Was founded in 1961. It was named after the local population - the Masai tribe, as well as Mara River.
The Maasai, an African semi-nomadic indigenous people, still live in southern Kenya on the savannah. Their village is located within the territorial boundaries of the Masai Mara National Park. You can visit it and get acquainted with the traditions and life of the Masai tribe.
General information, relief and climate of the Maasai Mara Reserve
is located in the southwestern part of Kenya and represents the northern extension. The total area of the reserve is 1510 km2.
Territorially Masai Mara not the most significant reserve in Kenya, but it can perhaps be called the most famous. It is located entirely in a huge East African Rift System, which stretches from South Africa to the Red Sea. The Eastern Border is located 220 km from Nairobi, so it is the eastern region of the Masai Mara that tourists most often visit.
In the territory national reserve Maasai Mara reigns supreme subequatorial climate. The coldest month is July, and the warmest month is February. There are two wet seasons: dry in July-August, and clearly defined in March-May. The reserve is characterized by fairly cool evenings, especially in June and July: at this time the temperature can drop to 10 °C. The period from December to March is the warmest and sunniest time of the year.
Masai Mara Reserve and its flora
distinguished by grandiose landscapes. The protected ecosystem consists of three large ecosystems: riverbeds, bush and savannah. Huge herds of zebra, wildebeest, Thompson's gazelle, buffalo and tony can be seen in the savannah.Trees grow near the rivers; giraffes, elephants, waterbucks, and bushbucks live there. By the rivers Talek And Mara acacia forests grow.
Masai Mara Reserve and its fauna
Fame Maasai Mara Reserve brought first lions, which live here in significant quantities. The reserve is also inhabited by all other animals of the so-called "Big Five", although the black rhino population is in danger: in 2000, only 37 individuals were recorded here.
Hippos live in large groups in the Talek and Mara rivers. Also in the reserve you can find cheetahs, which are also under threat due to the irritation factor from tourists who disturb their daytime hunting.
IN Masai Mara reserve There are millions of wildebeest. The protected area is also home to other antelopes, including impala, Grant's and Thompson's gazelles, topi and others. Huge herds of zebras roam throughout the reserve. Also, more than 450 species of birds have been recorded in the reserve.
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Reserve Masai Mara(Maasai Mara) is an extension of the Serengeti National Park, which has a total area of more than 40,000 square meters. km and is considered one of the best national parks in the world. The Masai Mara is located in Kenya in the north of the plain between the Great Rift Valley and Lake Victoria and has an area of about 1510 sq. km.
The name of the reserve comes from the language of the Masai tribe. The word “mara” is translated from this language as “motley”. And this name was given for a reason: in the reserve they grow rare plants, which create an incredible picture, bright and mesmerizing. However, the Masai Mara is famous not only for its plants: 450 species rare birds and about 80 mammals. The mixed landscape includes foothills to the north and east, as well as forest and plains to the south and west. But the dominant place is occupied by the savannah, scorched by the bright African sun. The center of the reserve is wild, virgin nature, belonging only to the inhabitants of the reserve.
The Talek and Mara rivers flow through the Maasai Mara. The second river flows into Lake Victoria. Large groups of animals migrate through vast areas of the reserve - one of the largest animal migration routes. July-September is the time when the “Great Migration” takes place here: huge herds of antelope, zebras and other ungulates move from the Serengeti to the savannas of the Masai Mara. These animals move in a single wave that no one or nothing can stop. They are looking for new pastures for themselves. In addition to these herbivores, the reserve has a wide variety of predators, lions (the largest population in all of Kenya), cheetahs, jackals, leopards and hyenas. There are also giants of the animal world: elephants, hippos and rhinoceroses.
The reserve is home to the Maasai tribe, which has incredibly survived to this day. The people of this tribe are considered the tallest of the entire population of the Earth. Young warriors of this tribe can easily be found in the forests of the reserve: dressed in red clothes, with spears at the ready, they, like in the old days, hunt for food. By visiting their village, you can enjoy a real immersion in a world without civilization, in a world of people who are not spoiled by the manifestations of our world. It's truly an amazing feeling.
There are jeep safaris throughout the territory, flights over the valley on hot-air balloon, walking tours. Each type of excursion has its advantages: the beauty of the reserve from a bird's eye view, maximum proximity and unity with the nature of the Masai Mara, maximum speed and the area of what was seen. But if you try each of these methods, you can say with confidence that you have seen everything in this reserve.
You can stay here either in a hotel or in a tent. It all depends on your preferences. There are educational activities for children. There is no specific time when it is better to come to this paradise on earth. You can watch the rainy season in April-June or September-October, and in August-September watch huge herds of migrating animals. A large number of souvenir shops offer a variety of souvenirs, including many arts and crafts masterpieces of the Masai tribe. And you can also find household items of these people there. These are unique handmade items that you will not see anywhere else.
You can get to the reserve from the capital of Kenya – Nairobi. It is only a 5-hour drive along the highway to the small town of Narok (entrance to the Masai Mara) or 285 km. If you fly by plane, it is an hour-long flight: there are daily charter flights.
1. Kenya
For most African countries, Kenya looks quite decent, but we must understand that the people here live poorly, and therefore appearance cities and villages can sometimes cause shock to a tourist from Europe. Despite a large number of garbage on the streets, the Kenyans themselves look very neat. The people are for the most part friendly and sociable. No one bothers you on the streets or imposes any services or goods. There are a lot of police in the center of Nairobi, so you can easily move around the city, the question is - why? There is nothing to see in the city... Of course, you should go to Kenya not to walk around the city, but to visit the national parks. The most popular park is called Masai Mara, and the next part of my report is dedicated to it.
2. Masai Mara
I wrote this report several years ago. Therefore, the information in it is in some sense outdated. Since I first entered the Maasai Mara National Park, a lot of water has flowed under the Mara River. Little did I know then that my love for Africa was only just beginning to blossom. And I certainly didn’t think that over the next few years I would spend a lot of time in the Masai Mara, which would become incredibly happy for me. Over the years I have written in the Maasai Mara in particular. Then I didn’t yet know what an “offroad permit” was, I wasn’t familiar with it, I didn’t understand it. In the Masai Mara, I stopped being a tourist a long time ago and began to look at things with completely different eyes. But I didn’t delete this post, because it conveys my emotions that I experienced when I was here for the first time. I hope this report helps you understand what's in store for you if you go on safari in the Masai Mara...
National Park The Maasai Mara is one of the most popular in Africa, located 350 km from Nairobi closer to Lake Victoria in the Great Rift Valley and is an ideal place for wild animals to live. The Maasai are the indigenous people of this area who live in tribes. Until now, their way of life is close to their ancestors who lived here hundreds of years ago. Mara is a river flowing through the park. This is where the name of the park came from - Masai Mara.
From June to October the most popular time to visit the Masai Mara, as it is during these months that over two million wildebeest and zebras migrate through the national park. During the period of the great migration of animals, the chance of meeting lions, leopards, cheetahs and other predators increases, including during their hunt.
This is not my first visit to these parts, but on this visit I was able to take many beautiful shots of wild cats. We were lucky to meet a female croak with a kitten; even local rangers manage to see this amazing animal only a few times in their lives, so our guide also began actively photographing them. The second day was especially successful - in the morning we met a handsome cheetah who was resting after a hunt and a hearty breakfast,
and in the late afternoon we spent a couple of hours in the pride of lions. Several lionesses with cubs at the time of our appearance were finishing the carcasses of a zebra and wildebeest, were well-fed and calm, and therefore were not against our invasion. At some point, our jeep was surrounded by lions, adult females were lying a couple of meters away from us, and the cubs were playing so close that they could be photographed with a regular point-and-shoot camera or phone.
These two hours spent among the strongest and most beautiful animals in Africa gave us enormous pleasure, which is difficult to describe in words - it must be seen! Despite the amazing meeting, there was still a feeling of some dissatisfaction - the father of the family did not appear to us... But this problem was corrected the very next morning. The objective of the third day of the safari was to find a leopard, for this we started the safari at dawn and went to the place where the day before a half-eaten carcass of an antelope was seen hanging on a high tree, this is what leopards usually do. On the way to the place where the leopard was supposed to live, we met another pride of lions finishing their breakfast, and this time the head of the family appeared before us in all his glory!
Unfortunately, we didn’t have much time, but in a few minutes we managed to shoot a series of very high-quality shots of the king of beasts. After “talking” with Leo, we moved on... As I wrote above, nature was favorable to us, and the leopard was waiting for us at the place discovered the day before. Bright gray-blue eyes, shiny spotted skin, graceful movements, powerful paws - an amazingly beautiful animal. Undoubtedly, we were lucky all these days, but the leopard refused to pose for us, and the bushes in which he rested did not allow us to fully enjoy his beauty.
Cats are cats, and our next goal was the Mara River. The river runs along the border of Kenya and Tanzania and divides one huge reserve into two parts - on the Kenyan side - this is the Masai Mara Park, on the Tanzania side - the most famous African park - the Serengeti. It is here that a huge number of hippos and crocodiles live, the latter becoming a serious obstacle to antelopes during the great migration of animals.
The river greeted us with a rather sad picture: a huge alligator was eating up the carcass of a hippopotamus, playing with it, throwing it up and feeding the remains of the poor animal to small crocodiles...
The route from the camp to the Mara River and back takes about 4-5 hours along a dirt road, and the average length of the journey is 150 km. In total, in three days we traveled about 250 km. through the Masai Mara Park and another 600 km from Nairobi to the park and back. It is worth noting that the road from Nairobi to Masai Mara is asphalt and quite decent, but the last hour of the journey will tire you greatly, since the asphalt will suddenly end. It is important that you are prepared for a lot of shaking and motion sickness, but believe me - it is worth it!
3. What difficulties may you encounter during your journey and what you need to know:
When entering Kenya, if you do not have a visa, you will need to pay a visa fee of 50 Dollars or 40 Euros. Only Euros and Dollars are accepted for payment!
SMOKING IN PUBLIC PLACES IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED IN KENYA!!! Don't tempt fate! Places where tourists gather are full of plainclothes police who will arrest you instantly! The fine for smoking is 50,000 shillings ($600) or 6 months in prison, or both at the discretion of the judge!
I highly recommend doing it 7-10 days before your trip. It costs nothing and doesn’t hurt at all! This vaccine is contraindicated for people with an allergy to chicken eggs, but in general it is very easily tolerated by the body without causing side effects, this will protect you from possible unpleasant consequences- the mortality rate from this disease ranges from 10 to 50%... The disease is transmitted by mosquitoes, and the likelihood of infection is especially high during the rainy season. By the way, when entering Kenya or Tanzania, you may be required to have a vaccination certificate!
It is advisable to take medication for malaria, and you should definitely have it with you - a few Coartem tablets (be sure to consult your doctor!)
Drink only bottled water! I even use it to rinse my mouth...
Never leave your car in parks! You can only go out in specially designated places.
Use protective creams against mosquitoes and the sun!
Wash your hands before eating :)
4. In conclusion
Every visit I make to Afika is an event! Do you remember the first time you went to the zoo as a child? I am sure that when you come to these wonderful places, you will feel even more emotions than when you saw a giraffe or an elephant for the first time as a child. Don't wait, buy a tour and go! Exchange your beloved Turkey at least once for a week in the Masai Mara or Serengeti, especially since a safari in Africa is not as expensive as it seems.
And a short video about national park Maasai Mara, if you still haven't made up your mind...
For those who want to know more about safaris in the Masai Mara National Park.
Kenya's most famous national park, the Masai Mara, stretches over 1,510 square kilometers. km at an altitude of 1650 m above sea level, its vast territory is home to about 80 species of mammals and 450 species of birds. The climate here is mild and warm; the Masai Mara can be divided into three climatic zones: savanna, bush and river beds.
How to get there
Distance to Nairobi - 267 km (4 hours drive), to Narok - 125 km. The most convenient way to get to the reserve is by car. On the territory of the reserve there are several landing sites for light aircraft (you can fly there from Nairobi in half an hour).
Search for flights to Nairobi (closest airport to Masai Mara)
Camping and lodges
The park has a wide selection of camps and lodges for any budget - from affordable bungalows to luxury suites. It is prohibited to walk outside the hotel grounds in the Masai Mara: you can move around the park only in a jeep in the company of a driver or other tourists.
Visiting rules
For the opportunity to see animal world The Masai Mara in all its glory asks for 70 USD per person per day. As a rule, this amount is included in the total cost of the tour, along with accommodation, meals, support and other services. You can only move around the park by car; walking is prohibited. It is also possible to view the reserve from a bird's eye view - from the basket of a hot air balloon. In this case, the event takes about 4.5 hours, of which the flight itself will last 1 hour. They take to the air at dawn - from 5:00-5:30 am. Cost is about 400-470 USD.
Prices on the page are as of November 2019.
Views of the Maasai Mara
Entertainment and attractions of the Masai Mara
In the vastness of the Masai Mara you can find not only lions, leopards, buffalos, rhinoceroses, elephants, antelopes, giraffes, hippos and crocodiles, but also many other rarer animals. First of all, the reserve is famous for the annual migration of wildebeest, which takes place in September-October. Every year, around July, they travel in huge herds north from the Serengeti plains in search of fresh grass, and return south in October.
The Masai Mara African reserve is one of the most popular places on the hottest continent on Earth.
It was founded in 1948 in Kenya, near Tanzania. The well-known Serengeti Park is located nearby.
The reserve has a very interesting name, which arose from the name of the Maasai tribe, who were the indigenous inhabitants of this area. The Mara River also played a big role in the name of the reserve; in translation its name means “spotted”.
The pearl of Kenya is the Maasai Mara reserve.
And although the inhabitants of Africa themselves consider this name strange, it is still easily explained: from above, the Mara River valley really seems motley due to the combination of several territories, namely savannas covered with grass, vegetation and swamps.
If you try to describe the Masai Mara in one word, then it all comes down to the concept of “migration”. Why migration? The thing is that every year, after the rains that fall on the territory of the Serengeti Park, crowds of herbivores descend. These herds walk along one paved path - to the south, through the Masai Mara reserve. Among the migrating animals are wildebeest and wildebeest.
The Mara River, translated from the local language as “spotted river”. But the reserve is famous not only for migrating animals; there are many inhabitants of the plains on its territory, which include rhinoceroses, giraffes, hares, buffaloes, jackals, and other fauna. Oddly enough, the giraffes that live here are considered endemic to the Masai Mara, since they are common only in this area.
The locals are descendants of the Maasai tribe. On the banks you can find crocodiles, waterbucks and hippos. The entire “African Five” lives here, which includes lions, rhinoceroses, buffalos, leopards and elephants.
This area is famous for its birds; there are about five hundred species here! The most common are vultures and, which are distinguished by their sophistication and beauty.
There are also birds that stay in the shelter and hide for a long time, but if you have time and patience, you can wait until they show up, believe me, it’s worth it! There are flying foxes, falcons, cranes, and hornbills.
The most common tourist destination is traveling by jeep to the savannahs. Since only caring people work on the territory of the reserve, the animals are not at all afraid of tourists, they can cross roads and approach cars without much fear or anxiety. Is this the dream of every nature lover?
The best time to visit the reserve is from April to September, although most tourists are seen here in summer period, since they all come on vacation and walk around, looking at the local attractions. If you want to live on the territory of the reserve, it will cost you about seventy dollars per day per person, not including food.
The reserve is located less than three hundred kilometers from the capital of Kenya, which can be reached by different routes. The most common is a flight, from which you can get to the reserve by car or bus, spending at least four hours on this journey. You can also use the flight service, which operates twice a day, and then you will have to spend less than an hour on the way.
Those people who love nature very much will be able to fully enjoy it and be alone with the beauty. You can go on a horseback riding tour, during which you will be able to observe many animals at arm's length. During excursions, you do not need to be afraid of predators; they will not harm you, since they have long been accustomed to this type of event.
You can go on a hot air balloon flight - this is a truly unforgettable experience. From above, you will be able to see all the unique inhabitants of this beautiful corner of nature, and at the same time enjoy an exciting flight!
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