This is Kenya’s premier wildlife park, The Masai Mara National Reserve. Established in 1961, it was to protect wildlife from hunters. This place is the reason why many visitors come to Kenya. Therefore its abundant and beauty wildlife won’t disappoint. The guide to the Masai Mara will tell you what animals you can expect to see, where to stay, the topography of the area, how to get there, and beyond the game drives what there is to do.
The Masai Mara in located in southwestern of Kenya on the Tanzania’s border. The reserve is located in the Rift Valley with Tanzania’s Serengeti Plains running along its southern end. The Mara River runs through the reserve hosting plenty of crocodiles and hippos, and making the annual migration of over a million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands zebras an extremely dangerous undertaking.
Made up of hilly grassland, Most of the Masai Mara is fed by plentiful rain, especially during the wet months between November and June. The areas are forested, most of the Masai Mara are home to over several hundred bird species. This map will help orient you.
Masai Mara’s Wildlife
Kenya’s most popular game park is the Masai Mara reserve, just because it’s relatively small, yet it hosts an amazing concentration of wildlife. To see the Big 5, here you are almost guaranteed. Lions abound throughout the park as do cheetah, leopards, hyenas, impala, giraffe, wildebeest, baboons, topi, warthogs, zebra, buffalo, elephants, and of course crocodiles and hippos in the Mara River.
Between July and October is the best time to go, when the zebra and wildebeest are at their highest number and offer plenty of food for cheetahs, lions and leopards. Either at dawn or dusk is the best time to view animals.
You can actually see, as much wildlife within its boundaries because the reserve has no fences as outside in the areas inhabited by the Maasai tribes. Some of these areas are also not so crowded. It’s not unusual within the reserve, to see 5 or 6 safari vehicles full of tourists taking photos of one lion with its kill.
How to get to the Masai Mara
Located lies 168 miles from the capital city of Nairobi, The Masai Mara trip takes at least 6 hours by car because the quite poor of the roads and should not be attempted without a 4WD vehicle. Just avoid the rainy season if you do plan to drive, since many of the roads become totally impassable.
Because of the poor quality roads, then many tourist choose to fly into the Masai Mara National Reserve. But since you have to then add the game drives to your tour, flying makes your safari quite a bit more expensive and you miss out on some of the adventure of traveling in one of Africa’s more remote areas.
You can also purchase a ticket locally, even many safari packages include air. From Wilson Airport, Kenya Airways offers two scheduled flights a day; the flight takes 45 minutes.
Things to Do in Masai Mara Reserve
- Game Drives. Your safari package will usually include several daily game drives, if you have flown straight to the Masai Mara Reserve. It is recommended you find a map of the reserve if you’ve rented your own vehicle, or take an askari (guard) with you.
- Walking Safaris. Just try a walking safari with a Maasai guide, if you enjoy a little adventure. The best ones are outside the reserve boundaries.
- Cultural Tours with the Maasai. Visiting an enkang or traditional Maasai village is frequently included in to the Masai Mara a safari package. You may learn something about the Maasai, while not really an authentic experience. To learn more about the Maasai, you can also take some excellent cultural tours.
- Hot Air Ballooning is a popular pastime that provides an unique but expensive experience. Every camp and lodge will be able to set up a flight for you. Usually, the balloons fly at dawn and last about an hour. Upon landing most balloon companies offer a champagne breakfast.
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