Masai Mara National Reserve is one of Kenya’s and Africa’s most popular wildlife reserves. The reserve is located in south western Kenya, within Narok County, about 270 kilometers from Nairobi. It takes minimum 5 hours to get there by road, and the distance could be longer depending on the exact location of your lodge or safari camp within the vast reserve. A flight to Masai Mara takes about 50 minutes from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport.
The Masai Mara got its name from the local Maa (Masai) community, the ancestral inhabitants of the reserve. They used to describe the Masai Mara as the land with “mottled” or “spotted” plains. This refers to the Mara plains whose habitat consists of spotted circles of mainly Acacia trees, Savannah, Scrubs and cloud shadows that are synonymous with the Mara.
Situated along the Great Rift Valley, Masai Mara is adjacent to Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, with which they share a border. On the western border of the Masai Mara is the Siria Escarpment, with private wildlife conservancies and ranches bordering the Masai Mara to the north, east and west. The Serengeti borders the Masai Mara to the south. The Mara is in fact a northern extension of the Serengeti, with both parks sharing the same eco system and movement of animals between the two parks allowed to happen without any human intervention. There are two main Rivers that support the wildlife and vegetation in the Masai Mara. These are the famous Mara River and the smaller Talek River which cuts across the better part of the reserve. There are other seasonal Rivers like the Olare Orok River and River Ntiakitiak. These Rivers are mainly full during the rainy seasons (March and April and November to December). Masai Mara’s vegetation is primarily open grasslands although some dotted Acacia trees, swamps, marshes and seasonal rivulets are also present.
The Masai Mara measures 1,510 square Kilometers, with the national reserve divided between the main reserve which is under the Narok County Government, and the Mara Triangle to on the western corridor, managed by the Mara Conservancy. Arrangements have also been made where communities neighboring the reserve give away their land to conservationists. They move away from their land and desist from grazing their cattle here. These has led to creation of several wildlife conservancies. In this model, the private conservancy managers who have leased land from the Masais give a percentage of the income that they get from each tourist back to the community. They also provide employment to the locals, establish sustainability projects, provide facilities like schools and health centers and also compensate the Masais for livestock that may be killed by Lions and other predators. This ensures a win – win situation for both locals and the wildlife, thus avoiding human – wildlife conflict.
Some of the conservancies in the Masai Mara are the Mara North Conservancy, Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Ol Kinyei Conservancy, Olderkesi Conservancy, Lemek Conservancy, Siana Conservancy and the Ol Choro Oiroua Conservancy which is home to the Mara Safari Club.
Masai Mara is home to over 95 mammal species and 450 bird species. However, it is the ability to see all members of the BIG FIVE with much ease and the annual migration of over 1.5 million wildebeests, Zebras and antelopes between July and October that make the reserve one of the best in Africa. Depending on your luck, you may see Lion, Leopard, Elephant, Black Rhino and Buffalo within a few hours of game drives. This is due to the Masai Mara boasting of one of the highest concentrations of big predators and other plains game in Africa. Masai Mara is the ultimate theatre of wildlife activities. It is not unusual to find a Pride of Lions lying by the road side or enjoying their meal, to come across Cheetahs chasing a Thompsons Gazelle or a Leopard pushing its Impala kill up a tree to safeguard it from Lions and Hyenas. Topis, Hartebeests, Elands, Hippos, Plains Zebras, Masai Masai Giraffes, Spotted Hyenas, Baboons, Warthogs, Bat eared Fox are among other common sightings in Masai Mara. Banded Mongoose, Serval Cats and the rare and endangered Wild Dogs are also resident although difficult to sight. The Marabou Stork, Secretary bird, Tawny Eagle, Black Kite, Masai Ostrich, Kori Bustard and a variety of Vultures are also resident in Masai Mara.
From June, over 1.5 million migratory wildebeests accompanied by Zebras and antelopes cross over into the Masai Mara through the Sand River and the Mara River. From here, they will graze on the fresh RED OAT grass across the Mara Plains until September or October when they begin their journey back to the Serengeti. As predators are on the trail of the herds, this is probably the best time to witness breath taking predator – prey action. At the Mara River, hungry, ferocious Nile Crocodile’s lay all day waiting t capture the Wildebeests and Zebras as they make their life or death dive into the Mara River. For those that make it to the Mara plains, Lions, Cheetahs, Leopards and even Spotted Hyenas position themselves strategically in readiness for easy meals that they make out of the thousands of Gnus. Black Backed Jackals and Vultures patiently wait to scramble for the left overs. All these makes up for wildlife encounters that you are unlikely to see in any other park in the world. It is therefore not surprising to find that almost all our safari packages to Kenya has a stay in Masai Mara included in them.
Climatic conditions:
Masai Mara’s Altitude is about 5,300 feet (1,600 metres above sea level). The long rain season is March to May while the short rains are experienced from October to December. Dry season is from January to February and from June to October. Mornings are mainly sunny with clouds building-up in the afternoon. During the rains, this develops into thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Maximum temperatures are up to 30°C and min temperatures around 20°C.
Accommodation:
While booking your safari, it is important to consult a professional tour company like Essenia Safari Experts so that you are booked at a lodge or camp that suits your interest, budget and level of comfort. It can get very confusing to know the best location for game drives at various months during the year. The Essenia Safari Experts team has in-depth knowledge of all the parks and lodges in East Africa. Whether you want a centrally located mid-range lodge inside the reserve, a budget safari camp in the outskirts or a boutique luxury camp inside the conservancies, we are here to assist you with all the relevant information. Just drop us an email and we shall revert to you.
Extra Activities:
During your stay in the Masai Mara, there are various optional activities that are on offer. Besides the wildlife viewing activities, you can enjoy a hot air balloon flight, a cultural experience in a Masai Village, Traditional Masai dances around bonfires in the evening, sun downers, bush breakfast, guided nature walks, and even night game drives (only possible in the private conservancies).
Accessibility:
Masai Mara is accessible both by road and by air. For road packages, one an easily reach Masai Mara from Nairobi, Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha. Essenia Safari Experts recommends transport by one of our top of the range, 4x4WD safari equipped land cruisers. There is also an option for flights from Wilson airport in Nairobi, and other attractions like Samburu, Nanyuki, Amboseli and Tsavo. Chartered flights are also available on request. Due to its vastness, Masai Mara has over 10 airstrips scattered all over the reserve and conservancies. It is always recommended that you book your flight to Masai Mara using a professional tour operator like Essenia Safari Experts so that you can land at an airfield which is closest to the safari lodge or camp that you have been booked to. We have competitive flight fares with all airline companies that offer services to Masai Mara.
Our contact email is: holidays@esseniasafaris.co.ke