The Mara is known as one of the finest wildlife destinations in the World. There is an excellent chance of seeing the Big Five.scenery is dominated by grassland savannah, but pockets of acacia woodland, riparian forest, and rocky hills intersperse the plains. The Masai word 'Mara', meaning spotted, refers to these dots in the landscape.
The Mara National Reserve is home to over 1.5 million Wildebeests, thousands of Zebras, Hippopotami, Nile crocodiles, the rare Wide Rhinos, over 400 bird species among other animals and wild plantation. It also hosts some of the country’s best hotels, has amazing airstrips and a great nomadic community. Some of the pro's & cons of visiting Masai Mara Include:
Pros:
Cons:
Masai Mara National Reserve is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Kenya- Africa. The reserve is located in the Great Rift Valley in primarily open grassland.
Wildlife tends to be most concentrated on the reserve’s western escarpment.
The Masai Mara is regarded as the jewel of Kenya’s wildlife viewing areas. The annual wildebeest’s migration alone involves over 2 million animals arriving in July and departing in November.
There have been some 95 species of mammals, amphibians, and reptiles and over 400 bird species recorded on the reserve.
Nowhere in Africa is wildlife more abundant, and it is for this reason a visitor hardly misses to see the big five (buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion, and rhino).
The Mara is known as one of the finest wildlife destinations in the World. There is an excellent chance of seeing the Big 5, cheetah, serval, hyena, bat-eared foxes, black-backed and side-striped jackals, hippo, crocodile, baboons, warthog, topi, eland, Thompson’s gazelle, Grant’s gazelle, impala, waterbuck, oribi, reed-buck, zebra. During the migration (July to October) huge numbers of wildebeest move in.
Altitude 5,300 feet (1,600 metres). Rainy season from November through May, with peak rainfall in December-January and April-May. Dry season from June-November. Often sunny mornings with cloud build-up in the afternoons – during the rains this develops into thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Max temperatures up to 30°C and min temperatures around 20°C.
The Dry season is an enjoyable time to be in the park with lovely weather. Typically, there are sunny days and it’s rarely very hot. Although the occasional shower can pepper the landscape, it doesn’t rain often. Don’t forget to pack winter clothing for early morning game drives.
Even though the Wet season stretches from November to May, there is a drier period in January and February. This divides the ‘short rains’ and ‘long rains’. There are many overcast, cloudy days. Afternoon showers are the norm. Daytime temperatures don’t vary much. The nippy early mornings have temperatures around 13°C/55°F. Bring warm clothing.
Giraffe
Elephant
Zebra
Hippo
Leopard
Buffalo
Hyena
Lion
Cheetah
White Rhino
Black Rhino
Wildebeest
Wild Dog
Giraffe
Elephant
Zebra
Hippo
Leopard
Buffalo
Hyena
Lion
Cheetah
White Rhino
Black Rhino
Wildebeest
Wild Dog
The Masai Mara offers good wildlife viewing throughout the year, but the rainy months (March, April, November and December) make some of the roads difficult to navigate, and wildlife might be more difficult to spot. The driest months (from late June to October) are the best for wildlife viewing because vegetation is thinner and animals gather around rivers and water holes. The wildebeest migration and the river crossings in particular are difficult to time, but your best chance to witness this spectacle is in late September and October.
Best Time: June to October is best for general wildlife viewing and September to October are best for the wildebeest migration (Dry season)
High Season: June to October and December to March (It gets very crowded except in some remote areas)
Low Season: April and May (Some roads might be in bad condition and rain can sometimes interfere with your trip)
Best Weather: June to October (Days are sunny, but not too hot)
Worst Weather:March and April (Peak of the Wet season)
Masai Mara National Reserve is one of the most popular tourism destinations in Kenya- Africa. The reserve is located in the Great Rift Valley in primarily open grassland.
Wildlife tends to be most concentrated on the reserve’s western escarpment.
The Masai Mara is regarded as the jewel of Kenya’s wildlife viewing areas. The annual wildebeest’s migration alone involves over 1.5 million animals arriving in July and departing in November.
The Masai Mara offers good wildlife viewing throughout the year, but the rainy months (March, April, November and December) make some of the roads difficult to navigate, and wildlife might be more difficult to spot. The driest months (from late June to October) are the best for wildlife viewing because vegetation is thinner and animals gather around rivers and water holes. The wildebeest migration and the river crossings in particular are difficult to time, but your best chance to witness this spectacle is in late September and October.
The Dry season is an enjoyable time to be in the park with lovely weather. Typically, there are sunny days and it’s rarely very hot. Although the occasional shower can pepper the landscape, it doesn’t rain often. Don’t forget to pack winter clothing for early morning game drives.
Even though the Wet season stretches from November to May, there is a drier period in January and February. This divides the ‘short rains’ and ‘long rains’. There are many overcast, cloudy days. Afternoon showers are the norm. Daytime temperatures don’t vary much. The nippy early mornings have temperatures around 13°C/55°F. Bring warm clothing.
The Masai Mara is a very safe park to visit, in our opinion. The developed parks and reserves in Kenya are usually considered safe and the Masai Mara is no exception. The park is the most visited and popular in Kenya and produces a lot of revenue. For that and other reasons, the government makes sure security is kept high.
Most people fly to the park, which is not only the most comfortable but also the safest way to travel. Self-drive visitors need to take caution when driving to the park. The road is very bad, and a breakdown is not out of the question. Although the distance (under 300km) isn’t that far, it is advised to leave Nairobi early in the morning.
Several vaccinations are needed before coming to Kenya in general and to a lesser extent the Masai Mara. Malaria is the biggest health concern for visitors to Kenya, and antimalarials should be taken. Using mosquito repellent with a minimum of 30% DEET and covering up at dusk is also highly recommended to minimize the risk of being bitten by mosquitoes.
Altitude 5,300 feet (1,600 metres). Rainy season from November through May, with peak rainfall in December-January and April-May. Dry season from June-November. Often sunny mornings with cloud build-up in the afternoons – during the rains this develops into thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Max temperatures up to 30°C and min temperatures around 20°C.