Why Go on A Masai Mara Safari
Why Go on A Masai Mara Safari : Masai Mara National Reserve known as The Mara is Kenya’s flagship conservation area and prime destination for wildlife safaris. The reserve with its neighboring conservancies provide sanctuary for an abundant wildlife thriving in its wide – open plains. Wildlife in Masai Mara include zebras, giraffes, hyenas, and the big cats that is lions, leopards and cheetahs.
Each year from August to November, the savannah plains of Masai Mara are a pit stop for over 2 million wildebeests along with ten thousands of zebras and Thomson and Grant’s gazelles on their annual migration journey termed as “The Great Wildebeest Migration”. Herds of wildebeests follow the rains on their death-defying 2,900 kilometer (1800 – mile) circular journey.
Every year, ten thousands of visitors come to Masai Mara National Reserve to enjoy some of the most authentic safari experiences in Africa. If you are still wondering if you should book a Masai Mara Safari, here are few reasons why a Masai Mara should be on top of your bucket-list.
Enjoy Excellent, Year-Round Game Viewing
Masai Mara National Reserve offers excellent game viewing all year round thanks to the varied landscapes, wide open spaces, temperate climate and diverse population of resident game. The reserve’s champagne – coloured savannahs are home to safari heavyweights like leopard, lion, elephant and buffaloes, plus popular species like zebras, giraffes, hyena, eland and gazelles.
Rhino sightings in Masai Mara are scarce, but with luck, these endangered animals can be spotted.
The Mara is renowned for delivering exception big cat (lion, leopard and cheetah) sightings. Cheetahs are particularly well adapted to the region’s flat plains, which makes the Masai Mara one of the best places in Africa to see these nimble predators. Often, they seek vantage points of fallen trees, termite mounds, and even game drives vehicles. It is a highlight of any Masai Mara safari to watch the world’s fastest land mammal chase down its prey.
Highlights of Game Viewing on a Masai Mara Safari
- Rich resident wildlife, temperate climate, diverse landscapes and wide-open spaces make it a terrific year-round destination
- Incredible big cat sightings – lion, leopard and cheetah
- Large concentrations of elephants, giraffes and buffaloes.
- Witness The Great Wildebeest Migration
From about August to November, Masai Mara hosts one of the nature’s greatest spectacles – The Great Wildebeest Migration. The sheer number of wildebeests arriving in the reserve is staggering, the herds are so big they can be observed from space.
The Great Wildebeest Migration is a dramatic mass movement of about two million wildebeests, zebras and gazelles in a seasonal annual cycle driven by instinct to find green grazing and rainfall. To reach the fresh grazing in Masai Mara from Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, the wildebeests must make dramatic river crossings, facing off with enormous crocodiles and predators like lions, leopards and cheetahs that lie in wait.
Highlights of The Great Wildebeest Migration in Masai Mara
- Accommodations with easy access to river crossing points
- Do a hot air balloon safari for a bird’s eye view on the migrating herds
- Stay in a private conservancy to escape the crowds and enjoy activities not permitted in Masai Mara National Reserve like going – off road, night drives and guided nature walks.
Note: Availability for well-situated safari camps in Masai Mara during the high season (June to October) is limited. If you want front-row seats to the Great Wildebeest Migration, you should book your Masai Mara Safari at least a year in advance.
- Experience an Incredible Hot – Air Balloon Safari
Combine your land-based game viewing in 4×4 vehicles in Maasai Mara National Reserve with Maasai-guided nature walks, and top your Masai Mara Safari with an hot-air balloon experience. The best balloon flights in Masai Mara follow the course of the Mara River, allowing you to have an eye’s view into the forests, float past vultures’ nests and observe the early-morning routes of boisterous hippos.
After landing on the savannah plains of Masai Mara, you will be treated with a delicious bush breakfast with champagne.
Highlights of A balloon safari in Masai Mara
- Get a bird’s eye-view of the Mara’s breath-taking landscape and even spot wildlife
- Watch the sunrise unfurl across the boundless plains
- Enjoy a champagne bush breakfast after landing
- Hot air balloon is a perfect safari experience for a honeymoon or anniversary.
- Meet The Nomadic Maasai People
The semi-nomadic Maasai people is an ethnic group inhabiting most of Kenya and Northern Tanzania, and are well-known by travelers for their distinctive customs and dress. Although ownership of cattle is still a central aspect of their culture, increased safari tourism has led many Maasai to become expert safari guides and camp mangers.
While on a Masai Mara Safari, you will have plenty of opportunities to interact with Maasai guides and camp staff, also get the chance to visit the Maasai local villages for a fascinating glimpse of their fascinating culture, lifestyle and traditions.
- Stay In A Private Conservancy
Masai Mara National Reserve has a number of private conservancy offering a more intimate and exclusive safari experience. A conservancy refers a very specific piece of land and a wildlife conservation area, landowners enter into contrasts with safari operators in return for monetary compensation and other assistance. This includes anything from education and healthcare programmes to livestock and grazing management.
Masai Mara National Reserve can get crowded during the peak safari season (about June to October), which is why we recommend staying in one Masai Mara’s private conservancies.
- Enjoy super, intimate crowd-free game viewing
- Have easy access to Masai Mara National Reserve for wildebeest migration sighting
- Go-off-road game viewing, night drives and guided nature walks which are not permitted in the national reserve
- Contribute directly to local communities and conservation.
