Masai Mara National Park

Masai Mara National Park (Maasai Mara National Reserve) is Kenya’s leading safari destination that every traveler on magical Kenya safaris would visit.  The Masai Mara is a jewel in its own right, most renowned for its superb plains scenery, diverse wildlife, and unparalleled wilderness experiences. This ultimate guide with Superfine Safaris Limited brings you everything you need to know about the Masai Mara National Reserve, including location, top attractions, activities, places to stay, and how to get there.  Masai Mara National Park is a must-visit for anyone planning to do Kenya safaris

Geographical Location & Size

Masai Mara, also referred to as the Masai Mara, is located in Narok County, Southwestern Kenya. The Masai Mara Reserve lies at the northern end of the Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem. The reserve is surrounded by Serengeti National Park in the South, the Oloololo Escarpment to the West, and the Maasai pastoral ranches that expand in the North, East, and West.

The Masai Mara forms part of the Greater Maasai Mara Ecosystem, which also encompasses up to 23 conservancies, including among others Olarro North, Olarro South, Mara Lemek, Enonkishu, Mara North, Olare Orok, Isinya, and Nyekweri.

Masai Mara was designated a National Park in 1961 after being upgraded from a Wildlife Sanctuary. Today, the present Maasai Mara Reserve extends up to 1510 sq. km and is known for its diverse ecosystem.

Attractions in Masai Mara

The Masai Mara National Reserve is most popular for its diverse array of attractions. Here is a checklist of unique tourist attractions to explore on a Kenya safari in the Maasai Mara.

Wildlife species

The Maasai Mara is undoubtedly the premier game viewing destination thanks to its huge collection of wildlife. The Reserve is home to the Big 5 (buffaloes, rhinos, elephants, leopards, and lions); bat-eared fox, bush baby, Coke’s hartebeest, crested porcupine, and copper-tailed monkeys. Maasai Mara is also a valuable habitat to find several of zebras, wildebeest, hippos, cheetahs, crocodiles, elands, aardwolf, gazelles, aardvark, African civets, honey badgers, genets, mongoose, African clawless otters, African stripped weasels, duikers, striped polecats, black-backed jackals, spotted hyenas, and side-striped jackals.

Bird species

The Maasai Mara National Reserve is listed among the top Important Bird Areas by BirdLife International. Within the Masai Mara alone, there exist over 500 bird species, and these can be identified on a normal game drive or birding excursion. The wide array of birds to identify on tour include African pygmy-falcons, ostriches, lilac-breasted rollers, Caspian plovers, Greater sand plovers, Kittlitz’s plovers, common ringed plovers, spur-winged lapwing, Senegal lapwing, Chestnut-banded plovers, three-banded plovers, African jacanas, brown-chested lapwing, lesser jacanas, Terek Sandpipers, Curlew sandpiper, Broad-billed sandpipers, Black-tailed Godwit, Spotted redshank, African snipe, brown snake eagle, bateleur, Palm-nut vulture, black-winged kite, bearded vulture, western banded snake eagle, African marsh harrier, little sparrow hawks, Shikra, Eurasian sparrow hawk, and pallid harrier.

Other birds of visitor interest in Masai Mara include Pel’s fishing owl, Southern white-faced owl, Pearl-spotted owlet, Verreaux’s eagle owl, Marsh owl, Speckled mousebird, brown parrot, Fischer’s lovebirds, red-headed lovebird, yellow-collared lovebirds, African golden oriole, forest batis, Grey-crested helmet-shrike, East coast batis, chin spot batis, white-billed buffalo weaver, black-capped social weaver, rufous-tailed weaver, Southern red bishop, Hartlaub’s widow, Jackson’s widowbird, Black bishop, red-billed quelea, and more.

Tour Activities in Masai Mara

While in the Masai Mara, expect to engage in a wide array of wilderness experiences. The popular activities to enjoy on a Kenya tour in Maasai Mara include guided game drives, the Great migration, birding, hot air balloon tours, cultural tours, walking safaris, and more.

Game drives

Guided game drives in the Masai Mara offer complete immersion in the savanna plains and expect to watch a range of wildlife species. Using a 4×4 safari, a game drive in Masai Mara promises you great encounters of the Big 5 game, antelopes, zebras, giraffes, and multiple bird species. Visitors can opt for the morning, afternoon, and late evening/night game drive. Note, night game drives are offered in the nearby conservancies in the Mara ecosystem and start from 7 pm to about 9 pm. The 3-day Masai Mara game tour is best for game viewing in Uganda

Hot air balloon tours

A hot air balloon excursion takes you on an unforgettable aerial game viewing over the breathtaking landscape of Masai Mara. On a hot air balloon tour, you can be amazed by the scenic landscape characterized by savanna plains, escarpments, and rugged rivers. A myriad of wildlife, especially the Big 5 and wildebeests, giraffes, and zebras can be encountered on a hot air balloon tour.

Hot air balloon excursions in Masai Mara offer sunrise and sunset experiences. Each session comes with remarkable encounters with wildlife and mesmerizing views of the reserve’s landscape.

The Great Migration

The Great Migration is an annual movement involving over a million wildebeest and other grazers. The wildebeest migration is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and the iconic moment of it is the Mara River crossing where you can witness a huge profusion of wildebeest as they cross the river amidst the hungry crocodiles. The Great Migration starts from the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the Masai Mara National Reserve.

To experience the best of the Masai Mara wildebeest migration, there is a need to understand the ideal time for you to plan your tour. The typical Migration starts from July to October. These are the peak months when a huge population of the wildebeest arrives in the Maasai Mara. During the Great Migration, expect to also observe other wild animals including zebras, topis, and gazelles. If you are keen enough, then don’t miss spotting predators in their hideouts as they patiently wait or hunt the wildebeest. The common predators to spot during the wildebeest migration include hyenas, cheetahs, leopards, and lions.

Birding

Bird-watching tours in Masai Mara offer you a great opportunity to identify a range of birds in a natural setting. Top bird species to identify in this nature reserve include the ostriches, African darters, little grebe, Augur buzzard, secretary bird, yellow-billed stork, hammerkop, lappet-faced vulture, white-backed vultures, and spur-winged goose, etc.

Walking tours

Masai Mara is an ideal destination for you to experience an intimate guided nature walking excursion. A guided nature walk in Masai Mara ushers you deeper into the reserve’s ecosystem to explore your favorite wildlife in their varied habitats.

Cultural visits

Cultural tours in the Masai Mara are best done in the Maasai homesteads located close to the reserve. On a cultural visit, expect to have adequate time to learn more about the unique traditions, cultures, lifestyles, and practices. Visitor exploration is spiced with great cultural/traditional dances by the Maasai people and a lot more.

The Best Time to Visit Masai Mara park

Unlike other destinations, the Masai Mara is slightly different. The best time to travel for a tour to the Maasai Mara differs depending on what you intend to do. The Great Migration for instance is best experienced anytime from July to October. These are the months when large herds of wildebeest and other grazers can be observed as they move from the Serengeti ecosystem to the Mara Reserve.

In case your target is typical game viewing/Big 5 game and other wildlife, then the dry months of June, July, August, September, and October are the best for you to embark on a vacation in the Maasai Mara Reserve. Budget travelers also have options, especially from March to May when the Maasai Mara receives fewer visitors and discounted offers are available from some accommodation properties.

Where to stay in Maasai Mara Reserve

At Maasai Mara National Reserve, accommodation options range from budget to luxury thus catering for all categories of visitors. Top luxury lodges to consider for an overnight stay in the Masai Mara include Governors’ II Moran Camp, Mara Intrepids Tented Camp, Sarova Mara Game Camp, Sentinel Mara Camp, Entumoto Safari Camp, and Mara Serena Safari Lodge.

Top mid-range lodges in Masai Mara Reserve include Ol Moran Tented Camp, AA Mara Lodge, Enkorok Mara Camp, Mara Simba Lodge, Sentrim Mara Camp, Ashnil Mara Camp, Mara Sopa Lodge, Oloshaiki Camp, Mara Leisure Camp, and Basecamp Explorer.

Available budget lodges and camps to stay in the Masai Mara include Olmoran Tented Camp, Greenwood Safari Camp, Talek Bush Camp, and Rhino Tourist Camp.

How to get to Masai Mara 

Getting to Maasai Mara by road is possible using a comfortable 4×4 safari vehicle. Visitors depart from Nairobi Capital City through the Narok County route a 6-hour drive journey. At Masai Mara, access gates to use include Talek, Sekenani, Musiara, Oloololo, Sand River gate, and Oloolaimutia gate.

Traveling to Masai Mara by air can be done using domestic flights and departure can be from the airports in Nairobi. The airstrips that serve the Masai Mara Reserve and nearby conservancies include Musiara, Mara North, Ngerende Airstrip, Angama Airstrip, Kichwa Tembo, Kichwa, Serena, Keekorok, and Ol Kiombo Airstrips.