Find out what we've been up to...

16Jun 2026 by safarisense No Comments

An Evening with Africa’s Largest Land Mammal

Camping, Conservation, Game drive, Maasai Mara, Wildlife Safari

Image | Ernest Nyamasyo The rain had stopped barely two hours earlier. The vast plains of the Masai Mara shimmered beneath the evening sun, every blade of grass gilded in gold. Our Toyota Land Cruiser rolled slowly along a muddy track as herds of Thomson's gazelles and Grant's gazelles grazed across the savannah. Nearby, impalas browsed cautiously while a line of African buffalo moved toward a distant marsh. Helmeted Guinea fowls scurried through the wet grass, and iridescent Superb Starlings flashed electric blues and greens whenever they caught the light. Then our driver-guide pointed ahead. Image | Ernest Nyamasyo Image | Ernest Nyamasyo Emerging from a grove of balanites trees was a herd of African elephants. "Ernest, how big are they really?" Yuri asked in Russian as he raised his…

28May 2026 by safarisense No Comments

Birdnificent© Something About The Saddle-billed Stork…

Camping, Conservation, Game drive, Maasai Mara, Wildlife Safari

Image | Ernest Nyamasyo There are some birds in the Maasai Mara National Reserve that quietly blend into the background — and then there’s the Saddle-billed Stork, a bird so outrageously elegant it looks as though nature designed it during a particularly extravagant mood. The first time most guests see one, the reaction is always the same. “What is that?” And honestly, it’s a fair question. Standing nearly 145 centimeters tall, the Saddle-billed Stork (Ephippiorhynchus senegalensis) strides through the wetlands of the Mara like an aristocrat inspecting royal property. Its body is a striking black-and-white masterpiece, but the true showstopper is the bill — impossibly long and painted in dramatic colours: crimson red, jet black, and topped with a bright yellow “saddle,” as though someone delicately placed a tiny golden…

25May 2026 by safarisense No Comments

The Little Whistler of the Mara

Camping, Conservation, Game drive, Maasai Mara, Wildlife Safari

Image | Ernest Nyamasyo The first rule of spotting a Kirk’s Dikdik in the vast plains of the Maasai Mara National Reserve is simple — stop looking for big animals.Most safari guests arrive in the Mara with dreams of thunderous wildebeest crossings, lions draped across termite mounds, or elephants moving through the golden grass like ancient caravans. Few imagine that one of the reserve’s most captivating residents stands barely knee-high, weighs less than a suitcase, and can disappear into a thorn bush faster than a whispered secret.Yet the Kirk’s Dikdik has a way of stealing the show.I usually notice them before my guests do. Years in the bush teach you to read tiny movements — the twitch of a leaf beneath an acacia, the flicker of oversized ears in tangled…

18May 2026 by safarisense No Comments

Explore: Ngorongoro Crater

Camping, Conservation, Game drive, Maasai Mara, Wildlife Safari

Image | Ernest Nyamasyo By the time we reached the Ngorongoro Crater rim, the Russian couple seated behind me had already fallen silent. That always happens here. No matter how many safaris people have done — whether it is their first journey into Africa or, like these two seasoned travelers from Moscow, a second return to East Africa — Ngorongoro has a way of stealing language itself. Our Land Cruiser rolled to the viewpoint just as dawn light spilled over the crater walls. Below us lay the vast caldera floor, 20 kilometers wide and nearly 600 meters beneath the rim, glowing gold beneath drifting morning mist. From above, the crater looked less like a wildlife reserve and more like a lost world sealed inside an ancient volcanic bowl. “This cannot…

05Nov 2025 by safarisense 4 Comments

The Rock Star of the Mara: Meet the Mwanza Flat-headed Agama 

Conservation, Nairobi Area, Wildlife Safari

Image | Ernest Nyamasyo The sun is high over the Masai Mara, baking the golden grass and sending heat ripples across the plains. My guests are scanning the horizon for lions when I quietly raise a finger and point—not to the distance, but to a sunlit rock just a few meters away. There he is. A flash of color so vivid it almost doesn’t seem real—a reptilian superhero basking in full glory. “Everyone,” I whisper, grinning, “meet the Mwanza Flat-headed Agama—the Masai Mara’s very own Spider-Man lizard.” Named Agama mwanzae in scientific circles, the Swahili call him Balababa, but I like to call him the show-off of the savanna. He’s not large—barely 32 centimeters from snout to tail—but what he lacks in size, he makes up for in swagger. With…

12Aug 2025 by safarisense 2 Comments

Trivia: How well do you know about the African Elephant? Find out!!

Wildlife Safari

[os-widget path="/safari-sense/59e4c256-c9d9-43b6-a7d5-07b31be19cf3"] Book your Safari Sense experience here [caldera_form id="CF5efae8fe3eed9"] Our passion for nature and travel is reflected in our understanding of the need to experience the natural environment in a sustainable and unique way. Our commitment to you is "The Perfect Balance between Nature & Discovery, Adventure & Luxury"... Whiskers in the Grass: Tracking the Secretive Serval Conservation, Nairobi Area, Wildlife Safari Whiskers in the Grass: Tracking the Secretive Serval Image | Ernest Nyamasyo The sun is barely peeking above Nairobi’s skyline when my guests and I bump down the red-dust trail into the wilderness of Nairobi National Park—Africa’s only national park with a capital city for a neighbor. Zebras blur past in early light, and giraffes crane their necks against a backdrop of high-rises. But I’m not watching…

10Jul 2025 by safarisense 2 Comments

Whiskers in the Grass: Tracking the Secretive Serval

Conservation, Nairobi Area, Wildlife Safari

Image | Ernest Nyamasyo The sun is barely peeking above Nairobi’s skyline when my guests and I bump down the red-dust trail into the wilderness of Nairobi National Park—Africa’s only national park with a capital city for a neighbor. Zebras blur past in early light, and giraffes crane their necks against a backdrop of high-rises. But I’m not watching the giants this morning. I’m looking for a ghost in the grass. “Mondo,” I whisper to the guests. That’s Swahili for Serval, the long-legged, small-bodied, big-eared feline phantom we’re hoping to glimpse. With the scientific name Leptailurus serval, this spotted cat isn’t as famous as the lion or cheetah, but trust me—when you see one, it’s unforgettable. Imagine a creature sculpted for stealth: about a meter long, weighing up to 13…

03May 2025 by safarisense 2 Comments

Chasing Shadows: Elusive Felines of Mara North Conservancy

Conservation, Maasai Mara, Wildlife Safari

Image | Ernest Nyamasyo There’s a moment, just before dusk falls over the golden plains of Kenya’s Mara North Conservancy, when the air seems to still, and every sense sharpens. It’s as if the land itself holds its breath. That’s when I know—Chui is near. The Swahili name for the leopard rolls off the tongue like a secret. It means stealth, elegance, and the thrill of a sighting that even the most seasoned guides can’t quite predict. The leopard (Panthera pardus), after all, is a master of vanishing. Unlike the loud, swaggering lions or the bustling hyenas, the leopard glides through the shadows, a ghost in dappled gold. Its coat, an exquisite tapestry of rosettes on a background that shifts from pale cream in dry country to deep orange or…

15Feb 2025 by safarisense 2 Comments

Trivia: How well do you know about Hippos? Find out!!

Wildlife Safari

[os-widget path="/safari-sense/4d5027c2-d5ad-4b98-886c-89b407538e3c"] Book your Safari Sense experience here [caldera_form id="CF5efae8fe3eed9"] Our passion for nature and travel is reflected in our understanding of the need to experience the natural environment in a sustainable and unique way. Our commitment to you is "The Perfect Balance between Nature & Discovery, Adventure & Luxury"... Chasing Shadows: Elusive Felines of Mara North Conservancy Conservation, Maasai Mara, Wildlife Safari Chasing Shadows: Elusive Felines of Mara North Conservancy Image | Ernest Nyamasyo There’s a moment, just before dusk falls over the golden plains of Kenya’s Mara North Conservancy, when the air seems to still, and every sense sharpens. It’s as if the land itself holds its breath. That’s when I know—Chui is near. The Swahili name for the leopard rolls off the tongue like a secret. It…

13Nov 2024 by safarisense 7 Comments

The Nile Monitor Lizard: East Africa’s Water Dragon

Conservation, Maasai Mara, Wildlife Safari

Image | Ernest Nyamasyo The Nile monitor lizard (Varanus niloticus) is a formidable and fascinating reptile indigenous to sub-Saharan Africa. This impressive creature can reach lengths of up to 7 feet, with males typically larger and heavier than females. Males can weigh between 44 to 55 pounds, while females are slightly smaller, averaging around 33 to 44 pounds. With a lifespan extending up to 20 years in the wild, these lizards are a testament to the resilience and adaptability of reptilian life. East Africa is home to a variety of monitor lizard species, each with unique characteristics. Apart from the Nile monitor, the region hosts the savannah monitor (Varanus exanthematicus) and the rock monitor (Varanus albigularis). The savannah monitor, smaller and more robust, is often found in drier areas, distinguished…

Blog