Masai Mara is a unique wildlife conservation haven famous for its spectacular natural diversity of wildlife and is the premier Kenya Safari location in East Africa, offering visitors numerous reasons to visit this animal paradise.

Masai Mara National Reserve

Masai Mara National Reserve is located in southwest Kenya and is a vast scenic expanse of gently rolling African savannah plains measuring 1510 square kilometers in area and bordering the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the south. Masai Mara is a unique wildlife conservation haven famous for its spectacular natural diversity of wildlife and is the premier Kenya Safari location in East Africa, offering visitors numerous reasons to visit this animal paradise. Large numbers of Lions, Cheetah, Elephant, Rhino, African Buffalo, Wildebeest, Giraffe, Zebras, and many more animals are found in the park in their natural habitat, unconfined and free to roam the vast Kenyan wilderness stretching for miles on end.

Masai Mara National Reserve Entrance Gates

Masai Mara National Reserve can be accessed through various gates, Sekenani Gate being the main gate to the park. The other gates include; the Talek Gate, Musiara Gate, Oloololo Gate, Oloolaimutia Gate, and Sand River Gate. As for entry and exit timings, the entry timing is 6.00 am and exit timing is 6 pm, after which the gates are closed. It may be possible to enter or exit beyond these timings in exceptional cases with the permission of the reserve Warden, for example in case of a vehicle breakdown or maybe adverse weather causing road closures.

Masai Mara National Reserve Park Entry Fees

Masai Mara National Reserve park fees vary for Adults and Children;

Citizen [Adult] park fee is 3,000KSH per day while a child is 1,000KSH per day.

The non-resident [Adult] park fee is 200US in the High season while the low season is 100US and the child is 50US per day.

Activities in Masai Mara National Reserve

Game drives the national Reserve different ecosystems have attributed to different animal species with the most famous being the big five those are: Lions, Leopards, Buffalos, Elephants, and Rhinos. Other animals are the Oribis, Hyenas, Giraffes, Gazelles, Hippos, Hartebeest, Zebras, Antelope, Crocodiles and many more.

There are several exciting activities one can enjoy in Masai Mara. The most thrilling of these has to be the Hot Air Balloon safari,

 taken at the break of dawn and ending with a leisurely 'Champagne Bush Breakfast'. This is a truly unique adventure activity and the Mara provides the perfect backdrop for the amazing balloon excursion. Another popular experience is visiting a traditional tribal Maasai village which allows visitors a fascinating insight into the unique way of life of the famous Maasai, a nomadic warrior tribe found in Kenya and parts of East Africa. There are also nature walks, bush meals, and sundowners as some of the other popular things to do in Masai Mara as a tourist visiting this reserve. Nature walks are one of the Activities in Masai Mara headed by the game ranger equipped with a gun using trails that are less used by predators enjoying close view of animals like Elephants, Giraffes, Antelope, Buffalos, and other grazers around the park. This activity is very enjoyable and makes you active during the trip as you are involved in the activity.

Picnic Lunch is usually arranged during a full-day game outing in the reserve so that one does not have to go back to the lodge or camp for lunch, the meal itself is in the form of packed lunch boxes which are provided by your camp or lodge by prior arrangement the night before to allow them adequate time to prepare the meal boxes. Though the meal itself is typically simple and satisfying, the often scenic setting in the wild makes this a truly memorable meal.

Horseback riding; Masai Mara is one of the famous places in Africa where one can explore the park in open air horseback riding experience as you ride through open savannah grassland enjoying the scenery of the landscape as you pass through a wide range of animals while enjoying the fresh breeze nature. Most travelers prefer horseback riding to game driving since it is an open-ended activity as you even get closer to animals. This experience is recommended to be done with a well-trained game ranger who is charged in case you meet one of the big cats.

 Bird Watching;

The Masai Mara offers good bird watching during any month of the year, but the best time is from November to April when migrants from Europe and North Africa arrive.

Wildebeest Migration

 The movement of the wildebeest is from Serengeti into Masai Mara and is dictated by factors such as the climate, pasture, and mating and calving seasons. Keep in mind the wildebeest are migrating through the year in a generally clockwise direction covering vast areas reaching into Southern, Central, and Western Serengeti before the year-long trek brings them to Masai Mara around July to August. Their journey back to Serengeti happens around late October though this is less spectacular and more like a slow dispersal. You can see the migration during a safari game drive in the Masai Mara Game reserve which is conducted in specialized vehicles driver by experienced Driver-Guides. As there are several core points where the wildebeest cross the rivers, it may be necessary to access and station oneself at these points during a day-long outing in the reserve as some of the lodges and camps can be up to an hour's drive from the ideal vantage points. Most tourists who come specially to see the migration consider seeing the river crossings a highlight of their tour and therefore want to spend enough time at these crossing points.