Feel the supper wildlife of Masai Mara National Reserve in Kenya

Masai Mara National Reserve is one of the famous tourist destinations and the highlights for tourist’s hot spot in Kenya and the whole world located in the southern part of Kenya and it borders the popular Serengeti National Park found in Northern Tanzania and the two protected areas are connected to the conservation or Masai Mara region.

The reserve was named so to honor and respect the people of the Masai or the Masai local people who at first described the areas where Masai Mara National Reserve is sited as Mara meaning different spotted trees scrub and the cloud shadows of the surrounding areas.

Masai Mara National Reserve was first established in 1961 starting as the wildlife sanctuary that covered only 520 square kilometers of currently the Mara triangle.

The Reserve was later stretched and expanded to the East and this increased its size to 1,821 square kilometers from the original 520 square kilometers. This made the Masai Mara National Reserve to be called the game reserve and it was put under the management of the Narok county council and in 1974, Masai Mara was elevated to a National Reserve and some of the lands returned to the local community.

The Trans Mara County Council was formed in 1994 and this creation led to the division of the Reserve management of the Masai Mara National Reserve between the new council and Narok County Council.

Also as if that was not enough m in 2001 there was another nonprofit Mara conservancy which was formed and then took over the management of the reserve.

Mara is alongside the East African rift valley escarpments which is the West, in the south, the Masai Mara National Reserve is bordered by the Serengeti National Park and the pastoral ranches of the Masai ranches which border the Reserve in East, West, and North.

There are very interesting rivers within Masai Mara National Reserve and these include the Talek River and Masai Mara River and these rivers are important in draining rivers for the reserve and they provide water to the animals within Masai Mara National Reserve.

The Reserve is mostly characterized by the open savannah grassland and then some scattered acacia meters.

What is important here is that the Masai Mara is famous for the millions of wildebeest migration which takes place annually and this migration takes place via Mara river which is infected predators like crocodiles and other predators like lions, leopards among others which are always waiting for the wildebeest and zebras crossing the river.

While in Mara you will be able to explore the big 5 animals of Africa and these will include the elephants, leopards, buffaloes, lions, and the Rhinos. The Masai Mara National Reserve has the highest number of black rhinos in the whole of Africa.

Where is Masai Mara National Reserve located in Africa?

Mara is found in the southwestern part of Kenya and visitors will have to move 180 square kilometers from the capital city of Kenya Nairobi.

Masai Mara National Reserve is one of the best destinations not only in Kenya but in the whole of Africa as well. It is found in the County of Narok which is adjacent to Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and these two protected areas combine to form the Great Mara-Serengeti ecosystems.

The Masai Mara National Reserve occupies an area of about 1510 square kilometers that stretches further to the Northern section of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem that covers 30,000 square kilometers.

The Masai Mara is adjacent to the Serengeti National Park in the South, Siria Escarpments which is in the West, and the ranches on the North, western, and East.

As earlier said, there are rivers in the Masai Mara National Reserve which include Talek River, Mara River, and Sand River. The reserve is served with several airstrips which you can use and these include Wilson airstrip, Jomo Kenyatta national airport. Other domestic flights may connect to the Reserve from different east African countries or airstrips.

What to see in Masai Mara National Reserve?

Masai Mara National Reserve has got several tourists attraction that involves both nature and wildlife tourist attractions which are found inside the reserve.

The tourist attractions in the reserve are subdivided into different conservancies which are managed by the local people called the Masai. These attractions are available for people to see and explore.

What you can see in Masai Mara in terms of the tourist attractions include the largest animal migration on the Earth which takes place annually between Serengeti National Park and Masai Mara National Reserve, visitors will also be able to enjoy the scenic views of the Mara.

Another important attraction that you will see in Masai Mara National Reserve is the Masai culture which is one of the most untapped cultural attractions in the reserve.

The attractions culminate into different wildlife activities such as cultural walks, nature guided walks, hot air balloon safaris, game drives as well as bird watching activities

While in Masai Mara, visitors can also see the Narok museum which is located in the Narok town the biggest town around Masai Mara National Reserve. This museum offers the best tourist attraction to the tourists or the visitors visiting the Masai Mara National Reserve.

There are also traditional items, crafts, and the culture of the Masai and you can buy yourself a souvenir out of this wonderful museum around the reserve

Another important attraction in the reserve is called the Ol Kinyei Conservancy which is found in the middle of this great magical Reserve. The conservancy has got a lot of tourist attractions that you can see of which one is the beautiful and rolling Kopjes without forgetting the Magical wildebeest migration.

The Mara Triangle is also one of the best tourist attractions that you can see in the reserve. It is one of the conservancies in the Masai Mara and this is run by the Trans-Mara county Council and it occupies an area of about 510 square kilometers. This is found next to the escapements of the Oloololo.

Enjoy the Mara River which is known for the wildebeest migration. This is a river that is crossed by the Wildebeest. There are also other conservancies which include Lemek Conservancy, Ol Choro Oiroua conservancy, and the Mara North Conservancy.

The activity of Hot air balloon in Masai Mara National Reserve

A hot air balloon involves having the fantastic activity and experience as you see the magical Masai Mara National Reserve in the air.

You will have the bird’s view of the Masai Mara National Reserve as you view and capture the aerial views of the wild animal species and various tourist attractions that are found within the park. This is one of the experiential activities in the reserve with a clear topography.

Tourists will spend one hour floating in the air as they observe various activities and attractions within the park. Hot air balloon activity is done following the weather of the day and you will enjoy the rays of the sun that that rise stretches over the balloon basket.

This activity commences very early in the morning with instructions from the experts before the activity takes place. After the briefing is done by the senior pilots, then you will enter and sit and the wonderful moment starts.

The hot air balloon safaris take you close to the wildlife areas and nature and you start making some good videos and photos that are taken from the air above.

If you’re lucky, you will watch the wonderful wildebeest migration, the major attraction, and other attractions such as the predators hunting and many more attractions.

This activity of the hot air balloon safaris is done within the bush where a small bush lunch with wines is organized before your safari driver takes you to your lodge.

The famous wildebeest migration

Wildebeest migration in Masai Mara National Reserve is one of the wonders of the world attracting several tourists to the reserve.

The wildebeest migration is regarded as the largest animal migration that has ever happened in the world. These animals Migration takes place yearly and this is guided by the climate and weather conditions, but what is known is that these animals do migrate to get the anticipation of enough pasture and water from this side of Kenya from Tanzania.

The wildebeest move for long miles and kilometers from the plains of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the endless paling of the reserve in Kenya via the Mara River.

The best time when tourist time this wildebeest migration is during the drier months specifically from June to October and during these months, you will be able to enjoy millions of wildebeest and other animals such as zebras, elands moving to Masai Mara  northern park in an anticipation of fresh pastures.

There are no wonders that I can use for this migration this is such an explainable something seeing millions of animals crossing the river Mara as the predators are waiting for them, it is the survival for the fittest situation.

The predators will also come to target their prey and remember that the Mara River also has got the crocodiles that pose a danger to the crossing. The animals move along from the Ngorongoro National in Tanzania to Serengeti National Park and then finally crosses the river to Masai Mara National Reserve

The wildebeest migration is one of the best and followed wildlife animals attraction and movement by the tourist which is very unique proving wonderful views as animals cross. These animals last for about 3 months in Masai Mara National Reserve before they return to Tanzania and this time using a different route, not the other one that brought them.

What to do in Masai Mara National Reserve

The reserve can be best explored with the use of well organized and reputable tour operators who will give you the best tourist experience in Masai Mara National Reserve as they take you through a wide range of tourist activities in the reserve hence making your destination the wonderful one. The activities can either be done within the reserve or outside the reserve.

The tourist activities can be explored either on foot while guided by the armed ranger or through the use of the safari vehicle or sometimes visitors can go for horseback riding. The major tourist activities include the following;

The safaris game drives: Game drives safaris are key and important tourist activity that is one in Mara. There are various types of game drives and these include the night game drives, and the day game drives which are conducted early in the morning or in that afternoon, and the evening game drives.

The night game drives in Kenya are the best game drives that you can enjoy and in fact, Mara is one of the few destinations in Kenya that offers night game drives.

Guided nature walks: These are one of the guided walking safaris which are done by the game rangers or the local Masai worrier. The visitors will follow the trails or footsteps left by the animals on foot as they come closer nearer to nature.

Hot air balloon safaris:  With hot air balloon safaris, Tourists will spend one hour floating in the air as they observe various activities and attractions within the park.

Hot air balloon activity is done following the weather of the day and you will enjoy the rays of the sun that that rise stretches over the balloon basket. This activity in the reserve commences very early in the morning with instructions from the experts before the activity takes place. After the briefing is done by the senior pilots, then you will enter and sit and the wonderful monument starts.

The culture of the people of Masai: Cultural tours in Masai Mara National Reserve also presents one of the best activities that is done in this great reserve.

The local people of the Masai are so important in that they encourage and enjoy the wonderful adventure of the people who have identified their culture and have kept it unique despite the globalization and modernity that has hit the world.

The viewing of the wildebeest migration: Enjoy the millions of animals crossing the Mara River as they storm the southern part of the reserve for the fresh pastures and water.

This kind of movement happens annually from June to August and the wildebeest spend about 3 months in n Masai Mara National Reserve before they return to Serengeti in Tanzania.

Other than animal viewing, Masai Mara has over 500 species of birds that you can watch. These birds are either native or migratory birds. The reserve has very many things guests that can be enjoyed within and outside the reserve

The tribe of the Masai

The tribes of the Masai is one of the indigenous tribes of Kenya that is found adjacent to Masai Mara National Reserve. They are found in the Northern part of the country and the southern part of this country magical Kenya.

The Masai tribe occupies the best areas of the Great Rift Valley that are semi-arid or desert climates. This condition forces these people to move with their animals for long distances from one place to another inform of pasture and water.

Cattle is the source of livelihood for these people and a few practice small-scale agriculture. The Reserve is among the few tribes of Africa and has managed to have a unique culture that surprises most of the visitors that dare to visit these local people around the park

Which are the gates of Masai Mara National Reserve?

Accessing the Masai Mara  is very easy and visitors can get into the reserve through the various gates and in all directions. This means that all the parts of the reserve are served with a wonderful road network and airstrips for easy accessibility.

Currently, there are six gates that you can use to enter the reserve. From Nairobi Kenya the Capital city of Nairobi, you will be able to move or drive for about 5 to 6 hours, and these gates include Oloolaimutia gate that offers entry to the park on the Eastern side, Oloololo gate which found in the Northern Eastern region, Musiara Gate can also be used to gain entry to the park through Eastern direction and this offers the wonderful views of the Mara River.

Other gates that you can use to enter Masai Mara National Reserve include the Talek Gate that is found Northwestern part and this is well managed and maintained as well as the oldest Masai Mara National Reserve entry gate.

Visitors can also enter the Masai Mara through the sand river gate in the south of the reserve and this one borders the famous Serengeti National Park. Usually, this Masai Mara National Reserve gate is mostly preferred by the visitors operating safaris in both Tanzania and Kenya.

Where to stay while in Masai Mara National Reserve?

For anyone to be able to enjoy the wildness, it must be accompanied by the well and magnificence accommodation facilities which a complete your travel experience.

There are different accommodation facilities around the Masai Mara which can be categorized as the mid-range, budget safaris for the budget clients, and then the luxury accommodation facilities. There are different lodges and hotels as well as campsites that can be done outside the reserve.

The different accommodation or lodges include Governors Camp, Nairobi Serena Hotel, Hemingways Ol Seki Mara Camp, Naboisho Camp, Sarova Mara Game Camp, Nairobi Serena Hotel, Lake Nakuru Sarova Hill Game Lodge, Spirt of the Masai Mara Lodge, Sekenani Camp, Mara Siria Camp, Olare Mara Kampinski, Porini Lion Camp, Siana Springs Camp, Amani Mara Lodge, Sentrim Mara Camp, Matira Camp, Naibori Main Camp, Enkewa Camp, Mara Bush Camp tented camps, Elephant Pepper Camp, sentinel Mara Camp among others.