Maasai Mara National Reserve

Maasai Mara National Reserve is one of nature’s most iconic sites and an unmissable tourism destination. The Mara reserve is a well-known wildlife conservation and wilderness area in Africa and around the world. It is home to the big five, including lions, leopards, bush elephants, buffaloes, black and white rhinoceros, cheetahs, and over 500 bird species. The reserve also hosts the great migration of wildebeest from the Serengeti plains. However, the reserve is located in south-western Kenya, at the edge of the rift valley lands, and is only 180 km from Kenya’s primary capital city, Nairobi.

Maasai Mara National Reserve also sounds like a large game reserve not only in Kenya but around the world, and the word Masaai is derived from Masaai people, the country’s ancestral inhabitants who migrated far from the Nile Basin and their description area were far, and are now known as the Maasai people of Kenya. The Maasai people are a population that lives in southern Kenya as well as the northern, central, and northern regions of Tanzania.

N.B This reserve is proudly known as Maasai Mara, and locally as ”the Mara,” which meaning spotted circles in Maasai language. This is owing to the abundance of short, bushy trees that blanket the surrounding landscape.

The fact is that the National Reserve is profoundly humbled to host one of the great wildebeest migrations, which has secured it as one of Africa’s seven natural marvels and one of the world’s ten natural wonders, making the reserve proudly known around the world. The Great Migration is one of the most important natural events in the world, attracting millions of visitors who want to have a memorable experience and see nearly 1,300,000 blue wildebeest from above. The optimum time to visit Maasai Mara National Reserve for the magnificent wildebeest migration is from July to October each year.

Historically, the Maasai Mara National Reserve was established in 1961 as a wildlife refuge, although it once covered an area of more than 520 square kilometres, including the Mara Triangle. Later, in late 1961, the area was extended to the east, comprising a total of 1821 square kilometres of land, and it was designated as a game reserve. During that moment in 1961, the Narok County Council served as the reserve’s management authority. In 1974, the reserve was granted national status, and the remaining total area of around 159 square kilometres was returned to local groups known as the Maasai people. Furthermore, from 1976 to 1984, the reserve lost about 162 square kilometres of land, lowering the acreage to 1,510 square kilometres.

The park was previously managed by Narok County Council, but in 1994 the Trans Mara County Council ”TMCC” was founded on the western side of the reserve, and the reserve is currently managed by both the new council and the former Narok County Council. It should be noted that the Mara Conservancy, a non-profit organisation, was established in May 2001 and is managed by the Mara Triangle.

Fortunately, Maasai Mara National Reserve is well-known as Africa’s top tourist attraction due to its spectacular wildebeest migration and enormous size, which protects one of Africa’s largest populations of wild animals.

The principal attractions of the Maasai Mara National Reserve include both nature and wildlife attractions found within and beyond the reserve, such as:

The magnificent wildebeest migration, which occurs once a year and is the largest animal migration in the world, is not something one would want to miss.

OI Kinyei Conservancy

This conservancy is one of the main attractions in Maasai Mara, located in the heart of the reserve on the edge of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. The conservation affords excellent views of rolling kopjes across the area.

Narok Museum

We recommend that travellers always include this experience in their Maasai Mara tour package. Narok Museum, located in the main town of Narok, is one of the magnificent sights in this little town where visitors can experience Kenyan traditional architecture and Maasai culture wear.

Maasai Mara National Reserve also offers a variety of exhilarating activities that visitors can participate in, resulting in an outstanding and lasting experience that may entice them to return for more encounter adventure. Nature walks, game drives, horseback safaris, and many other unrivalled experiences are available.

Game drive

This is one of the greatest fantastic activities done in Maasai Mara National Reserve because it contains over 95 mammal species. You may adventure in a 4×4 wheel drive open roof safari vehicle and come up to have a close glimpse of the wild animals while obeying park rules.Cheetahs, servals, elephants, impalas, coke’s hartebeest, jackals, and duikers are among the wildlife that can be seen.The reserve offers three game drive sessions: morning from 6:30 am to 10:30 am, evening from 4pm to 6:30pm, and night from 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm. The armed guide oversees all sessions.It is up to you, the traveler, to decide which option is best for you.

Nature walks.

Maasai Mara is a natural wonder because of its size, which allows it to safeguard one of Africa’s largest populations while also allowing visitors to see considerably more of the park’s surroundings.The local community cares for the reserve, allowing visitors to investigate hidden elements that may not be visible on a game drive.During nature walks, rangers will accompany you to see creatures like as elephants, giraffes, antelopes, buffaloes, grazers, and birds of the air. You can also visit the Mara River for an unforgettable experience.

Hot Air Balloon Safari

This is an incredible experience that begins early in the morning with the ranger advising you on how to start up, sitting inside the air balloon, and then the balloon begins lifting the basket on air little by little as it rises higher approaching the sky, taking 1 to 2 hours to enjoy the great aerial view of a herd of wildebeest migrating into the reserve’s wildlife, rift valley, and many more.

Horseback riding safari

Horse riding safaris are the greatest way to explore the Maasai Mara landscape, wildlife tracks, and experience the fresh breath of nature. When it comes to migrating experiences, trained game rangers go above and beyond what you could expect.

Cultural encounter.

The reserve is surrounded by the Maasai civilisation, one of Africa’s largest, who are also known as pastorists in the country. The Maasai people have a distinct culture that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, and visitors can experience their unique traditional attire, norms, and rituals before returning with an incredible African traditional experience to tell the rest of the world.

Bird watching

Maasai Mara National Reserve is widely recognised as a birder’s paradise, with over 500 bird species, including 60 raptors and some migrating birds.The list includes vultures, marabou’s storks, secretary birds, ostriches, long crested eagles, African pygmy falcons, horn bills, crown cranes, secretary birds, sooty chats, Tawny Eagles, kori bustards, and Kenyan national birds, among others.

Wildebeest Migration Viewing

Wildebeest migration viewing in Maasai Mara National Park is one of the most thrilling and rewarding experiences in the world, as wildlife migrates between two national parks, spending two to three months in Maasai Mara before moving to Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. From July to October, millions of people gather to Maasai Mara to see the annual wildebeest migration.

Best time to visit Maasai Mara.

The greatest time to visit Maasai Mara National Reserve is year-round, albeit the year is divided into two seasons: dry and wet. The peak season, which runs from July to October, is an excellent time to visit the reserve during the natural phenomenon of wildebeest migration. The greatest season for rewardable game viewing and other park activities is from early November to February.

Where to stay in Maasai Mara National Reserve?

The Maasai Mara reserve offers a variety of comfortable accommodations with professional chefs and amenities, ranging from luxury to mid-range. Trustworthy tour operators can assist with booking.And, if you don’t mind, we at Salt Holidays can arrange all of your tour booking reservations, such as booking a room, Maasai Mara tour packages, and transportation by road or air from your pick-up to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport or Uganda Entebbe International Airport. Contact us at Salt Holidays for more information about the reserve.Kilima Camp, Kichwa Tembo, Mpata Club, Naibor camps, Sentinel Mara Camp, Enkewa Camp, Mara Bush Camp, and many others are examples of such accommodations.You can also camp with your own tent, as there is plenty of space.

I recommend visiting Maasai Mara National Reserve, one of the world’s top ten natural wonders. The annual migration of millions of blue wildebeest has made Kenya a popular tourist destination worldwide.It should be noted that there are numerous other magnificent and satisfying activities carried out, including the rewarding view of the reserve’s landscape.Book today and discover more of Africa’s historical natural gift, ”Kenya.