On our last morning in Masai Mara, we started the day with a hot air balloon ride. Our lodge was about 75 minutes from where you take off, so we had to wake up around 4:30am to get there in time. It was EARLY. Way too early with little ones. They were great. The ride was fun. But, we saw so many animals up close every single day… so next time we will skip the hot air balloon and just enjoy our safari rides!
This is why I prefer to be on the ground… you get to be so much closer to the animals. These two lions were some of my favorites. They just had the sweetest faces. If only the flies would leave them alone!
Just chillin’ next to a pride of lions sleeping the day away…
If I am remembering correctly, this was a group of 12 lions relaxing together. We watched them for a fairly long time while they bathed themselves, rolled around, and cuddled with one another.
I can tell you one thing… it never gets old watching lions!
We drove off for just a few minutes in search of some other animals since the lions were snoozing. Well, our guide got a call that they had made a kill, so we drove like crazy people to see what was going on.
I know that it looks gruesome and bloody, but it’s quite incredible what these animals have to do to survive. I have so much respect for lions after watching them so closely. Hunting an animal takes so much of their energy. They just pant and pant while the other lions begin eating the animal. It was so neat to see the other lions come up to the ones that hunted and show their appreciation. They would rub heads, maybe give a lick on the nose, or something else to just say THANK YOU!
There was a small pool of water nearby so they would take turns going for a drink.
Here are some of the other animals we were able to see during our last day in the Mara. Since we went during the Great Migration we were able to see thousands upon thousands of zebras and wildebeests.
I cannot even express in words how much the entire family loved this vacation. We have gone on many trips, but none compare to our time in Kenya. Every moment was so peaceful and breathtaking. So, a HUGE thank you to Extraordinary Journeys for planning this bucket list vacation!
That wraps up what we saw each day on our trip! I’ll be back soon to sum it all up with where we stayed, what we packed, and what we loved!
