3 Days Magnificent Mara Budget Safari

The majestic and exhilarating sights of Kenya's crown jewel, the Masai Mara Game Reserve, are yours to behold on this wallet-friendly adventure. This prized safari destination is home to Africa's Big Five game, in addition to hundreds of other spectacular species.

Day 1: Nairobi to Masai Mara Game Reserve

We boarded the van in modern Nairobi but emerged into another world, a land famed for Big Five wildlife, wild bush and centuries-old culture: the land of the Maasai. Welcome to the Masai Mara Game Reserve – the Africa you've always dreamed of, where mountains border the open plains and tall grasses shelter stealthy predators from view.

Wildlife sightings at Masai Mara are among the most diverse and spectacular the continent has to offer, and include the Big Five: African buffalo, bush elephants, black rhinos, leopards and lions. This spectacular reserve is also the site of the breath-taking Great Migration, the Eighth Wonder of the World. Feel the vibration of millions of wildebeest (gnu) hooves, stampeding across the open plains as these animals search for fresh water and pasture. It's the largest mass migration of land animals, anywhere in the world. What will you spot on this afternoon's game drive?

Dinner and overnight at lodge or camp.

Day 2: Masai Mara

The sun erupts over the horizon, its golden rays reflected off the grassy plains. As the bush awakens, the landscape springs to life: elephants lumber to the watering hole; giraffes gobble greenery from a nearby tree; and young leopards roughhouse on the savannah.

The Maasai word for this beauty is "Mara" – a landscape dotted by stately trees, puffy clouds, and majestic wildlife. This is the Mara you'll explore this morning, as your safari van motors over the bumpy terrain in search of the Next Great Sight. On your list, of course, are the Big Five, but keep your eyes peeled for galloping antelopes, bathing hippos, lightning-fast gazelles, and the coordinated zigzag of dancing zebras.

Dinner and overnight at lodge or camp.

Day 3: Masai Mara to Nairobi

Have you ever dreamed of flying, the breeze in your hair as the current lifts you ever higher? Immense vistas, resounding silence, and muted colours abound on this balloon safari (optional), which lifts off as dawn creeps over the horizon. Adrenaline and exhilaration flood your senses, and you soar over the Kenyan savannah to heights so lofty that even the biggest game appears small.

If you opt out of the balloon safari, your morning is dedicated to your final game drive. Watch the bush awaken to another morning in Masai Mara. After breakfast, you'll return to Nairobi. Arrive mid-day for drop-off at your Nairobi hotel or the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.