Masai Mara Safari

A Masai Mara safari will expose you to one of the wildest spectacles on planet earth – The great wildebeest migration.

This migration alone involves over 1.5 million mammals which arrive in July and depart in November every year.

This gut-wrenching drama of life and death has made the wildebeest migration at the Mara Game reserve to be named as one of the natural wonders of the world.

The Great Migration is part of a greater cycle in which animals seek for pasture, mate and calve and is based on seasonal rains and rise and fall in river waters. Herds of animals cross the Mara River in Tanzania and head north to the Masai Mara Game Reserve.

Maasai Game Reserve is also the land of Big Cat Diary and and plays host to abundant wildlife – 95 species of mammals, reptiles and amphibians and over 400 bird species.

Traditional Maasai continue to live in harmony with the animals in this reserve for over 300 years now and many of them have become expert safari guides.

Masai Mara Game Reserve is one of the busiest safari regions in Kenya thanks to the short grass savannah of the Mara Basin in the east and the Oloololo Escarpment in the West which create the perfect habitat for cheetahs, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, Grant’s gazelles, Maasai giraffes and numerous herds of wildebeests.

Must See:

Always let the driver know beforehand what you would like to see. Suggest species, locations and wildlife that you may have in mind.

The Big Five
Spotted hyena
Black-backed & striped jackal
Bat-eared fox
The wild dog
Ground hornbill
Nile crocodiles
Impala
River crossings of the wildebeest migration
A predator’s kill
A scavenger feeding on dead wildebeests on the Mara river bank
Aardvarks
Black rhinos
Crested porcupine
Dwarf mongoose

Must Do:

Picnic lunch under acacia trees
Baloon safaris
Early morning & evening game drives
Bush breakfast
Birdwatching
Visit a Maasai village
Camping
Explore the savannah on foot in the company of a guide
Watch wild game on horseback
Enjoy the savannah-inspired oringa massage at Mara Serena Safari Lodge
Watch the sunset or rise on the Mara plains

Places to stay at Masai Mara Game Reserve

This reserve has over 100 camps and safari lodges. They are busiest during the migration season.

Mara Sopa Lodge
Olare Mara Kempinski
Mara Serena Safari Lodge
Mara Engai Lodge
Keekorok Lodge
AA Lodge Mara
Black Leopard Safari Camp
Ashnil Mara Camp
Tipilikwani Mara Camp
Mara Bush Camp
Mara Leisure Camp
Mara Sun Lodge
Mara Sidai Camp
Sentinel Mara Camp
Ol Moran Tented Camp
Simba Oryx Camp
Sentrim Mara Camp
Elephant Pepper Camp
Porini Lion Camp
Sand River Maasa Mara
Mara Intrepids Luxury Tented Camp
Elephant Pepper Camp
Maji Moto Eco Camp

When to schedule a Masai Mara safari

Peak season is mid-July to mid-October. If you want to witness the migration when visitors are fewer and prices are lower, travel to the reserve in mid-June or early December.

How to get to Masai Mara Game Reserve

By road: The Nairobi- Narok road is smooth and will probably take you 3 hours. Stop at Narok for food, bathroom breaks and fueling. Leave Narok for Sekenani Gate, a drive that will take approximately 3 hours depending on your vehicle. A 4×4 vehicle is recommended. This will cost you about $250 to $350 a day and comes with a driver. Going for a Masai Mara safari by road takes about 6 hours from Nairobi.
By Air: A flight to Masai Mara Game Reserve from Nairobi takes 45 minutes. A flight from Mombasa, Diani or Malindi takes 2 hours. You may have a few stops on the way as other passengers land at any of the 6 airstrips in the Mara. Even though Masai Mara safari by air may be the most convenient option, it prevents you from seeing more of the country.