Private Chefs, Border Fun, and a Near Miss with a Buffalo

After yesterday’s brutal 3:45 AM balloon call, sleeping in until 7:00 AM felt like an absolute luxury! My body and brain were thoroughly convinced we were getting full-blown beauty rest.

*The lion that kept us awake last night! He is in the middle of picture a little far back.*

Today is our final day in this incredible wilderness. The Maasai Mara will forever hold a special place in my heart! Our host Paul—who, along with his lovely wife Sue, has truly become family to us—had a grand finale lined up. Since they have three boys to get back to (and aren’t retired full-time travelers like us!), they’ll be heading home tomorrow as well, but not before promising to meet us for one last goodbye dinner at the end of the trip.

Right as we rolled out of camp, we spotted the exact lion who had kept us awake all night with his dramatic roars! He was casually strolling across the plains, looking for either his pride or his next meal, without a single care in the world.

*And the leopard. He blends so well in the landscape. He’s in the middle of the photo.*

The Kings of the Mara

The Maasai Mara is famous for housing one of the highest lion densities in the world. Known as the “Marsh Pride” and other iconic coalitions, these lions have adapted to hunting massive prey like buffalo and wildebeest across open grasslands. A pride usually consists of related females, their cubs, and a coalition of dominant males who defend the territory—and as we learned firsthand, their roars can travel up to 5 miles through the night air!

*The pride of boys waiting for the weak one to show itself.*

As we made our way toward breakfast, we spotted our third cheetah of the trip! At this point, we are officially cheetah magnets. He was stealthily tracking a herd of wildebeest from downwind so they couldn’t catch his scent, blending so perfectly into the tall yellow grass that it was almost impossible to keep eyes on him.

*This guys face was so full of flies. Zoom in the on the photo and you’ll see.*

To get to our breakfast spot, we had to brave a mountain of relentless potholes. (I am officially scheduling a 90-minute massage the second we get to our next stop—my spine deserves it!). But once we clawed our way to the top of the hill, it was pure paradise: a private bush breakfast complete with a personal chef, a live cooking station, and panoramic views of the plains.

*We were looking forward to the great migration so much that Paul teased us about this being a part of it. Crazy man!*

The best part? Other safari jeeps kept tackling that horrific, pothole-ridden climb hoping for a view of wildlife, only to roll up and realize it was a private party. Sorry, folks! Today, we were living like royalty.

With full bellies, we set off to explore more of the Mara. Before long, we stumbled upon a group of teenage lions scouting out their options for lunch. They were eyeing a mixed buffet of elephants, wildebeest, warthogs, and zebras, looking for anyone weak or isolated. Ultimately, they decided against making a move while we watched—turns out even teenage lions get intimidated when surrounded by a sea of giant herbivores!

Next, we drove all the way to the official Kenya-Tanzania border marker. You can’t legally cross into Tanzania without a visa, but we decided to live on the edge and jumped back and forth across the line for the ultimate photo op!

For our final evening in the Mara, we drove up a much smoother hill for one last sunset “sundowner.” Scott, the manager at Sand River, joined us and built a roaring campfire while sharing incredible stories of life in the bush. Paul completely outdid himself on this entire 8-day adventure, and we are leaving with memories—and friendships—that will last a lifetime.

*Now, this was part of the migration. The animals appeared to stretch for miles on their trek*

Of course, the Mara couldn’t let us leave without one last adrenaline rush.

As we walked back to our tent after dark, accompanied by our night guard, I noticed he was only carrying a sturdy wooden walking stick. I couldn’t resist teasing him, asking how exactly that stick was going to protect us from apex predators.

*The campfire was amazing. Didnt get much of a sunset but we had a nice evening anyway*

Not five minutes later, he suddenly put a death grip on my arm, yanked Chuck and me behind him, and started aggressively waving his stick at the bushes! A massive Cape Buffalo—one of the most notoriously aggressive and dangerous animals in Africa—was lurking right near the path!

*Paul and Sue from TemboWild. Give them a call for your next safari. You wont regret it.*

Our guard marched us safely into our tent, then went sprinting off toward the river to chase the buffalo across the water. A few minutes later, he knocked on our door to check if we were okay. We were totally fine, though thoroughly humbled—turns out, the stick was all he needed after all!

Now it’s time for bed before another early wake-up call to head to the airstrip. Next stop: Lake Naivasha for a little wind-down time, a boat ride, and a walking safari!

Scroll through for more photos taken today.