MASAI MARA SAFARI INFORMATION
The Masai Mara National Reserve has a diverse range of wildlife and because of this, so many visit Masai Mara for safaris.
We arrange Masai Mara Safari Tours that take you on an exclusive game-viewing experience in the Mara, and it’s a positive statement to say that there’s nothing missing in the prominent Masai Mara National Reserve.
While on holiday vacation in Kenya’s Masai Mara, see the Big Five: lions, leopards, rhinoceros, Cape buffalos, and elephants. However, poaching acts in the early 1970s are believed to have limited the number of rhinoceros/black rhinos. According to tradition, the ivory harvested from black rhinos had a good demand, and this accounts for the low current population of black rhinos in the Great Mara.
The Great Mara is home to a variety of antelope species, including Coke’s hartebeests, duikers, impalas, and Grant’s Grazelle. The Maasai Mara is also known for the Masai Giraffe and the occasional sightings of white giraffes.
On a holiday package to Masai Mara, you can see aquatic animals such as crocodiles and hippopotamus, which can be found in large numbers, mainly along the rivers Mara and Talek. The Great Mara is also home to foxes, Jackson heartebeest, jackals, cheetahs, and hyenas.
In the Masai Mara, the total population of wildebeest, Thompson’s Grazelle, topi, and zebras is in the millions. Seasonally, on a Maasai Mara holiday kit, these herds can be seen migrating into the Masai Mara Reserve across the Mara River from Tanzania’s Serengeti National Reserve. In Africa, this is referred to as the Great Migration. The herds are on the move in search of greener pastures and water.Masai mara encounter
The Masai Mara is home to the world’s largest herd of wildebeests, estimated to number in the millions. The annual Great Migration, also known as the wildebeest Migration, is highlighted by these wildebeest. During this season, many travelers from all over the world book Masai Mara vacation packages in order to witness the massive migration of wildebeests.
The Great Migration is recognized as the world’s largest and most spectacular natural migration; there is nothing like it anywhere else on the planet. About 1,300,000 wildebeest, 97,000 Topi, 500,000 Thompson’s Grazelle, 200,000 zebras, and 18,000 Elands are expected to participate in this migration.
Birding in Masai Mara National Reserve
The Great Mara is home to over 470 bird species, including raptors and migrant species, so holiday packages to Masai Mara can provide a special birding experience.
The majority of these are migrants, with leaves belonging to around 60 species estimated to spend at least half of the year in Masai Mara. Birders from all over the world flock to Masai Mara on different holiday packages every year. A traditional birding safari to Masai Mara includes a visit to Lake Nakuru, which is home to the world’s largest concentration of flamingos.
The Great Mara is home to a variety of bird species, including: The African Pygmy falcons, Long Crested Eagles, Ostriches, Crown Cranes, Secretary Birds, Marabou stocks, vultures, hornbills and lilac-breasted Roller (Kenya’s National bird)
How to get to Masai Mara National Reserve?
After booking your Masai Mara vacation package, getting to the park should be easy. The Masai Mara National Reserve is about 280 kilometers from Nairobi and can be reached by air or road. Several airfields have been built in the park to accommodate visitors who prefer to fly into the park. Mara Serena Airport, Ngerende Airport, Tembo, Ngerende, Kichwa, Keekorok, Angama Mara, and Musiara Airport are among the airfields.
Which airport is preferable?
It all depends on the lodge you booked for your stay in the park; most airports are close to various lodges, so it is in your best interest to book a flight to the nearest airport to your booked lodging.
The flight time from Nairobi to Masai Mara via Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is only 45 minutes, saving you 6 hours on the route. Both flying and driving to Masai Mara National Park have advantages and disadvantages.
Before making a decision on which mode of transportation you can use during your Masai Mara Safari vacation, consider the following factors to help you make a better decision.
If you have a lot of time to spend on your holiday safari to Masai Mara, road access is the best choice because it allows you to enjoy the country’s scenic views along the way, like Nairobi suburbs and the Great Rift Valley Escarpments, which is a big en route stop over.
When planning your Masai Mara vacation, keep in mind that driving is a more cost-effective choice than flying to the park.
However, as you get closer to the Masai Mara National Reserve, you’ll come across some bumpy paths. The last 80 kilometers can take up to three hours on the route, demonstrating how much of a delay the bumpy roads cause.
It is at this stage that a 4 x 4 vehicle becomes a must-have for your Masai Mara vacation kit.
Taking a flight to the Masai Mara
This is the best choice for travelers who only have a limited amount of time to spend in Kenya’s Masai Mara. (Not more than 2 nights)
Flights to the Masai Mara depart from Wilson International Airport in Nairobi, which is about an hour away depending on traffic. Air Kenya, Safari Link, and Fly Safari are the three companies that have been granted permission to fly to the Masai Mara. Flying to the Great Mara provides an incredible opportunity to see the Park from above.
While on your Masai Mara holiday package or your pick, the aircraft flies low, giving you a chance to enjoy aerial scenic views of the savannah grasslands. The views are mixed with spotted shrubs and the park’s main attraction, the Mara river as it winds its way through the park.
There are also scheduled flights to Mombasa and Malindi from Tanzania, as well as Zanzibar, to Masai Mara. The Masai Mara tale is one of epic proportions, with the Masai Mara wilderness overflowing with life and inspiring beauty that captivates the hearts of many around the world.
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Why visit Masai Mara?
The Masai Mara, one of Africa’s most prominent national parks, is known for its large cat population and the huge annual Wildebeest Migration. This is one of the most important reasons to visit Masai Mara.
The Masai Mara reserve in south-western Kenya is a continuation of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, covering 1510 square kilometers of wide-open savannahs and rich riverine woodlands.
The Masai people, who are semi-nomadic and have maintained their culture and way of life for hundreds of years, share the reserve.
Visiting the Masai Mara reserve offers more than just a wildlife experience; it also provides insight into the culture of Kenya’s native Masai people. With its diverse species, the reserve also provides excellent opportunities for wildlife photography.
Because of its varied landscapes, wide open spaces, temperate climate, and diverse population of resident games, game viewing in the Masai Mara is excellent all year.
Safari giants like lions, leopards, elephants, and buffalo, as well as common species like zebra, giraffe, hyena, eland, and gazelle, call their champagne-colored savannahs home.
Rhino sightings are rare, but if you’re lucky, you could catch a glimpse of one in the Mara Triangle.
The Maasai Mara is known for its outstanding big cat sightings (lion, leopard, and cheetah). Cheetahs have adapted well to the region’s flat plains, making the Masai Mara one of the best places to see these fast-moving predators. Wildebeest, giraffes, baboons, warthogs, bat-eared foxes, gray jackals, spotted hyena, topis, impala, and hartebeest abound in the Masai Mara.
Elephants, buffaloes, zebras, and hippos can all be found in the game reserve. Thousands of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelles live in the park, making the incredible annual migration known as the Great Migration. In pursuit of water and fresh grazing, these herbivores migrate north from the Serengeti in July and return south in November, crossing the Mara River.
This dramatic scene is one of the most impressive natural phenomena on the planet, especially when the herbivores plunge into the Mara River, where crocodiles and hippos await. In turn, the large number of grazers attracts a large number of predators.
In the Masai Mara, lions are often seen, while cheetahs and leopards are more difficult to find but still fairly common. The Masai Mara Park is also known for excellent sightings of Africa’s Big Five: lion, leopard, elephant, rhinoceros, and buffalo.
With over 450 species reported, including 57 species of birds of prey, the Masai Mara reserve is also rich in birdlife, including migrants.
They frequent fallen trees, termite mounds, and even game drive vehicles for vantage points.
Seeing the world’s fastest land mammal chasing down its prey is a highlight of every Masai Mara safari.
It’s a fantastic year-round safari destination thanks to its abundant resident wildlife, temperate climate, varied habitats, and wide-open spaces.
Big cat sightings include lions, leopards, and cheetahs.
Elephants, buffalo, and giraffes herd in large numbers.
Wildebeest migration in Masai Mara
From August to November, the Masai Mara is home to one of nature’s most spectacular displays. The sheer number of wildebeest that have arrived in the region is incredible; the herds are so large that they can be seen from space!
The Wildebeest Migration is a spectacular mass migration of nearly two million wildebeest, zebra, and gazelles that occurs every year in a seasonal annual cycle dominated by rainfall.
The wildebeest must cross dangerous river crossings to get to the Mara’s fresh grazing from Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, where they face enormous crocodiles.
Accommodations with easy access to river crossing points.
Get a bird’s eye view of the herds on a hot-air balloon safari.
Stay in a private conservancy to escape the crowds and enjoy activities not permitted in the national reserve, like going off-road, night drives and nature walks.
Notice that during the peak season (June to October), the number of well-located safari camps is small. You can book your Masai Mara safari at least a year in advance if you want to see the Wildebeest Migration up close.
Masai Mara Hot air balloon safari
You can combine exciting land-based game viewing in 4×4 vehicles with Maasai-led nature walks, and top off your Masai Mara safari with an unrivaled hot-air balloon trip. The best flight paths follow the Mara River’s course, allowing you to peer down into the trees, float past vulture nests, and watch the early-morning rituals of raucous hippos.
After landing on the plains, you’ll be treated to a delectable bush meal.
Get a bird’s-eye view of the Mara’s breath-taking landscape and even spot wildlife.
Watch the sunrise unfurl across the boundless plains.
Enjoy a champagne bush breakfast after landing.
The perfect safari experience for a honeymoon or anniversary.
Meet the Masai people
The Maasai are a semi-nomadic ethnic group that inhabits most of Kenya and northern Tanzania, and are well-known for their distinctive customs and clothing. Increased safari tourism has led many Maasai to become expert safari guides and camp managers, despite the fact that cattle owning remains a core aspect of their community.
You’ll have plenty of chances to connect with Maasai guides and camp staff while on a Masai Mara safari, as well as visits to local villages for a fascinating insight into traditional Maasai culture, lifestyle, and traditions.
Visit local villages to experience traditional Maasai culture.
Many safari camps give back to local communities.
When is the best time to see the Great Migration?
No one knows when the herds of wildebeest and zebra, estimated to be about 2 million, will cross the border from Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park into Kenya’s Masai Mara.
No one can say with certainty when the wildebeest will begin to flow down the Mara River’s crocodile-infested banks and across the river. In most years, however, the herds arrive in the Mara around the middle of July and into August. This is when the Mara River’s mass crossings normally take place.
The herds normally stay in the Mara in September and October, creating a moving mass of wildlife that is really amazing to see. The herds leave Ken by late October, and almost certainly by November.
What chances are there to meet local Maasai people?
The Maasai are the most soulful human presence in Masai Mara safaris, and meeting them and learning about their lives is one of the highlights of any visit here.
Maasai are employed as guides and drivers by several lodges and safari firms, as well as as workers in their lodges and tented camps. We arrange visits to Maasai communities in the region. You wont miss meeting the Maasai people. However, it can be difficult to engage meaningfully with the Maasai, though you can learn a lot from those who are directing you, serving your food, or cleaning your rooms.Maasai people
How can I avoid the crowds?
The simplest way to prevent crowds is to schedule your Masai Mara safari outside of the peak migration season. If that isn’t a choice, the convoys of safari vehicles that surround the Mara River crossings are nearly difficult to avoid – you will just have to grin and bear it if that’s why you’re here.
Despite the fact that all of those cars are parked along the riverbank, the rest of the reserve is remarkably quiet. Staying outside the reserve in one of the private or community conservancies that surround the Masai Mara National Reserve to the north and east is another choice. Mara North, Naboisho, Olare Orok, and Olderikesi, in particular, have some of Africa’s highest population densities for Big Cats and, though expensive, are only accessible for those staying in one of the conservancy’s small lodges or tented camps.
What animals can I expect to see in the Masai Mara?
The Masai Mara tours are known for their big cats, which is why the BBC filmed ‘Big Cat Diary’ here. Sightings aren’t guaranteed, but with stable lion populations, you’d be extremely unfortunate not to see at least one pride.
Furthermore, the endless grasslands’ long sightlines are ideal for spotting cheetahs, while the reserve’s tree-lined rivers provide ideal leopard habitat. Elephants, rhinos, buffaloes, giraffes, wildebeests, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, jackals, gazelles of all kinds, spotted hyenas.
It all adds up to something of a safari buffet, with the very real chance of seeing the Big Five on a good day (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo) on a safari drive before breakfast.
How long is the drive to the Masai Mara?
The drive from Nairobi to Masai Mara can take upto 6 hours. The last stretch of road from Narok to the Masai Mara gates is unpaved, and access remains slow despite assurances that things will change. Keep in mind that your lodge could be located deep inside the reserve, adding to your travel time.
It is also possible to drive through Nakuru, stopping at Lake Nakuru National Park along the way, but this will take longer to get to the reserve proper, but it will take less time if you are going to the Mara North Conservancy. Of course, from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport, you can fly into one of the Masai Mara’s airstrips and skip the road trip entirely.
What condition are the roads within the Masai Mara?
Given the volume of 4WD vehicles and safari minivans that pass through the Masai Mara each year, the safari tracks are typically in excellent condition. A 4WD is preferred, but if you stick to the tracks, which you should, you should be able to get around without too much difficulty, even when it rains.
The brief rains that fall in October and November rarely result in more than a few puddles that are easily avoided. In March, April, and to a lesser extent, May, rain and muddy roads are more of an issue. Having said that, I visited in April and had a great time because of the pleasant weather, quiet trails, and excellent track surfaces.
What are the best vehicles to have on a safari?
A 4WD vehicle is often the best option, and one with a reasonable amount of ground clearance is ideal. It’s even better if it has open sides or a pop-up roof (as most mid-range and top-end lodges and safari operators do).
Even so, the white minivan with a pop-up roof is the workhorse of many a Kenyan safari – you can stand on the seats and see in all directions, which is perfect for taking pictures. Most of these minivans are 2WD vehicles, and they should have no trouble navigating all but the most rough Masai Mara trails. However, if you’re driving, keep in mind that local drivers are used to these conditions, and you’ll need to be careful if driving a 2WD vehicle here, particularly in the rain.
What lodges or camps would you recommend in the Masai Mara?
When planning Masai Mara tours, keep in mind that the Masai Mara is large, and if time allows, it might be worthwhile to sleep in a few different locations within the reserve to enable you to see different parts of the park as well as a few of the private conservancies.
The latter are particularly good if you want to avoid the crowds and enjoy all that Masai Mara safari packages have to offer – breathtaking scenery, plentiful wildlife, and Maasai culture. Saruni Mara was my favorite camp in Mara North, and Asilia Naboisho Camp and Kicheche Valley Camp were my favorites in Naboisho Conservancy. Cottar’s 1920s Camp is a Mara in the Olderikesi Conservancy.
How do I book a safari in the Masai Mara?
The simplest way to book a Masai Mara adventure safari is to contact a reputable Masai Mara safari operator at least two months prior to your travel dates. This will enable your Masai Mara tour operator to make all of your favorite hotel, park, and Masai Mara Safari reservations in a timely manner.
Is the Maasai Mara safe to visitors?
One of the most often posed questions during the global covid 19 pandemic is “is Masai Mara National Reserve open and operational?” Yes, the Masai Mara National Reserve is accessible and working, as are the majority of the camps and lodges.
What is the size of the Masai Mara?
The Masai Mara National Reserve, located in southwest Kenya and spanning 1,510 square kilometers (583 square miles), is a place of stunning vistas, rich biodiversity, and limitless plains.
Why do tourists visit Masai Mara?
The most concise explanation for why tourists visit Masai Mara is the abundance of wildlife. The Masai Mara is home to Africa’s iconic Big Five creatures, as well as a diverse range of other animals such as wildebeest, zebra, gazelle, antelope, ostrich, giraffe, cheetah, hyena, and several others.
The Masai Mara is one of Africa’s best-known wildlife reserves. It is known all over the world for its incredible wildlife. Despite accounting for just 0.01 percent of Africa’s overall landmass, it is home to more than 40% of the continent’s larger mammals.
What is the Masai Mara Great Migration?
One of the most amazing natural spectacles on the planet is the Great Wildebeest Migration. It is an annual migration of millions of wildebeest through the Masai Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, followed by vast numbers of zebra, Grant’s gazelle, Thompson’s gazelle, elands, and impalas.
The dry season, which may occur at any point between June and October, is what triggers the Great Migration. The fact that the animals were seen early this year in the Mara indicates that the dry season has begun.
Is Masai Mara a safe place to visit?
In our view, the Masai Mara is a really safe park to explore. The majority of visitors fly to the park, which is not just the most convenient but also the fastest mode of transportation. When heading to the park on their own, self-drive guests can exercise caution.
Which is more beautiful, the Masai Mara or the Serengeti?
Basically, neither Serengeti nor Masai Mara are better than the other when it comes to safari destinations. From a wildlife standpoint, Masai Mara is possibly significantly more concentrated (year-round), but Serengeti has mind-boggling size. In all cases, there are advantages and disadvantages of heading on safari to either destination.
In the Masai Mara, how many lions are there?
There are 900 Lions in total. On a wildlife safari in Kenya’s Masai Mara Game Reserve, you will see these amazing animals. Visit any of Kenya’s National Parks and Reserves or look at Masai Mara Safari Packages. The Masai Mara National Reserve and nearby conservancies are known to have between 850 and 900 lions.
