Why Go On A Masai Mara Safari?
Located in Kenya’s southwest, Masai Mara National Reserve is the highlight of any safari to Kenya. The reserve spans 1,510 square kilometers of open plains, vachellia-dotted hills and the winding Mara River. It is home to more than two million wildebeest, zebra, gazelles during the Great Migration, and a year-round congregation of predators and prey.
A Masai Mara Safari is must have while on a Kenya Safari and here is why
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Fantastic, Year- Round Game Viewing
Game viewing in the Masai Mara is the most prominent experience to do and is excellent all year round thanks to its varied landscapes, wide open spaces, temperate climate and diverse array of wildlife species. The reserve’s endless savannah plains are home to safari heavyweights like elephants, lions, leopards, cape buffaloes, and rhinos.
Also you will enjoy incredible sightings of popular wildlife species like giraffes, hyenas, zebras, elands and gazelles. Sightings of rhinos are scare, but these endangered animals can be spotted in the Mara Triangle if you are lucky.
Masai Mara National Reserve is renowned for delivering exceptional big cat sightings – lions, leopards and cheetahs.
Cheetahs particularly are well adapted to the region’s flat plains, which makes the Mara one of the best places to see these nimble predators. Often, they seek vantage points on fallen trees, termite mounds, and even game drive vehicle. Cheetah sighting is a highlight of any Masai Mara safari to watch these world’s fastest land mammal chase down its prey.
The resident wildlife, temperate climate, diverse landscape and wide-open spaces make Masai Mara National Reserve a terrific year-round destination.
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Witness The Great Wildebeest Migration
From mid-July to November, Masai Mara National Reserve hosts one of nature’s greatest spectacles – the Great Migration. The sheer number of wildebeests arriving in the area is staggering, the herds are so big they can be observed from space.
The Great Wildebeest Migration is an annual migration – a dramatic mass movement of almost two million wildebeests, zebras and gazelles in a seasonal annual cycle drive by rainfall. To reach the fresh plains of Masai Mara from Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, the wildebeests must make dramatic river crossings, facing enormous crocodiles that lie in wait.
Tips on witnessing the Great Wildebeest Migration in Masai Mara
- Stay at accommodation with easy access to river crossing points
- Get a bird’s eye view of the migration herds on a hot-air balloon safari
- Staying in a private conservancy to escape the crowds and enjoy activities not permitted in the national reserve like going-off road, night game drives and nature walks.
During the high season (June to October), availability of well-located safari camps is limited. If you want front-row seats to the Wildebeest Migration in Masai Mara, you should book your Masai Mara Safari at least a year in advance.
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Experience a Hot – Air Balloon Safari
While on your Kenya Masai Mara Safari, combine the thrilling land-based game viewing in 44 safari vehicles with Maasai – guided nature walks and the hot-air balloon experience. On this Masai Mara Safari Experience you get a bird’s eye view of the Mara’s breathtaking landscape and even spot wildlife including large herds of wildebeests, watch the colorful sunrise painting the boundless plains a blend of red and orange.
The best flight paths follow the course of the Mara River, allowing you to peek down into the forests, float past vultures’ nests and observe the early-morning routines of boisterous hippos. After touching down onto the plains, you will be treated with a delicious bush breakfast with champagne.
Hot air balloon safari in Masai Mara is the perfect safari experience for a honeymoon or anniversary.
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Meet The Maasai People
The Maasai were the dominating tribe at the beginning of 20th Century, they are one of the very few tribes who have retained most of their traditions, lifestyle and customs. The nomadic and pastoralist Maasai people are a Nilotic ethnic group inhabiting selected but large parts of northern, central and southern Kenya and across the border in northern Tanzania as well.
The Maasai people are better known ethnic people in East Africa due to their traditional origins from areas surrounding Masai Mara National Reserve and Amboseli National Park near the Tanzania border. Although cattle ownership is still a central aspect of their culture, increased safari tourism has led many Maasai to become expert safari guides and camp managers.
A Masai Mara Safari offers you plenty of opportunities to interact with Maasai guides and camp stuff, plus get a chance to visit local villages for a glimpse of their culture, lifestyle and traditions.
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Stay in a Private Conservancy
Masai Mara National Reserve is surrounded by a number of private conservancies that have quietly transformed conservation, supported community livelihoods, and improved the quality of game viewing in the region. These conservancies play a vital role in protecting wildlife while offering guests a more exclusive, flexible and immerse safari experience.
A conservancy is a very specific type of land and wildlife conservation area. Landowners enter into contracts with safari operators in return for monetary compensation and other assistance. This could include anything from educational and healthcare programmes that livestock and grazing management.
During the safari high season (about June to October), Masai Mara National Reserve gets crowded which is why were recommend staying in one of the neighboring private conservancies. While staying in a private conservancy you get to enjoy the following
- Enjoy superb, crowd-free game viewing
- Have easy access to the national reserve for wildebeest migration scenes
- Go off-road game viewing, night drives and guided nature walks which are not permitted in the national reserve
- Contribute directly to local communities and conservation.
