Kenya · East Africa
The Masai Mara.
The Mara is Kenya's flagship reserve and the northern extension of the Serengeti ecosystem, which is why the migration reaches it.
Photo David Clode / Unsplash
The distinction to understand is between the national reserve, which is public and can be busy at a sighting, and the private conservancies that ring it — Mara North, Naboisho, Olare Motorogi and others — where vehicle numbers are capped, off-road driving and night drives are permitted, and walking is possible.
Most well-built Mara itineraries use a conservancy for the quality of the experience and enter the reserve for the river crossings when the herds are there.
How do you get to the Masai Mara?
By light aircraft from Nairobi's Wilson Airport, the domestic airport across the city from the international one. Flights to the Mara's airstrips take about an hour and land close to most camps. The drive from Nairobi takes five to six hours.
What is the Mara River crossing?
The moment the migrating wildebeest and zebra plunge across the Mara River, with crocodiles waiting. It happens when the herds are in the north of the ecosystem, it is unpredictable, and the animals may gather on the bank for hours or days before one of them commits. Patience and a camp within reach of the river are what see it.
What is a Masai Mara conservancy?
Land around the national reserve that is owned by Maasai families and leased, through a conservancy, to a limited number of safari camps. The lease income goes to the landowners, the camps cap their vehicles, and guests can drive off-road, drive at night and walk, none of which the national reserve allows.
How long should you spend in the Masai Mara?
Three or four nights is usual. Travellers who come for the crossings often stay longer, or split their nights between a conservancy and a camp nearer the river.
Is the Masai Mara the same as the Serengeti?
It is the same ecosystem across a border. The Serengeti in Tanzania is many times larger and holds the herds for most of the year; the Mara is its northern end in Kenya, where the herds arrive for part of the year.
What is there to see in the Masai Mara?
Sample journeys that stop here
- The Best of East Africa →Embark on an unforgettable journey through East Africa's most iconic destinations, where extraordinary wildlife, breathtaking landscapes, and rich cultural heritage await. From thrilling Big Five safaris and the Great Migration to pristine beaches and authentic local experiences, this carefully curated adventure showcases the very best of East Africa in one remarkable journey.
What does the Masai Mara pair well with?
- The Serengeti, TanzaniaThe Serengeti is the ecosystem the wildebeest migration moves through, and it is large enough that where you stay decides what you see.
- Laikipia and the northern conservanciesLaikipia is a plateau of private and community conservancies north of Mount Kenya, and the centre of Kenyan rhino conservation.
- Amboseli and the southern parksAmboseli is elephant country beneath Kilimanjaro, and gives the single most recognisable view in East Africa.
- The Kenyan coastThe coast is Swahili rather than safari — a distinct culture, architecture and cuisine along the Indian Ocean.
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