We flew to Mara Simba Buffalo Camp on 24th January 2007 from Bamburi Airstip, near Mombasa in a 2-engined, 18-seater plane for two hours. During the flight we had wonderful views of Mount Kilimanjaro, the large soda lake Lake Magardi, the Great Rift Valley and the Masai Mara before landing on the local airstrip.
As the Mara had had an unusual amount of rain during the previous months and it had been closed for two weeks not long before our arrival, we were lucky to be there at all. Instead of the red dust we'd been expecting, everywhere was very muddy with great holes and ruts which made it very difficult for our drivers. Our driver drove a Toyota Landcruiser and never once got bogged down though he had to rescue others who had. The Landcruiser was a brilliant viewing vehicle for its six passengers. It had a liftable roof which enabled us to stand on the seats to take photographs and had the added advantage of shading us from the strong African sun. Our driver had been driving safari passengers for 20 years, he loves his job, is very knowledgeable and consequently was able to give us lots of information about the terrain and its animals.
Buffalo Camp is certainly not luxurious but it is clean and functional and sited on the bank of the Mara River amid pretty gardens. The A-frame lodges are comfortable. The Maitre D is a delight and he and his staff produced wonderful breakfasts, a good buffet lunch and delicious dinners. While we were there, there was a semi-resident young zebra called Milia. Her mother was eatern by a lion so she was hand-reared. She chooses to stay around the camp where she likes buns, sugar and almost anything else, given the chance! She's very friendly, a bit pushy and inquisitive most of the time but she IS a wild animal so remember to respect her!
The camp is an open one which means wild animals can roam through it. One morning some friends were woken by a hippo at the window! Don't worry!! An armed guard will take you to your lodge after dinner and come and wake you in the morning before your early-morning drive. They patrol frequently and are always aware of what is around.
We had hardly arrived before we were off on our first morning drive and we saw quite a lot of daytime animals, notably great herds of various types of gazelles, zebra and water buffalo and then it was back for lunch. The afternoon drive was longer and we saw hippo, giraffe and lots of wildebeest.
We'd not been back at camp for long when there was a tremendous flash of lightning and crash of thunder and the rain was as nothing we'd ever seen before. Everything was surrounded in thick mist - almost like a fog and the noise was tremendous. The campfire tonight was abandoned!
On our second day we went for an all -day drive when we saw Tanzanian lions. Our guide told us that Kenyan lions sleep on the ground whereas the Tanzanian variety lie-up in trees but since the Serengeti in Tanzania and the Mara in Kenya run into one another, I don't suppose they notice a border-crossing! We also saw more elephant and giraffe and the very ugly but comical warthog which is known locally as the Kenya Express because of their speed across the ground. They are usually followed, in line astern, by the youngsters and all with their tails in the air! There were plenty of eland, topi which tend to stand look-out on anthills, kudu, water bullalo and zebra as well as some Masai herds of cattle in the distance.
We were taken to a Masai village for a fee which some people found rather too touristy. It was, of course, but it gave us the opportunity to take photographs of the Masai which is something you are not permitted to do elsewhere. Our young "chief" guide proudly explained his friend's headdress of a lion's head. They may only kill a lion when it is threatening a herd of their precious cattle so a lion headdress is something very special. My husband and a friend wandered off to investigate what they thought was a water tank but which turned out to be the very latest in methane conversion plant and which will eventually give the village gas for lighting and cooking!
The picnic, on day two consisted of rolls filled with tuna and cheese, a hard-boiled egg and fruit which we ate in sitting on camping stools under shady trees over-looking the Mara River and listening to hippos sounding like a bunch of teenagers revving up their motorbikes! The fruit of the trees, which give off a smell not dissimilar to lavender and lemon, are particular favouites of elephants as evidenced by what they left behind! On the way back to camp we saw a large herd of elephant, about 30 of them, big bulls, mothers and babies near a watering hole where they were rolling, wallowing, blowing and thoroughly enjoying themselves. The scenery is so beautiful and the acacia trees silhouetted against the wide African sky (and it really IS just that), were very photogenic!
On the last morning we were woken at 5am in order to leave before dawn to see the Kenyan sunrise which has to be seen to be believed - it is just so vivid and lasts a very short time. We saw a few different animals such as hyena and jackal but even the ones we'd seen before looked different in the clear morning light. Then it was back to Mombasa in the little plane - sit on the left on the way out and the right on the way back if you can - for views of Kilimanjaro!
We had not been on a safari before so we do not have anything to compare this one with but we loved it and felt, despite the difficult weather conditions, we had been very fortunate and had been extremely well looked after. Mara Buffalo Camp is great!
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
