Masai Mara is the most famous wildlife conservation area
in Kenya and indeed the world. This game reserve is home to a rich variety of wildlife in a natural and untouched state.
Masai Mara has a rolling savannah landscape dotted with shrubs and bush thickets, and is the Kenyan part of the
large ecosystem stretching south to Serengeti in Tanzania. See our Masai Mara Map.
The wildlife in Masai Mara is varied, ranging from the big cats to elephant, rhino and vast herds of herbivores such as wildebeest, zebra and more. Indeed a true animal kingdom. Click here for information on Masai Mara Entry Fees which depends on where in the Mara your hotel is located.
You are welcome to Contact us for any query.
There are several Masai Mara safari options. These start from Nairobi, and include a scenic 5 - 6 hour drive into the Great Rift Valley and to the main Sekenani entry point of the Mara. Accomodation is in lodges or tented campswhich offer quality service, rooms, & meals on a full board basis. Safaris are usually for a minimum of 3 days, although it is possible to have a quick 1 night safari here as well, though this is considered too short for a proper travel experience.
Flying Safaris to Mara are also available.
This warrior tribe of nomadic pastrolists are descendants of Nilotic and Cushitic people originally from north of Lake Turkana over 10 centuries ago. Their life is dominated by their herds of their cattle and livestock. They often move hundreds of kilometers with large herds of livestock in search of water and rich pastures.
The Masai diet is based on fresh curdled milk and meat from their livestock. Centuries ago the Maasai were feared as ruthless conquerors and cattle rustlers who invaded other tribal areas in search of bigger grazing land and more cattle. The Maasai are also famous for drinking a mixture of cattle blood and milk during ceremonial rites. An arrow is shot at close range to punture the jugular vein of the cow
The Masai Mara has a strong but vulnerable eco system with thousands of tourists visiting the reserve every year, putting pressure on the environment. Conservation in the Mara ecosystem is of paramount importance, and has been targetted at preservation of the wildlife and environment.
The Mara is importantly also the site of the annual Wildebeest migration from Serengeti to Masai Mara a world famous event that attracts wildlife enthusiasts. Like most third world countries, Kenya has growing demand for land,with the increasing population ever searching for more space to live and cultivate on. The Mara has it's share of human-animal conflict. This is an issue being taken up by government, conservation bodies and NGOs. Funds are a major problem when it comes to conservation and often, organisations involved in conservation bodies depend on charities and donor funding. The Mara is importantly also the site of the annual Wildebeest migration from Serengeti to Masai Mara, a world famous event that attracts wildlife enthusiasts.
The Maasai Mara Reserve has a land area of 1510 square kilometers and lies in the South West of Kenya within the Rift Valley Province and inside Narok County. The altitude varies from 1500 to 2180 meters or 4950 to 7195 feet.
Access by road from Nairobi is via the A104 highway with the distance being approximately 250 kilometers to the Sekenani Gate. Flights from Nairobi are about an hour in duration and take off from Wilson airport in Nairobi.
Wildlife & Animals: There are close to 90 species of mammals in Masai Mara and over 200 bird species that can be spotted in a full day's outing in the reserve. Please refer to the official website for more information.
Do refer to our Safari planner while planning your trip to Kenya. For those traveling to Tanzania as per their own itinerary, click here for Tanzania safari vehicle with a Driver-Guide so that you can visit places such as Serengeti and Ngorongoro at your own pace. For travellers planning to combine Kenya and Tanzania Safaris, we have a short guide on how to travel between the Masai Mara and the Serengeti either by road or by air.
We are recommended in several respected International Guidebooks, such as
FOOTPRINT Kenya, DK Eyewitness Kenya and other publications. The photo on the right above is of one of our clients Mr S.Derbent a professional wildlife photographer launching his book on Kenya.
