It’s not every day that your alarm clock is a screaming herd of hippos. This trumpeting racket sounds like a cross between a sneeze, a grunt and a deep belly laugh. Being one with nature isn’t just an expression at the Fairmont Mara Safari Club. This manicured camp of 51 luxury en-suite tents is surrounded on three sides by the crocodile- and hippopotamus-filled Mara River.
The Masai Mara is a 373,000-acre game reserve situated in southwest Kenya. Traveling in a small plane above the grand expanse of golden-hued savanna, I somehow felt I had been here before. I quickly realized the connection: This is where some of the most famous scenes in the classic motion picture Out of Africa were filmed.
Shortly after landing on the Ngerende dirt airstrip, I found myself surrounded by a group of Masai tribesmen and women clad in bright red shukas. Following a traditional dance and welcome refreshments, Fairmont staff whisked us away in special-edition Land Cruisers, tops open and raised for viewing game.
Upon arriving at the private Fairmont camp, it became quite clear to me that the hippopotamus is the mascot of this remarkable property. Wooden walkways lead to luxurious tents featuring four-poster beds. Masai tribal colors, woven rugs underfoot and leather-bound trunks all add to an ambiance evoking a bygone era. The bathroom rivals anything found in an upscale hotel, replete with solar-powered hot water. Each tent has its own private deck, where meals can be enjoyed to the accompaniment of trumpeting hippos and serenading songbirds.
Just outside the front gate is one of the world’s richest wildlife reserves, home to an astounding array of animals. The “big five” are considered the main attraction here: the buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and rhinoceros. The term dates back to the days of old-school safaris, used to describe the difficulty of hunting these species. The practice was banned in 1976, and modern-day excursions have come to be known as game drives, purely for “shooting” animals with cameras.
