We landed in the Maasai Mara on the Ngerende airstrip, and were welcomed with a refreshing drink of passion juice with mint served in a calabash by smiling staff from the Fairmont Mara Safari Club. And so the adventure began.

We drove to the luxury tented resort, just four kilometres from the airstrip, where we checked into our tents, all of which face the hippo-filled river. One advantage of having the tents facing the river is that guests do not need a wake-up call. At dawn, when the hippos return to the river from grazing, their snorting and splashing serve as a natural alarm clock.

After enjoying a buffet lunch on the patio, we headed out for the first game drive. No, we would not be looking for wildebeest today, this was just an introductory drive through the Ol-Choro Oiroua conservancy, bordering the Masai Mara Game Reserve. We were saving the spectacular wildebeest crossing for the following day.

And so we spotted zebra, ostrich, giraffe… the usual suspects. And then we sighted four lionesses. With so much food around them in the form of wildebeest and antelope, the lionesses were relaxed, frolicking in the grass.

They put on a show for us, complete with synchronised rolling and wide yawns. Looking much like large tame house cats, I understood why some people think it is safe to stick your head out of the vehicle or try to pet them. They seemed so harmless, clearly nothing to be afraid of.

We were not fooled by their nonchalance and not wanting to be mistaken for prey, we wisely chose to stay safe inside the tour vehicle.

On the way back to the lodge, we stopped by the side of a hill for a sundowner. It was a dull evening threatening rain, but the clouds parted briefly and we watched a glorious sunset by firelight. Nature truly at its finest.

Back at the lodge, I decided to try out the outdoor shower at the back of my tent. The shower has no roof, and only a small gap in the wall that faces the river; I ran the hot water and jumped in. But just as I was getting ready to soap myself, some cold drops of water hit my head. The rain was coming down in my rain shower, nature in competition with man; nature won and I dashed back into my tent.

Early the following morning, we went up in a hot air balloon to see the animals from above. After landing and enjoying a champagne breakfast in the wild, we set off into the game reserve, eagerly looking forward to seeing the seventh wonder of the world — the wildebeest migration.

We drove around looking for a large herd of wildebeest, which would suggest that they would be crossing at a particular spot. But they were scattered in small groups all over the grassland.

The driver suggested we try another spot further up the river. On the way, we saw a herd of elephants, a lone buffalo, and watched lions mating. Watching lions mate is no mean feat — it happens very fast. The male mounts the female, and five seconds later he’s done and promptly dismounts. Blink and you miss it.

And so we continued on our mission. The wildebeest gathered, and we waited. Some tourists in our vehicle said they’d watched the crossing two days before but had had to wait for five hours to see it. Our driver informed us that the wildebeest usually cross when the sun is shining… the sky was overcast this particular afternoon.

Five topi antelopes crossed the river. They made quite a splash. We hoped the wildebeest would follow their example. Three crocodiles basking on the river bank were unbothered. One had its mouth open, waiting for the Egyptian Plover Bird to pick its teeth. About 20 hippos, the largest I’ve ever seen, basked on the river bank too.

The crocodiles were clearly waiting for the real feast — the wildebeest. We too were waiting… The scene was very clear in my mind; after all, I do watch the National Geographic channel. The hyenas were out enjoying the half eaten carcases left by the sated lions. The vultures took turns at the decaying leftovers. All the animals kept to the script.

And so we waited. And the wildebeest grazed and walked and grazed some more.

And then they crossed… the road.

A couple in our vehicle, celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary, had come all the way from Bath in England, hoping to catch the crossing. I had flown from Nairobi (admittedly not as far away) to see this wonder of the world, and I had only one day to do this.

We needed some consolation. Sensing our disappointment, our driver took us to a secret location to hang out with two white rhinos, Elizabeth and Kofi.

Elizabeth, aged 13, is named after the Queen of England because they share a birthday, and Kofi was born when former UN secretary-general Kofi Annan was in Kenya mediating talks to end the post-election violence in 2008. It is hoped that they will mate soon.

Elizabeth was not too happy to see us; we were standing too close to her mud bath and she wanted to cool off. Julius, the armed guard who watches over them, asked us to move slowly away from where we stood.

Kofi was genial and allowed me to take some photographs with him. He is not tame, although he’s used to having people stare at him. The armed guard was close at hand, although I was not sure if, in case of an attack, he’d shoot me or the rhino. After all, I’m not on the list of endangered species.

And so we left the Maasai Mara the following morning.

Lesson learnt: You can “lead” the wildebeest to water, but you cannot make them cross. Nature has it’s own timing.