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This Week at Angama #225

Back in the Mara after some time away, Adam reflects on the very definition of a safari
Above: Floating over the Mara River is a fine way to start any day

To safari is to travel deep into the unknown; to journey into new landscapes and to uncover truths about yourself. To safari is to turn your back on the familiar, to discover new things, and to return home with your mindset changed forever. To safari is to jump on a plane, or get in a car, and feel your heart flitter at the thought of arriving at your destination. 

f 5.6, 1/200, ISO 320

To safari in the Maasai Mara is to explore a remote part of Africa where the lion’s roars float across the grasslands, where elephants rumble, and eagles soar. To safari in the Maasai Mara is to feel as if you are living amongst the pages of National Geographic. To safari in the Maasai Mara is to reawaken the soul.

f 5.6, 1/200, ISO 500
f 8.0, 1/1250, ISO 1000

The landscapes in the Mara are vast and the trees iconic. The dust that clings to your face tells a story of a track driven in an open vehicle. The wind-swept hair is evidence of the freshness of the breeze. 

f 14.0, 1/200, ISO 800, +1.0
f 6.3, 1/2500, ISO 500, -0.33

To float above the Mara in a hot-air balloon is like touching the clouds. For an hour you gaze in silence at the world below. Your mind drifts with the wind. The river snakes its way across the plains. Termite mounds create patterns in nature. 

f 10.0, 1/320, ISO 400, -0.33
f 10.0, 1/80, ISO 640, +0.33
f 8.0, 1/200, ISO 400
f 10.0, 1/320, ISO 400, -0.33
f 7.1, 1/250, ISO 400, -0.67
f 5.6, 1/2000, ISO 500, -0.67

Watching the sun rise from the deck at Angama Mara is always astounding. Rays of sunlight break through the clouds. The orange hues continually shift as the landscape transforms itself. The world below wakes up in abundance. 

f 9.0, 1/200, ISO 500, +0.33

A safari would not be complete without the king. Searching for lions is synonymous with a game drive in the grassy plains of the Maasai Mara. We are blessed here with a healthy population of lions, many of which are known intimately. We as a guiding team witness their highs and their lows, their fights and their kills, their births, and sadly too – we witness their demise. 

f 7.1, 1/800, ISO 1600, +0.33
Manywele, one of the largest males of the Inselberg Coalition f 7.1, 1/640, ISO 2000, -0.67
A young male from the Border Pride f 6.3, 1/2000, ISO 400, -0.33
A survivor of the Angama pride sits below Angama Mara f 11.0, 1/500, ISO 400, -0.67

To safari at Angama Mara is to be greeted by joyous smiles, and infectious laughter. It’s about having fun and engaging with people from all walks of life. It’s about exploring the Maasai Mara at your own pace, and unwinding back at the lodge around a fire. Above all else, a safari at Angama Mara is about time spent in one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Photo: Andrew Andrawes Leshan, Naturalist
Kipnei, Askari | Photo: Andrew Andrawes
Jeremy, Shamba Keeper | Photo: Andrew Andrawes
Patrick, Trainee Naturalist | Photo: Andrew Andrawes

This Week Two Years Ago:

f 6.3, 1/800, ISO 320, -0.67 | Photo: Adam Bannister

Two years ago we were in the midst of one of the heaviest downpours in recent history. The Maasai Mara was flooded and all animals were having to come to terms with life in a swamp. This year, although parts of the landscape are wet, it is significantly drier. 

Filed under: This Week at Angama

Tagged with:

Angama Team , Maasai Mara , Photographic Safari , Wildlife , Wildlife Photography

About: Adam Bannister

A South African-trained biologist, safari guide, author, filmmaker and photographer, Adam is, above all else, a gifted storyteller. After spending the past 10 years working in some of the world’s most beautiful wild places – the Sabi Sand Game Reserve in South Africa, Rajasthan in India, Brazil’s Pantanal, and the rainforests of Manu National Park in Peru – he is delighted to share his stories of one of the loveliest game reserves of them all, the Maasai Mara.

Browse all articles by Adam Bannister Meet the angama team

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Join the Conversation (2 comments)

Comments (2):

Kristina G Trowbridge

28 May 2022

this sums it up completely, but leaves out so much!

    Charlotte Ross Stewart

    30 May 2022

    Hello Kristina, You're so right, it's a tough task to recap a week at the lodge. As we often say, there's never a dull moment at Angama! We hope you're well and look forward to seeing you at the lodge again soon.

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