National Reserve Masai Mara (Maasai Mara National Reserve). Masai Mara - a unique reserve of the African continent Masai Mara National Reserve
The Masai Mara is one of the most famous and most visited protected areas in Africa. In terms of popularity among tourists, it can only compete with the Serengeti National Parks and the Kruger Park. The Masai Mara Reserve was founded in 1948 and at that time occupied an area of only 520 km², but in 1961 its area was increased and at the moment it is 1510 km².
A Masai hunter inspects the valley of the Mara River.
Geographically, the reserve is located in southwestern Kenya in close proximity to the border with Tanzania and the Serengeti National Park. Together with the Serengeti National Park, the Masai Mara forms a single system within which populations of wild animals circulate. The reserve received its double name from the Maasai tribe - the indigenous inhabitants of this area, and the name of the Mara River, which means "spotted" in translation. Such a strange name of the river is explained by the fact that its valley from a height seems motley due to the combination of woody vegetation, grassy savannah and swampy areas.
The bed and valley of the Mara river from a bird's eye view.
The territory of the reserve is one huge, slightly hilly plain, which is crossed by two main water arteries of the reserve - the Mara and Talek rivers. By the standards of Europeans, these rivers are small and shallow, but for arid Africa they are a real oasis of life. The riverbeds are very winding and meander quite steeply across the plain. The banks are covered with narrow but dense strips of forest. Only in some places these strips are interrupted by wet swampy meadows and paths - these points are the places where the river is crossed.
The lioness attacked wildebeests and zebras crossing the river.
Migration is the only word that can convey the spirit of these lands. Every year, innumerable herds of herbivores set off in the wake of the rains, which alternately irrigate the northern and southern parts of the vast Serengeti valley. The herds move from year to year along the same routes, and they run, of course, through the territory of the Masai Mara. During the assault on the banks of the Mara River, many wildebeests and zebras accumulate here. At first, ungulates are afraid to enter the water because of the many crocodiles living in it, but the pressure of all the arriving masses of animals makes itself felt and the crossing begins. Wildebeests and zebras make giant jumps, trying to minimize the distance covered by swimming, but crocodiles are on the alert. For them, this is the time of a real feast, in addition, other predators accumulate on the banks of the river - lions, leopards, hyenas, hyena-like dogs. During the migration period from July to October, well-fed predators are easily accessible for observation. By the way, the populations of lions and hyenas in the Masai Mara reserve are among the largest on the continent, let alone ungulates. There are 1.3 million heads of wildebeest alone here, and another 500,000 Thomson's gazelles, 200,000 zebras, 27,000 swamp antelopes, 18,000 elands!
Neither the lioness nor her baby are afraid of visitors and willingly pose for the photographer.
But even these colossal populations are not the only wealth of the Masai Mara reserve. In addition to migratory species, there are also many sedentary inhabitants of the plains - giraffes, elephants, black rhinos, African buffaloes, leopards, cheetahs, jackals, Grant's gazelles, impala antelopes, dik-diks and bubals. By the way, the giraffes that live in the reserve belong to a special subspecies of the Masai giraffe, which is found only here. In addition to crocodiles, the banks of the rivers were also occupied by herds of hippos and waterbucks. In the Masai Mara, you can see all the species from the so-called "African Big Five" - elephant, rhinoceros, lion, leopard, buffalo. The rarest representative of the reserve is the rhinoceros, whose populations were undermined by poaching in the 70s.
The Masai subspecies of the giraffe is notable for its rugged, maple-leaf-like spots.
The avifauna of the Masai Mara is also very rich - 460 species of birds live here! The most notable are ostriches, marabou, vultures, secretary birds. If you have patience and watch from the shelter for a long time, you can see smaller, but no less interesting animals - hornbills, rollers, crowned cranes, falcons, flying foxes (one of the types of bats).
Marabou had a feast on the remains of antelopes that died in the commotion while crossing the river.
The reserve has a large scientific base. First of all, here is the largest spotted hyena research center in the world, whose specialists work in close cooperation with the staff of the University of Michigan. Also on the basis of the reserve, a large-scale program for the census and registration of lions is being carried out. Many films about nature were filmed here, including the famous BBC series. The staff of the reserve is fully staffed by experienced rangers, so poaching has been completely eradicated on its territory.
A herd of wildebeest stretching to the horizon reluctantly gives way to tourists.
The Masai Mara has a well-developed tourist infrastructure. Although the status of the reserve as a whole does not provide for free visits by people, however, territories with the status of a national park are included in its composition. It is precisely on them that tourist routes, lodges and campsites are located. Here you can find a haven for every taste - from a comfortable hotel to a tent city or an ethnic Manyatta village.
Hotel for tourists in the Masai Mara.
The local Maasai tribe lives next to the reserve, 20% of the reserve's fees are transferred to support this people. The appearance and culture of the Maasai are unusual for Europeans. The Masai are very tall and lanky people, they dress in traditional bright red clothes. This is an unusually friendly and open people who will willingly show you their customs, and their household items are willingly bought up by visitors as souvenirs.
The main type of tourism in the Masai Mara is jeep trips to the savannah. Thanks to the caring protection of the rangers, the animals are not at all afraid of people, they calmly cross roads, approach cars and behave completely naturally in your presence. Isn't this the dream of every nature lover!
In the Masai Mara, animals show neither fear nor aggression, to the delight of tourists in a hurry to take a rare picture.
However, jeep safaris are a standard service for all African protected areas. But in the Masai Mara there are unique opportunities to get acquainted with the reserve. Like flying in a hot air balloon! This is not only exciting entertainment, but also an opportunity to look at the reserve from a bird's eye view. Do not think that the distance from the earth will not allow you to admire the animals.
Masai Mara is Kenya's most famous national park. It is a continuation of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and is famous for its large population of cats, as well as the seasonal migration of a huge number of wildebeests. The last park on our route and a worthy end to the safari. In the Masai Mara we saw the last member of the African Big Five, the leopard.
We spent two nights in the park, staying at Mara Simba Lodge. The hotel is notable for the fact that it stands on the river, on the banks of which a variety of animals from antelopes to elephants and hippos periodically come out, and at night the roar of animals is heard.
1. Herds of wildebeest are the first thing that catches your eye in the park. Antelopes everywhere:
3. Each eye of an ostrich is the size of its brain! And the ostrich does not hide its head in the sand, contrary to a common misconception.
4. We were lucky to see two leopards, both times they slept in the trees, their paws hanging in different directions and quite far from us. For the first time, they first looked from the road, as expected, and then spat and drove right under the tree. The driver did not want to stay off the road for a long time, so the desired angle did not turn out, only a spotted carcass in the branches was visible. How does he manage to sleep on the branches?
The second meeting was more productive, but more on that below.
5. Attacked a large pride of lions:
11. We spent the next day in the park. Vultures and marabou torment their prey.
12. Watched a lioness dragging prey. It was obviously hard for her to drag the antelope, she often stopped and rested.
13. Lionesses usually hunt in a pride. Small prey is eaten on the spot, and large prey is dragged into the pride so that everyone can eat.
14. Handsome Cheetah:
15. Cheetah - the fastest animal on earth, accelerates to 120 km / h in three seconds. However, the cheetah can maintain this speed for a very short time and at a short distance, so if the hunt is not immediately successful, the cheetah retreats.
17. Lions had a honeymoon. Honeymoon happens to them many times a day, but very quickly ...
18. Did the job - walk boldly:
19. Masai woman sells souvenirs. They take them to the Masai village in Kenya as a separate attraction, but we didn’t go. We saw enough of the Maasai who tried to sell us souvenirs when our bus stopped at checkpoints in the parks. They are quite intrusive, they almost climbed into the bus through the open windows. When you refuse to buy goods, they offer to take a picture of themselves for money. I didn't.
20. A group of expectant marabou:
21. A herd of antelopes crosses the road. It is impossible to cross their stream by car, you have to wait until everyone runs across.
23. We drove to the Mara River, right on the border with Tanzania. Hippopotamuses lay in large numbers along the banks of the river, and several crocodiles were also caught.
24. During migration, herds of antelopes cross the river, which crocodiles sitting in the water try to grab. We did not see such a spectacle, unfortunately.
26. Yes, the energy from the hippos is clearly not in full swing:
27. On the trail there were hoof prints of hippos. Luckily, we did not meet hoof owners on the trail. I'm not sure a ranger gun would have helped in that situation.
31. A couple of cheetahs, judging by the inquisitive look, are looking for something to eat. Unlike other cats, cheetahs hunt throughout the day, not just in the mornings or evenings. Unfortunately, it was not possible to see the hunt either. To see the hunt, you need either great luck, or you need to find yourself a cheetah and purposefully “herd” it until the moment of hunting.
32. Right in front of our bus, a pregnant lioness fell out onto the road and showed with all her appearance that she would give birth right now, immediately. I was already prepared to document the birth and take the cubs, but we did not wait. Eh, if there were a couple of hours left, one could witness a unique event.
34. Second meeting with a leopard. It was very far away, but you could see it through binoculars.
35. The leopard sat on a tree, slept most of the time, but sometimes woke up and shifted more comfortably.
36. Super crop but amazing angle. I wish I had 600 mm here ...
37. This time no one drove up under the tree (with the exception of a couple of particularly daring crews), but a grand queue was organized to view this leopard.
».It is worth going to Kenya at least to visit the Masai Mara reserve (1510 sq. km). This is one of the most famous nature reserves in Africa. In terms of the richness of the fauna, only the Tanzanian Serengeti and Ngorongoro reserves can be compared with the Masai Mara. About 80 species of mammals and more than 450 species of birds live in the reserve.
The emblem of the Masai Mara National Park could offer an image of a plain with a flat top of an acacia and a giraffe looming against the endless sky. This reserve is by far the most popular in terms of attendance by tourists around the world. There is something about this park that makes you come back here again and again.
In the Mao (Masai) language, "mara" means "spotted". Indeed, when viewed from the air, the plain looks patchy because of the rare standing small trees. And once a year, during the migration season (from July to September), the rolling plains of Mara turn into a black stripe due to the movement of huge masses of ungulates from the south, from the expanses of the neighboring Serengeti. This is a grandiose sight: during the great migration, about 2 million wildebeest, 200 thousand zebras, 500 thousand Thompson's gazelles and other herbivores move around the country, which are relentlessly accompanied by predators: lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyena-like dogs ... and vultures - hyenas, vultures, jackals, marabou. During the migration season, predators in the reserve are much easier to see, they become fat, lazy and often laze in the sun.
The Masai Mara is located on the territory of the giant Great Rift Valley, which has a fault line about 5600 kilometers long, originating in the Red Sea off Ethiopia and passing through Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique. At this point, the valley is wide and it is possible to follow the eye up to the high slopes in the foggy distance. Most safari activities take place here in the valley. However, there are some lodges that allow safaris to take place outside the boundaries of the park in the Oloololo mountains. Animals living in this park are not fenced off from other territories, and have the right to go outside the park into huge areas called "overrunning territories". Many Maasai villages are located in the area of "overclocking", and this people, over the centuries, has developed a close relationship with the wild.
There are four main types of terrain in the Masai Mara: from Ngama Hills to the east stretch sandy soils with deciduous shrubs growing on it - favorite places for black rhinos; magnificent plateaus rise to the slopes of Oloololo on the western border; in the area of the Mara River, a triangular area of lush pastures and yellow locust forests is a favorite area for migratory wildebeest. Most of the reserve is represented by the central plain, with rare shrubs and huge boulders among the meadows, picturesquely scattered across the expanses of the plain.
Large herds of wildebeest, zebras, Thompson's gazelles, tonnies and buffaloes can be seen in the savannah. Closer to the rivers, the first trees appear, giraffes, waterbucks, elephants and bushbucks live there. Acacia forests grow along the Mara and Talek rivers. The bush is home to impalas, hartebeests, rhinos and dik-dik. As for lions and other predators, they live everywhere, but they especially like dense thickets of acacia. Here you can see all the representatives of the "Big Five" (lion, leopard, buffalo, rhinoceros, elephant), although leopards can only be seen at night, and rhinos are almost completely exterminated, but still they are sometimes found.
A large population of hippos inhabits the Mara River. The permanent residents of the river include huge Nile crocodiles - the length of which is more than five meters and their weight reaches more than three quarters of a ton. They lie in coastal mud waiting for food until the wildebeest start looking for new pastures.
Birds of all sizes and colors fly into the Masai Mara, and there are more than 450 species of them. Here you can see crested eagles, vultures, marabou storks, predatory Guinea fowls, Somali ostriches, pygmy falcons, crowned cranes. The park is home to 53 species of various birds of prey. The Masai Mara National Park is a major research center that studies the habitat and habits of the spotted hyena, which is not found anywhere other than this place.
Masai Mara is the "kingdom" of lions, and these powerful and regal hunters dominate these territories. Lions and lionesses, resting on the edge of the plain, are completely indifferent to the actions of tourists, considering themselves to be the true masters here. The Mara Reserve is a huge natural wonder, a place where Maasai warriors hunt on a par with lions. This is the place of mighty herds of animals, where the eternal cycles of life, death and rebirth take place.
Just outside the park are the villages of the Masai people. They are a nomadic people, and despite making up just over one percent of Kenya's population, they are the most beloved and well-known of the tribes of Kenya. Maasai speak the Maa language, it is practically not used in print. The diet of this people is mainly a mixture of raw cattle milk and blood; beef or lamb is only used during significant celebratory occasions, such as a wedding or transition to adulthood. Favorite color is red. Jewelry is a key component of outfits for both women and men. They wear bracelets and earrings in specially elongated earlobes. Jewelery: Tiered necklaces, earrings and bracelets are mostly made from multicolored beads. Maasai music consists solely of vocal accompaniment, without the participation of any musical instruments. The dances consist of vigorous jumps up from a place in turn, and the higher the dancer can jump, the more talented he is considered. The Maasai culture can boast of purity, there is nothing borrowed in it. Wealth here is not expressed in monetary units, the richer is the one who has more heads of cattle. Not so long ago, a warrior could prove his masculinity only by killing a lion with a spear or with his bare hands. To date, the government has banned this custom, in order to protect the African lion. However, civilization does not leave aside this people. Increasingly, you can see the Maasai grazing their cattle on the plain, with a mobile phone in hand.
In addition to the traditional vehicles offered on a safari, a hot air balloon safari is also possible. Flying a balloon over the Serengeti plains can be unique for enthusiastic travelers with the right means. Flights start at dawn, including a champagne breakfast, and fly over herds of grazing wildebeest and zebra, gazelles and giraffes.
The location of the park at 1,500 - 2,170 meters above sea level makes the climate much milder than in other areas. Daytime temperatures rarely exceed 30 degrees Celsius, and at night they hardly fall below 15 degrees. The rainy seasons starting in April-May and November make some areas of the Masai Mara hard to reach or even impassable due to sticky black mud. Migration of animals - wildebeest, falls on the dry season: from July to October - the grass during this period is long and lush. This is the best time to visit the park and take a safari to see the huge herds of migratory herbivores. The warmest time of the year is December and January, the coldest months are June and July. There is no night safari in this park, so as not to interfere with the hunting of animals, therefore all vehicles participating in the safari must return to the camp by six o'clock in the evening. Outside the boundaries of the reserve, there are many small camps and rest houses that offer, in addition to the traditional safari, horseback riding and other excursions.
Masai Mara National Park is a unique place. Nobody is a threat here. And life and death are in those proportions that have been established from time immemorial by nature itself. Maybe that's why everyone seems happy here: both people and animals.
It is worth going to Kenya even in order to visit the Masai Mara conservation area, which is the most famous national park in Africa. In terms of the richness of the fauna, it can only be compared with the Tanzanian reserves of Ngorongoro and Serengeti. The Kenyan reserve is home to many birds (more than 450 species) and about eighty varieties of mammals.
Its territory is an open grassy savannah, plains and small hills with sparse vegetation.
The article tells about the features of the Masai Mara National Park (Kenya) and its inhabitants.
Location
The Masai Mara is located in the southwest of Kenya. The area of the reserve is 1510 square kilometers. It is the northern extension of Tanzania's Serengeti National Park.
Geographically, the Masai Mara reserve is completely located in the area of \u200b\u200bwhich borders extend from Jordan (Dead Sea region) to southern Africa (Mozambique). The territory of the park is mainly represented by savannas with rare groups of acacias in the southeastern part. Many species of animals live in the western regions, since these are swampy places, there is unhindered access to water. And the number of tourists here is small due to the difficult terrain. The easternmost point of the reserve is located 224 kilometers from Nairobi. This area is a favorite place for tourists.
Peculiarities
The reserve is named after the representatives of which are the indigenous population of the region, as well as in honor of the one that carries its waters through the park. The Masai Mara National Park is famous for the large number of animals that inhabit it, as well as the annual wildebeest migration (September-October), which is an amazing sight. During the migration period, more than 1.3 million wildebeest move through the reserve.
The warmest time of the year in these places is December-January, and the coldest is June-July. Night safaris are not arranged in the park for tourists. This rule was created so that no one interfered with hunting animals.
Masai Mara is not the largest Kenyan reserve, but it is known throughout the world.
Fauna
To a greater extent, the park is famous for the lions that live in it in large numbers. A pride (family group) of lions, called the swamp, lives here. It has been monitored since the late 1980s. It is known that in the 2000s a record number of individuals in one family was recorded - 29 lions and lionesses of different ages.
You can meet in the Masai Mara National Park and endangered cheetahs. Influenced by such a factor as irritation of animals, tourists quite often interfere with the daytime hunting of predators.
Leopards also live here. And there are a lot of them in the Masai Mara. Much more in comparison with protected areas of similar size in other parts of the world. Rhinos also live in the park. Gnu - the most numerous animals of the park (more than a million individuals). Every year in the middle of summer they migrate in search of fresh vegetation from the flat terrain of the Serengeti to the north, and in October they return to the south again. Here you can also meet herds of zebras, giraffes of two species (one of them is not found anywhere else).
Masai Mara is the largest center for research on the life of the spotted hyena.
Birds
Many birds fly to the Masai Mara National Park. Here you can see vultures, crested eagles, marabou storks, predatory Guinea fowls, Somali ostriches, crowned cranes, pygmy falcons, etc.
The park is home to fifty-three species of birds of prey.
Park features
The word "Mara" in the language of the Mao (or Maasai) people means "spotted". And in fact, if you look from the air, the plain seems to be covered with spots due to sparsely standing small trees.
Once a year, during the migration period (July-September), the Mara plains are painted in black stripes due to the movement of huge masses of ungulates from the south, from the Serengeti plains. This is truly a unique and grandiose spectacle. At this time, about two million wildebeests, about two hundred thousand zebras, about half a million gazelles and other herbivores move through the territory of Kenya. And without fail they are accompanied by such predators as leopards, lions, cheetahs, hyena-like dogs, as well as hyenas, jackals, vultures and marabou. During this period, it is much easier and easier to see predators in the Masai Mara National Park, as they are always full and become lazy, fat and most often rest in the sun.
Ecological problems
The reserve is managed by the government of the country. In Kenya's Masai Mara National Park, there are many departments whose duty is to combat poaching. They are based away from areas frequented by tourists. The Maasai also help keep track of more remote areas.
The territory of the reserve is a unique place where death and life are in a natural balance established by nature itself.
Masai Mara National Reserve- one of the main Kenyan attractions. It is located in the southwestern part and is connected with the Serengeti reserve in Tanzania, which, as it were, continues the Masai Mara. It is here that the Great Antelope Migration takes place every year, which is a "trick" of both places. The Masai Mara got its name in honor of the Maasai people who own these lands, and the Mara River flowing there.
That is why it is incorrect to call Masai Mara national park, but it is correct to say " reserve" or " reservation because the land here does not belong to the state. But the fauna and flora are the property of Kenya and are protected at the highest level.
Masai Mara Reserve, Kenya
Climate in Masai Mara
Climate it's pretty soft here. It can be hot during the day, it is better to dress in breathable clothes made from natural fabrics. There are two rainy periods - from March to April and in November. It always rains in the afternoon or at night. Since the park is located at an altitude of 1650 meters above sea level, even though it is close to the equator, it does not get very hot here.
A simple car can not pass here
It is best to plan tours to Kenya with a visit to the Masai Mara in August and September, when herds of antelopes migrate here.
Masai Mara landscape
Masai Mara is located in savannah, which is crossed by the Mara and Talek rivers, and occupies 1510 km2. They fall on the East African rift system - a depression in the earth's crust that crosses the continent from north to south.
protected area The Masai Mara is naturally enclosed on the west by a rift slope. The western side is swampy, there is a lot of water and most of all animals live there. But getting here is much more difficult. From the east, access to the Masai Mara is much easier. Here the savannah extends as it is.
Animals of the Masai Mara
A trip through the wilderness in Kenya is commonly called " safari". The meaning of "hunt" appeared with the advent of the whites, but in general this word in Swahili means "journey." A Masai Mara safari is primarily an off-road trip to get acquainted with wild animals. A one-time safari trip is called " game drive«.
lions
One of the main attractions of the Masai Mara are lions. There are really a lot of them here, including the famous “marsh pride” that lives in the Masai Mara, which has been observed for more than 30 years. It is very large: for example, in 2000, 29 individuals were recorded, this is an absolute record. You can look at the lions in the Masai Mara very close: they do not understand that a person and a machine are different things, and they do not attack a large iron thing. But in no case should you get out of the car.
Lioness, Masai Mara, Kenya
Lions in the Masai Mara feel completely safe and actively breed.
Lion cubs, Masai Mara, Kenya
Cheetahs and leopards
Cheetahs also live in the Masai Mara, but in recent years there have been fewer of them due to the influx of tourists. Safari prevents them from hunting during the day. But there are a lot in the reserve leopards- a record number in one territory, there is no such concentration anywhere else on the planet.
Leopard, Masai Mara, Kenya
Hyenas
african spotted hyena- Another predator in the Masai Mara. Many people think that they are only scavengers, but this is not so - hyenas are successful hunters, fast and efficient.
Hyena chasing a Thompson antelope, Masai Mara, Kenya
Well, after the hunt, hyenas love to relax, basking in the sun ...
Antelopes and other ungulates
Wildebeest, these exotic ungulates, form the backbone of the annual Great Migration, to which other herbivores join, in especially large numbers - zebras.
The Masai Mara is also home to graceful antelopes. impala, Thompson's gazelles, Grant's gazelles, swamps.
Interesting and waterbuck(“waterbok”) from the Masai Mara is an elegant animal, somewhat similar to a deer. He is not afraid of the local predators - the fat of the water goat is poisonous and therefore none of the animals consider it as prey.
Waterbuck from Masai Mara, Kenya
hippos
The rivers Talek and Maru were chosen. Adults stay closer to the depth, and off the coast you can see the cubs. But don't get too close! It is especially dangerous to stand between a hippopotamus and water. Here, besides them, several breeds of water snakes live. And the hippos themselves are in fact not at all good-natured bumpkins, as they seem.
Hippos from the Masai Mara, Kenya
giraffes
In the Masai Mara you can also see in the natural environment giraffes two breeds - one of them is an absolute endemic, and except for this reservation is not found anywhere else on Earth.
Giraffe from Masai Mara, Kenya
Birds in Masai Mara
More than 400 species can be seen in the reserve during a tour of Kenya birds, among which ostrich, and marabou, and vulture, and much more graceful birds.
Ostrich from Masai Mara, Kenya
Great Migration
When the wildebeest, as well as zebras, gazelles and other herbivores, it is time to change pastures, the Great Migration from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara, and then back. Their path lies across the river. Crocodiles wait in the river for ungulates, and lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas and jackals follow the migrating herds. This incredible sight is worth seeing with your own eyes to understand how life works in the wild.
Great Migration in the Masai Mara
Accommodation in the Masai Mara
The main type of housing in the Masai Mara reservation is lodges and camps. Word " lodge" in the original means "shelter". Today the lodge is a hotel in the wild, in a remote place. Kemp- a group of bungalows, houses or tents, most often raised on piles to protect against wild animals. Also in the Masai Mara you can rent apartments on one of the private farms of the Mary River. There are different categories - from the simplest to the luxury class.
Maasai guard the camps
Wherever you live, you can not leave the territory of the residential complex, and where there is no fence, it is better not to leave the house at all without escorts from among the Maasai. You are in the wild savannah!
But with comfort due to the influx of travelers in the Masai Mara, there are no problems. The food is good here, including the Maasai themselves preparing traditional dishes, there is electricity, hot water and the Internet.
In the Masai Mara, there are dozens of lodges in different parts of the park, as well as in the reserves adjacent to it. Let's describe some of them.
Some luxury hotels in Masai Mara:
- Sarova Mara Game Camp
- Keekorok Lodge
- Mara Intrepids Tented Camp
- Mahali Mzuri
- Olare Mara Kempinski
- AA Lodge Maasai Mara
- Amani Mara Lodge
- Little Mara Bush Camp
- Mara Serena Safari Lodge
Some inexpensive places to stay in the Masai Mara:
- LOYK Mara Camp
- Mara Sidai Camp
- Fig Tree Camp - Maasai Mara
- Julia's River Camp
How to get there?
The closest town to the Masai Mara is Narok(125 km). From the capital Nairobi, the distance is 267 km.
There are minibuses from Nairobi to Narok, here they are called "matatu". Those who have already made tours to Kenya say that it takes about three hours to get there. But it is important to catch the matata from Narok to the entrance to the Masai Mara. They leave early in the morning, or from 13.00 to 14.00. There are many stops along the way and the journey from Narok takes about 5 hours.
Therefore, it is much better to take an airplane. There are several airfields on the Masai Mara. Flights come here from Nairobi and from other reserves in Kenya.
Finally, you can rent a car in the capital. A very good road leads to the Masai Mara.
Welcome to Masai Mara
Have a good trip to the Masai Mara!