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National Parks | Kenya

Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya

Located in Kenya, the Maasai Mara National Reserve is a celebrated tourist destination. It is home to one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa and is regarded as one of the continent’s finest wildlife reserves. The reserve offers visitors a unique safari experience like no other in the world. It is a source of pride for Kenya and provides an exceptional opportunity to witness the beauty and diversity of wildlife found in this part of the world.

Great Wildebeest Migration
Big game
Game drives
Hot air balloon safari
Great Wildebeest Migration
Big game
Game drives
Hot air balloon safari

Everything you need to know:

Maasai Mara is a diverse ecosystem with rich flora and fauna. Game viewing opportunities are excellent, and it hosts the Great Wildebeest Migration, which is one of African’s Seven Natural Wonders and the World. The reserve is spread over 580 square miles and offers stunning views, wildlife, and the natural resource is exceptional.

Where is the reserve located?

The Maasai Mara National Reserve is a stunning destination located in the south-west of Kenya, bordering Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. The reserve is located in the Great Rift Valley, an impressive series of geographic trenches on the earth’s crust that runs over 3,700 miles from the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon to Mozambique in Southern Africa, including Kenya, Tanzania, and Malawi. 

The valley and the reserves within it offer an open terrain, allowing for free roaming of wildlife. Additionally, the reserve is home to numerous Maasai villages situated on its borders. The Maasai people have existed in a mutually beneficial relationship with the animals for centuries, coexisting in harmony.

What can you expect of the terrain?

The Maasai Mara, together with Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, boasts of one of the diverse ecosystems in the African continent exhibiting some of the most spectacular wilderness in Kenya. The reserve presents stunning features including riverine forests, evergreen thickets, giant escarpments, Acacia woodlands, and open rolling grasslands. 

This ecosystem provides habitats for an array of animal and plant species. Additionally, the reserve features two permanent rivers, The Mara and Talek, which impeccably flow through the region.

About the reserve

What type of wildlife will we see?

The Maasai Mara Reserve is a year-round sanctuary to a flourishing concentration of wildlife including over 1.5 million wildebeest and thousands of zebra and antelope that comprise the Great Migration. The Big 7; lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino, crocodile, and hippo call this reserve home, in addition to other important species such as cheetah, hyena, giraffe, roan antelope, and the bushy-tailed bat-eared fox. Maasai Mara is also a haven to over 450 different species of birds.

Top experiences to enjoy in Maasai Mara National Reserve

The Maasai Mara boasts several exceptional attractions, with the Great Migration being undoubtedly the most prominent. Being widely regarded as one of Africa’s premier wildlife reserves, there exists a multitude of options for thrilling experiences and activities. 

However, the most exceptional experience that stands out from the rest is the distinctive Hot Air Balloon safari- an adventure that you will remember for a lifetime. Commencing at the crack of dawn and culminating in a champagne bush breakfast, this flight soars elegantly above the extensive savannah, providing sweeping and breathtaking views of the landscape and animals below.

When to visit

Sub-Saharan Africa’s wildlife and seasons are heavily impacted by rainfall patterns. The Great Migration, typically occurring from mid-September through mid-October and possibly running from July through November, is subject to the ebb and flow of the rains. The months of January to February are known for being dry and provide optimal game viewing opportunities. During the period of March to May, heavy rainfall can render certain camps inaccessible.

 June to October provides a brief dry season, with sporadic and brief rain showers and is the most opportune time to witness the migration. During November and December, the weather can become very hot and dry, and wildlife can be more elusive as they search for water throughout the reserve.

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