doorstep.

From your balcony, you can read, game view and dine under the stars.

• Spot the Print, Know the Dung

The wild teems with exceptional life that to an untrained eye, might be overlooked as an abandoned wilderness. The wow factor of this kind of adventure is tracking the Big 5 by following the different footprints and following the variety of dung. Walking safari with a Masai warrior gives a sense of security and sends the excitement levels of the roof knowing you might encounter a leopard face to face. Basecamp Explorer tailor-makes the walks around Naboisho Conservancy to suit guests’ fitness levels.

Fun fact: The African Bush Elephant, in a day, eats 250kg of vegetation, drinks 200 liters of water and covers a distance of up to 60km.

• Learn the Nomadic Lifestyle

Masai boys leave at the age of 15 and do not come back until after 3-5 years when they are fearless warriors. Spend a rainy afternoon around a fire in their Manyattas or village. Listen to the stories by Masai warriors of their victories. You will learn that in Masai culture, the woman built the warm house with wood and cow dung. The men, on the other hand, travel for months searching greener pastures. A cultural safari exposes the tourist to a gentle tribe yet fearless towards its neighbours the carnivores.