The Complete Guide to Masai Mara National Reserve

The Complete Guide to Masai Mara National Reserve : Masai Mara National Reserve is the best and most visited park in Kenya and along with Tanzania’s Serengeti National park with which they share an unfenced border, Masai Mara national reserve is considered to be Africa’s premier safari destination.

Masai Mara national reserve was established in 1961.

The reserve protects a huge concertation of animals include the Big Five “lions, leopards, elephants, rhinos and cape buffaloes” and welcomes the herds of the annual Great Migration every year from July to November. While on a safari in Masai Mara national reserve you will be treated to amazing sightings of a cheetah and its cubs scanning the plains from the top of a sunlit termite mound, large herds of wildebeests and zebras leaping into the crocodile – infested waters of the Mara River.

To have a great Masai Mara safari and forever memories, below is a guide that will help you when planning your trip.

Location & Geography

Masai Mara national reserve is a relatively small reserve covering an area of approximately 580 square miles in the Southwest Kenya, its southern boundary marks the Kenya- Tanzania border and the beginning of the Serengeti while the remaining boundaries are adjoined by private conservancies which are owned by tribal communities and managed by eco-tourism operators and share unfenced borders with the national reserve.

The reserve’s remote western section known as the Mara Triangle is also managed by a non-profit conservancy run by the local Maasai.

Masai Mara national reserve is considered one of the best areas for game viewing.

Masai Mara national reserve is intersected by three major rivers that is the Sand, the Talek and the Mara rivers. The Mara River is famous for the dramatic spectacle of thousands of wildebeests and zebras attempting to cross as part of their annual migration.

The riverbanks are densely lined with trees and shrubs, the primarily habitat of the Masai Mara is open grassland studded with acacia thickets.

Incredible Wildlife

The incredible wildlife hosted in Masai Mara national reserve is one of the reasons to why the reserve is famous, the reserve is a home to an astonishing concertation of animal and birdlife. Masai Mara national reserve is a great Big Five destination with guaranteed sighting of lions, leopards, buffaloes, rhinos and elephants. Other wildlife species to look out for include cheetahs, elusive predators such as bat – eared foxes and spotted hyenas, a slew of antelopes ranging from topi and eland to oribi, waterbuck and gazelles. The park’s rivers are home to hippos and crocodiles, for birders you can look for more than 450 recorded avian species, The Complete Guide to Masai Mara National Reserve

Between July and November every year, more than 1.5 million wildebeests together with zebras, elands and gazelles arrive in the plains of Masai Mara as part of their annual migration from the plains of the Serengeti. Predicting exactly when and where the herds are going to show up is difficult as their movements depend on seasonal rains and grazing, but witnessing them on the move is a safari experience you will never forget.

Top Things to Do

Game Drives

Game viewing drives are the most popular safari activities in Masai Mara national reserve and they are done in an open – sided safari vehicles, traditional guided game drives are offered as morning game drives and afternoon game drives, night game drives are not allowed in Masai Mara national reserve itself, however they are permitted in the neighboring conservancies.

Specialty Safaris

These safaris are offered dedicated to one specific activity, these include Kenya bird watching safaris, photographic safaris and Wildebeest Migration safaris that are devoted to being in the right place at the right time to watch the migration herds as they cross the Mara River.

If you are staying in a conservancy, you can do night game drives, nature walks and horseback riding.

Hot Air Ballooning

A dawn hot air balloon flight over the endless plains of Masai Mara national reserve is a must do during your safari, this experience offers unique aerial perspective allowing you to see for miles across the reserve’s vast plains and to observe wildlife as it passes undisturbed beneath the basket.

Hot air flights include Bush Champagne breakfast at the end of the safari, The Complete Guide to Masai Mara National Reserve

Maasai Cultural Tour

Visiting Kenya’s most famous tribe is an amazing safari experience to have, this tour offers you the authentic lifestyle of the Masai people, their culture and customs. The Masai people are known pastoralist tribe famous for their colorful traditional dress and their incredible prowess as warriors and herdsmen.

Where to Stay In Masai Mara National Reserve

There are plenty of accommodations in Masai Mara national reserve located in and around the reserve, these accommodations ranger from luxurious, midrange and budget and they include permanent lodges, tented and mobile camps.

As a visitor, before deciding which area of the reserve you want to be based in. The central and eastern regions of the main reserve tend to see the most visitors because of their proximity to Nairobi, lodges in area include Mara Simba Lodge and Keekorok Lodge among others.

The western Mara Triangle is more remote and harder area of the reserve to access but offers more rewarding game viewing, there are only two accommodation options in the reserve and these include Mara Serena Safari Lodge and Little Governor’s Camp. For the most elusive safari experience and a wider variety of activities, opt to stay on one of the adjacent conservancies and top conservancy accommodations include

• Angama Mara
• andBeyond Bateleur Camp
• Elephant Pepper Camp

Weather & When to Go

Masai Mara National Reserve has two distinct rainy seasons, the short rains from December to January and the long rains from March to May. Due to Kenya’s proximity to the equator, temperatures are relatively consistent throughout the year with highs of around 86 degrees F and lows of around 68 degrees F. The long dry season from June to November is considered the best time to visit because it coincides with the Great Migration and because animals congregate at water sources and are therefore easier to spot, The Complete Guide to Masai Mara National Reserve

Getting There

Masai Mara national reserve is located approximately 170 miles west of Nairobi, it is possible to get to the reserve by road or by air. For road transport, make sure you use a 4×4 vehicle as the roads become impassable during the rainy season.

For air – domestic flights are offered from Wilson Airstrip to one of the airstrips serving the reserve including Keekorok Airstrip, Serena Airstrip, Musiara Airstrip among others.  Flights from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport take approximately 45 minutes.

 Visitors to Masai Mara national reserve must pay a daily conservation fee and this is currently $80 for adults and $45 for children under the age of 12 years of age.