Maasai mara national reserve

Maasai Mara National Reserve (masai mara safaris) is located in Narok County, the south western part of Kenya. The game reserve is part of the Mara –Serengeti ecosystem where it is in the northern part of it. In the south of the reserve, there is Serengeti national park, in the east and west the pastoral ranches of the Maasai people. Maasai game reserve sits on an area of 1510 sqkm characterized with open grasslands which mainly fire-resistant grass for example like the red oat grass which is common throughout the reserve.

Maasai Mara national reserve has got a number of drainage features like river Talek, Mara River and many more. The reserve is the most visited protected Destination area in Kenya because of various reasons, for instance, its rich biodiversity which includes wildlife and other species of flora and fauna with numerous bird species which are over 500, butterfly species which have attracted tourists to the country and Maasai Mara in particular.

Accessing Maasai Mara National Reserve

Maasai Mara national reserve can be accessed by either road or air transport depending on the type of tourists. It is advisable that if a tourist has enough money they can use air transport which is quick and easy and because of the bad roads.

Air transport: A tourist on an international arrival will land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport 15km south east of Nairobi city from which they will get catch a flight to Maasai Mara. However domestic flights to Maasai Mara are always available at Wilson airport 6 km south of Nairobi. This also enables domestic tourists to access the park via air transport. Flying to Maasai Mara takes about 45 minutes which is quick compared to the 6 hours on road.
Road transport: From Nairobi city to Maasai Mara National Reserve the distance is about 284km and takes about 6 hours to reach the park. Through Narok town, the road is tarmac for half an hour. In spite of the bad road conditions, when the tourist reaches the Maasai Mara National Reserve he is compensated with the beauty of the wildlife.

Attractions in Maasai Mara National Reserve

Wildlife: Maasai Mara National Reserve is a home to different animal and plant species that have attracted different tourists from all over the world. It is home to a large population of both Animal and plant species. The reserve has over 90 mammal, amphibians and reptile species, over 500 bird species and over 1000 plant species the park has continued attracting different tourists from various destinations.
The big five: The big five animals comprises of the Rhinoceros, the elephant, the leopard, the lion, and the buffalos. Maasai Mara is one of the few game reserves that has all of the big five animals which gives an opportunity for tourists to view them. Among all the animals of the big five, the rhinoceros is in few numbers as compared to the elephants, buffalos, lions and the leopard. However, there is a guarantee that once you come to the reserve the black rhino because they have been increasing numbers for the past 10 years. The lions are usually found in the plains between the Mara river and Esoit sira escarpment. The reserve is also home to predators like the bat-eared fox which commonly feeds on harvester termites and on rare occasions feeds on fish and birds, the blackjacked jackal spotted hyena.
Reptiles: The Mara Triangle is home to various kinds of reptiles like the tortoise, terrapins, lizards like the afro-tropical ground gecko, tropical house gecko, black-necked spitting cobra, forest cobra, frogs like the lake Victoria clawed frog, red banned rubber frog, natal puddle frog, and many others. In the Mara and the Talek Rivers, large numbers of hippos and crocodiles are seen among other animals. A large number of antelopes can also be found for example the impala, Grant’s gazelle coke’s heart beest and many others.
Bird species: With more than 500 recorded bird species Maasai Mara is a home to different bird species including the raptors like Merlin, black kite, white tailed kite, vultures, marabou storks, long-crested eagles, ostriches, lilac-breasted roller crowned crane, bateleurs which are always seen in the grassy plains, kori bustard, rufous bellied heron, scooty chart, usambiro barbet abdim’s stork and so on. Migratory birds are also seen during the month of November to April where they migrate from Europe and North Africa.
The wild beest migration is also significant in defining the number of animal species at the game reserve and their presence that is to say one million wildebeests, elands, Thomson’s gazelles and around half a million zebras migrate from the southern part of Serengeti national park to the north crossing the Mara River in search of water and pasture the migration usually takes place in Maasai Mara in July where the wildebeest, zebras, and other antelope species come into the plains.

Conservancies in Maasai Mara include

These are areas within the Maasai Mara where locals together with some safari bodies to conserve the area and its environment. The purpose of the conservancies was to promote wildlife from being disturbed because there were increased numbers of poaching with in the area some of the conservancies that were put in place include;

The Mara Triangle: The triangle is managed by the Mara Conservancy on behalf of the Narok county council. Its main purpose of the conservancy was to combat poaching which hinders sustainable tourism development in the region. The triangle is one of the most beautiful conservancies in the area, it is divided away from the Maasai Mara reserve by the Mara River which makes it less crowded but this doesn’t mean there are a limited number of animals. There are different animal species that access the triangle for grazing and water on the Mara River like the wildebeest, zebras, gazelles and many more. The Mara Triangle is quite accessible by flight because there are flights to the Mara Serena and Kichwa Tembo airstrips. This makes it easy for tourists that avoid using road transport which can be tiresome. The Mara triangle has got accommodation facilities that Can cater for tourists that are able to stay overnight like the little governor’s camping site and Mara Serena that offer accommodation services.
Olare Ork conservancy: Olare ork conservancy is found in the northern part of Maasai Mara national reserve, The conservancy was put in place by the locals after donating part of their land which was 3500 acres on free will in order to enlarge the territory for the conservation of wildlife. By this, the locals moved their cattle from the short grass of the area to different areas and it was left for wildlife conservation. It was noted that the grass attracted different animals to graze with in the area and with their presence, it led to the attraction of the lions due to the presence of the herbivores to Prey on and within the Maasai Mara reserve it is noted that the Olare ork conservancy has a high number of lions which are over 100. Other animals which are also seen in the area include the rhinos the African wild dogs and so on. The Olare Ork Conservancy has a number of accommodation facilities for people that are able to stay for overnights like the Mahali Mzuri, Polirini lion camp, Kicheche bush camp, Olare Mara Kempinski bush camp among others.
Ol Kinyei conservancy: The Ol Kinyei conservancy was established in 2005 with the help of landowners in the area and the Porini safari camps which gave part of their land in order to conserve the wildlife in the area. The area covers 17500 sqkm of the acres of the koyaki lemek area which is characterized by beautiful sceneries like the swamps the Mara river which divides the park into two all these attract tourists. Important to note is the number of animal species in the area likes the big cats, for instance, the leopards, the lions other animals like the gazelles, zebras, buffalos, rhinos and so many more. Some of the animals come in during the wildebeest migration from Loita plains to the Ol Kinyei conservancy. Also during the month of February and March, the area is used as a calving season for the wildebeest.
Ol Choro Oiroua conservancy: Ol Choro Oiroua conservancy has over 17000sqkm acres of land. It is located in the northern part of the Maasai Mara national reserve. To be different from other conservancies, the Ol Choro Oiroua conservancy focuses on sustainable tourism development in account of the people living in the area. The people are taught the benefits of tourism and wildlife in the area and through this conservation is promoted but also, in the long run, people are able to benefit from it. This can be seen with the evidence of different local projects that have been established to generate income in the area, for instance, the crafts that are sold to tourists, schools have also been established which have taught people the proper management of waste and its effects on the wildlife which has promoted sustainable tourism in the area. Some of the accommodation facilities in the area include the fair Mont Mara Safari club and the Ngerende Island Safari club etc.
Lemek conservancy: Lemek conservancy is also another tourist attraction that can be seen while in the Maasai Mara national reserve the conservancy sits on 19000 acres of land and it is owned by the Lemek Group Ranch. The conservancy is in the open savannah grasslands which attract animals like the leopards and others during the wildebeest migration the number of animals in the lemek conservancy increase with animals like the wildebeest, zebras, gazelles and many more. The conservancy offers a number of activities like game drives where a number of animals can be seen, nature walks among others and for tourists that are interested in overnight stays, and accommodation facilities like Mara River lodge and Enkerende tented camp are available. For tourists that would like to access it by air, it is possible with the presence of Ngerende airstrip.
Mara Naboisho conservancy: The Mara Naboisho conservancy focuses on sustainable tourism and community development it has over 50000 acres of land the area is home to a number of lions, wildebeests, gazelles, zebras, giraffes, Aardwolf, caracal and many more that attract tourists from various countries. The area is also a great spot for birders with the presence of endemic bird species like the bush pipit, the white-headed buffalo weaver, pigmy falcon, and others. The Mara Naboisho Conservancy is an important route of Loita Migration where a number of zebras and wildebeest move from Loita Hills to the Maasai Mara national reserve. With the presence of herbivores in the area, it attracts a high number of carnivores like lions, cheetahs, and leopards to prey on them. The conservancy through the Koiyaki Guiding School has improved the services that are offered in the conservancy and also sensitized the community against poaching and waste management and thus promoting the conservation of the wildlife. It can be accessed by both roads which take around a 5-hour drive from the capital Nairobi town to Narok town or by air from Wilson airport which offers flights daily to Ol Seki airstrip.
Maasai People: The Masaai people are also a unique tourist attraction to the tourists that visit Maasai Mara game reserve. The people are one of the last surviving tribes in Africa that little about them has changed. The Maasai are found in Tanzania in Serengeti national park and Maasai Mara national reserve in Kenya. They speak the maa language which is used as a form of communication, the language is quite unique because compared to the modern languages, and it has more than 30 sounds. The Maasai are nomadic pastoralists who believe that all cattle in the world are theirs which is quite interesting. This has led them to carry out cattle rustling where thousands of cows are stolen from the owners and to them, it is not considered as stealing because they believe they are just retrieving what rightfully belongs to them. The Maasai have a unique dress code whereby men wear scarves tied around them and the women accessorize by putting on beads that are hand made from materials like horns wood and many more. Another interesting thing about the Maasai is the fact that women are only seen as housewives they take care of the house and the children, in other words, they participate in domestic work whereas men take care of the cattle their love for cattle is too much that it’s the women that construct the houses. In the tribe, women do not participate in decision making its only the elders that are seen as the overall decision-makers and in rare occasions the young men who are considered warriors, since they are responsible for protecting the cattle and the homes, take part in decision making.

Activities in the Game Reserve

Game drives: In Maasai Mara national reserve a number of animals can be seen during the game drives, for instance, the lions, leopards, the zebras among others some of which can be seen grazing along the Mara river in the dry season and Talek river. Game drives in the Maasai Mara Region are carried out in 3 shifts. The morning game drives usually takes place early morning whereby tourists are able to see the sunrise and different number of animals that a looking for prey to feast on like the big cats other animals like the antelopes are seen grazing in the plains and this is one of the most rewarding game drives because they are in their most active hours of looking for food. The evening game drive starts at 4 or 6 pm which is also rewarding because different animals are seen like the herbivores resting after hours of grazing; the big cats take this as an opportunity to hunt for their dinner which is quite interesting when seen, reptiles like crocodiles are also seen moving from the Mara river to its banks to carry out sunbathing. The night game drives which are usually carried out in order to see the nocturnal animals and their behavior in the world here, lions are seen walking freely in search for food.
Nature walks: Another way tourists can explore the reserve other than drives through the reserve is through nature walk whereby tourists are able to see what’s really on ground by taking a closer look at the wildlife here tourists are scored by a ranger who has a gun to protect the tourists from any animal attacks along their walks. The tourists use trails that are not usually used by animals to avoid attacks and through the nature walks tourists are able to see the different vegetation zonings, the influence of man on the wildlife, the influence of the park to the locals through visiting the communities within the park, for instance, the Maasai people and so on.
Balloon safaris: Balloon safaris are also quite unique and interesting during game viewing here tourists are able to see the reserve from an aerial view where tourists float in the air while watching different animal species on the reserve, bird species can also be seen flying over the hot air balloons. In Maasai Mara national reserve, there are only three safari companies that offer the safaris that take tourists on bird safaris which include the governors’ camp and others. After the balloon safari, tourists are then awarded certificates to show they participated in the activity and a toast is made with a glass of wine and after bush breakfast is served to the tourists and this, in the long run, helps to improve on their experience.
Horseback safaris: Maasai Mara national reserve is among the few national parks in East Africa that offer horseback drives during game viewing. Here horses are used transport means to move around the reserve watching different animals and their behavior its quite interesting because it gives you the feeling of being part of the animals by using animals as transport mean. It also funs and offers fresh breezes during the trip. During the trips, tourists are escorted by well-trained personnel to make your East Africa safari memorable and avoid accidents during the way.
Birding: Maasai Mara national reserve is home to a number of bird species which are over 450 in number some of which are native and others migratory with the presence of such birds, it gives chance to birders interested in knowing their behavior. It also improves on the experience of the tourist because there are a variety of birds to see some of which include. Migratory species that come in between October and February from Europe and North Africa escaping winter seasons include swallows, tens and waders. Other bird species include weavers, bishops the Maasai ostrich, long-tailed cormorant, tawny eagle, secretary bird, yellow-billed stork, marabou stork and many more.
Cultural encounters: Cultural encounters in Maasai Mara national reserve are quite fun because the tourists are able to engage with the Maasai people who participate different cultural dances the Maasai are famous for their long jump dancing routines which catches the eyes of the tourists because they are able to jump at the highest height above the ground. They also perform cultural songs for the tourists and this is also fascinating with their Maa language that is different from other languages in East Africa. Community tours are also conducted and here tourists are able to see the construction pattern of the Maasai where they build houses by using cow dung and mud. The Maasai also participate in economic tourism whereby they are able to sell crafts to the tourists through their crafts projects hence the generation of income to the tourists. Other communities around the park are also visited but mostly the Maasai community is proffered because even after modernization, the community is still living on the tradition setting which has attracted different tourists in the modern era.

Accommodation in Maasai Mara

Maasai Mara National Reserve has a number of accommodation activities that range from budget, mid-range to luxury. The accommodation facilities offer top-notch services that ensure satisfaction to its customers and some of the services include bar services, accommodation with facilities like lodges, hotels, and camps, ample parking space, swimming pools for relaxation, wireless internet, conference rooms for tourists on conference meetings and so on.

Some of the accommodation facilities include; Amani Mara lodge, Porini lion club, Siana springs camp, Mara Siria camp, Sekenani Camp, Spirit of the Maasai Mara Lodge, Sarova Mara game camp, sentinel Mara camp among others

A safari to Maasai Mara is one of the lifetime adventures one should not miss because the reserve offers a variety of attractions activities and many more which are able to satisfy one’s desires for wildlife. Not only wildlife but also the climate, the hospitality of the people makes Maasai Mara one of the best National Reserves to visit in East Africa and Africa at large.