The magical of early morning game drives. Waking up before the sun comes over the horizon is the absolute beat way to start your African safari day in Masai Mara because the early morning hours are when the African wilderness is most alive and then active. Most morning game drives begin between 6:00 am and 6:30 am when the air is still very cool and crisp, which is the perfect weather for the big predatory cats like lions, cheetahs, and then leopards to move around the hunt for food before the heavy heat of the day arrives. As your safari vehicle drives through the quiet plains, you will get to witness a spectacular African sunrise painting the sky in the bight colors of orange, pink, and then gold, providing breathtaking opportunities for photography.
Many times, you will find a pride of lions finishing up a meal from their nighttime hunt, or you might see a family of cheetahs scanning the open grasslands from the top of a termite mound looking for their breakfast. Because the temperatures are low, all the animals have plenty of energy to walk around, play and then interact with each other, meaning you will see much more action and then movement than you would if you waited to go out later in the day. After about three or four hours of exploring the fresh morning bush and filling your camera with amazing pictures, your guide will drive you back to your lodge where a warm and then delicious breakfast will be waiting for you.
Peaceful midday exploration with a picnic.
While the midday hours between 11:00am and 3:00 pm are generally very hot and then quiet because most animals prefer to sleep in the thick shade of the trees to escape the burning sun, it can still be a wonderful time for a full day game drive if you bring a packed picnic lunch. Taking a full day game drive means you do not have to drive all the way back to your lodge for lunch, allowing you to travel much far into the national reserve to explore remote areas that most other tourists never get to see.
During these hot hours, you might not see lions running or hunting, but it is the perfect time to visit the famous Mara River to watch massive pods of hippos splashing in the water and giant crocodiles resting on the muddy pods riverbanks. You will also see large herds of elephants walking slowly toward the waterholes to drink and spray cool mud over their bodies to protect their sensitive skin from the hot sun. when it is time to eat, your professional guide will find a safe and beautiful spot under a big acacia tree where you can unpack your lunch boxes, stretch your legs, and enjoy your meal while looking out over the endless, beautiful plains of Masai Mara. It is a peaceful and then slow paced time of day that allows you to appreciate the vast size of the African landscape without the crowds of vehicles that you usually see in the mornings.
The golden hour and late afternoon drives.
As the sun begins to drop and then the temperatures start to cool down around 3:30 pm or 4: 00 pm, the African bush undergo another dramatic transformation, making the late afternoon a fantastic time to jump back into your safari vehicle for another adventure. The animals that spent the hot afternoon sleeping under bushes begin to wake up, stretch their bodies and start moving toward waterholes to take a final drink before the darkness of the night drives. The light during this time of the day is known by the photographers as the ‘’golden hour’’ because the low sun casts a beautiful, soft, warm glow over the yellow grass, making every animal you see look like a professional masterpiece.
It is a wonderful time to watch massive herds of zebras, wildebeests, and then giraffes grazing peacefully on the open plains, and you will often find elephants tearing branches off the trees as they prepare for the evening. As your drive comes to an end around 6:30 am, your guide will often find a beautiful viewpoint where you can stop the safari vehicle, step outside safely, and then enjoy a traditional ‘’sundowner’’ drink while watching the sun sink completely below the horizon. Watching the silhouettes of acacia trees against a red and the purple sky is one of the most peaceful and then unforgettable safari experiences you can have on any African safari trip.
In conclusion, there is never a bad time to go out on a game drive in Masai Mara, but planning you rives for the early morning and then later afternoon will give you the absolute best chances of seeing active wildlife and then beautiful landscapes. The morning is perfect for seeing big cats on the hunt, the afternoon is wonderful for the beautiful golden photography and then watching animals drink at waterholes, and the midday is great for covering long distances with picnic lunch. By combining these different times of the day throughout your African vacation, you will get to see the full, amazing cycle of life in one of the most famous wildlife safari destinations on the planet.