Maasai Mara National Reserve is a wildlife Kenya safari destination and one of the largest game reserves in Kenya, situated in Narok County. Sometimes called Masai Mara by locals, the park is named after the Maasai people who lived there a million years ago before migrating to other places. The Maasai inhabited the area after shifting from the Nile River valley. The name Mara is derived from the Maa language (Maasai Language), which means spotted because of the small acacia trees scattered across the reserve.
Maasai Mara borders the legendary Serengeti National Park in the southern sector. Maasai Mara Reserve is one of the seven wonders of Africa and one of the ten wonders of the world.
Maasai Mara is home to the Great Wildebeest Migration and other plains games such as Kudu, Common Eland, Black Wildebeest, Springbok, Burchell’s zebra, and many others.
The Mara is the most conserved area in Africa, with a total conserved area of 1,510 square kilometers; the northern sector, which consists of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, covers a land area of 25,000 kilometers square in Kenya and Tanzania; west and east of the Mara reserve is surrounded by Maasai ranches, to the south borders Serengeti National Park and the west bounded by Oloololo escarpment. The two rivers, Mara and Talek, are the park’s life, which nurtures the animals, and are the points of the Migration River Crossing Safaris. Maasai Mara boasts the biodiversity of Kenya ecosystems, and safari game drives in Mara are exceptional and offer an adorable experience for any nature lover.
Game Drive in Maasai Mara: simply game drive in Maasai Mara involves driving around the park looking for animals; wildlife viewing in Mara can be done twice a day or a full day. Our safari guides are experts in the region. They will ensure you have a good time during your safari tour in Maasai Mara. In Mara, we offer two options for game drives and overland safari tours, whereby you drive from one destination to another. Sometimes, this can be exhausting since you need about 8 hours to arrive at a new safari destination. This option remains the cheapest; we also organize fly-in safaris; you will fly from one point to another with a small aircraft. Whether you want a scheduled aircraft or private charter, our safari tour organizer in Kenya can help. The best safari tour in Maasai Mara is a personal trip instead of a sharing safari (Joining safari) because you will have decisions over your holiday; you can decide what to do in the park, what to see during the game drive, and what time to do that, if you go on a joining safari everyone will have their opinions which wouldn’t make your trip as exciting as it should be.
Night Game drive in Maasai Mara | Maasai Mara Night Game Drives
Maasai Mara National Reserve is divided into many conservancies; some camps and lodges offer night game viewing for Kenya safari in Mara, while night game drive is not permitted in the Main Maasai Mara Reserve but in private conservations such as Naboisho, Olare Motorogi, Ol Kinyei, and Mara North night game drives activities are allowed. Each camp or lode will charge a different price. Usually, the night wildlife viewing safari will start at 7 PM after lunch and ends at 10 PM.
Game Package Safari in Maasai Mara | All-inclusive safari Masai Mara
All-inclusive safari tour in Maasai Mara/Game drive in Mara National Park. This type of wildlife safari activity involves using a sided-opened vehicle, which allows 360-degree wildlife viewing and is suitable, especially for photographers or families traveling with children. East Safari Guides tour operators will help you sort it out. Most of these safaris require fly-in packages because vehicles are found in the camps or lodges, unlike other closed safari jeep, which is stationed outside the park; some lodges, hotels, or camps offer the shared game drive if you book a game package option, so if you need exclusive use of a private vehicle bring this upfront to your African safari planner so they can arrange and quote extra fees.
Best time for Safari in Maasai Mara – Best month for Safari in Masai Mara Kenya
When to go for wildebeest Safari in Maasai Mara? Many travelers ask this question to our Kenya safari company, but our East Africa Safari Guides travel expert will advise you accordingly when booking.
June to October is the recommended time for a Kenyan safari tour; during these months, the country doesn’t experience rain, and the temperature isn’t too harsh.
But Kenya safari is possible throughout the year. The rainy season in Kenya is from March to early June, which is considered to be a low safari season. It’s the ideal time to catch the lower lodge safari rates.
Masai Mara Hot Air Balloon Safari – Balloon tour in Maasai Mara Park.
Kenya safari destination offers an exclusive safari experience incomparable to other African destinations like Zimbabwe safaris, Namibia wildlife safari, and Kafue National Park in Zambia. Flying a hot air balloon over the Maasai Mara Game Reserve is a fantastic safari experience as you soak over the lost grassland plains of Mara, witnessing the abundant wildlife from above. You will be picked up from the lodge early in the morning for a short brief before takeoff. The entire flying and preparation logistics will take around 4 hours; after landing, celebrate the bush breakfast and champagne before your driver guide joins you for the day game viewing. You can book a balloon safari tour with our Kenya safari company for the best arrangement and a reasonable price.
