Masai Mara national park adventure

The African savanna plains are full of wonders, and the unbelievable world cup of Nature witnessed with an eagle’s eye by spectators flying with birds offers a once-in-a-lifetime African experience.

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 now also comprises several conservancies and group ranches bordering the main reserve and is home to some of the most diverse species of African wildlife and is also the site of the annual Wildebeest migration, simply known as the ‘Great Migration’.

Masai Mara National Park is famous for this migration, during which large herds of a million plus wildebeest, zebra, and other wild animals including the Big Cats migrate north into the Mara from Serengeti national park.

The migration typically takes place between July to mid-September and involves the wildebeest making dangerous crossings through crocodile-infested rivers. The ‘Mara’, as Masai Mara is also known, is among the best wildlife reserves not just in Kenya but also in Africa.

Things to do in Masai Mara national park.

Masai Mara has got quite several safari activities tourists can enjoy to the maximum offering lifetime memories and these include.

Game drives.

A game drive in the Masai Mara national park is the most thrilling adventure activity done using a 4×4 open-roof land cruiser enjoying the close view of the animals.

The morning game drives start at dawn to catch up with the sun’s rise. The most charming moments are observing the African sunrise in a rewarding morning game drive as animals are very actively looking for fresh food in the open savannah grasslands.

As the sun gets hot, the animals go near Mara River to quench their thirst and cool themselves while the cats go hiding in quiet areas to relax and rest. In the evening the grazers assemble in groups for their resting.

The night game drives are normally under the guide and escort of trained game rangers, mostly enjoyed by filmmakers who want to see nocturnal animals in the park and see the cats hunting at night.

Balloon safaris.

This is one of the incredible moments in the Masai Mara seeing the ecosystem while floating in the air with an eagle’s eye.

The hot air balloon is a beyond extraordinary experience that is unforgettable to visitors, as the balloon begins lifting the basket in the air slowly with heart bits, you internally feel the motions as it leaves the ground, and your body feels crazy.

The balloon safari starts with a wake-up call for a light breakfast and is driven to the starting point for briefing then enter the balloon basket and then kick off as we rise higher approaching the sky as the sun rises.

Just imagine yourself in the basket driven by the balloon flying with the birds exploring all deep corners of the reserve at the treetop heights giving a clear panorama view of wildlife and nature at an ideal angle and a good aerial point for photography.
Upon landing a toast will be done with a glass of wine at the bush, a heavy breakfast, and issuing of the certificate.

Cultural encounters.

One of the exceptional experiential activities in the Masai Mara is encountering the local community of the Maasai people that live together with the wildlife amicably.

The Maasai culture is one of the greatest cultures one can feel here in Africa with their unique lifestyles, mobile nomadic pastoralists who have preserved their traditions, norms, and customs despite European colonialism.

The interesting activities are their dancing stanzas of jumping up and down to the iconic way of milking their indigenous cows, how to get fresh blood from an animal, cooking, and making local houses with mud among others.

The wildebeest migration

Among the Seven Wonders of the World is the great wildebeest migration in the Masai Mara national park.

The wonderful and unbelievably thrilling movement s observing a million wildebeests, zebras, and hunting cats migrating across to Masai Mara national park from Serengeti national park.

The migration starts between July and October as wildebeests look for breeding grounds, water, and green pastures.
It’s normally termed the world cup of Nature played by millions of wildebeests and zebras against the big cats and crocodiles along the Mara River. Let’s go watch the world cup of Nature now.

Horseback safaris

Horse riding in Masai Mara was mostly used by the long-ago explorers since there were no cars but even today most guests prefer to use horse rides during their game viewing.

Horse riding gives you an open way to exploring nature and landscapes passing through other animals and enjoying the fresh breeze of nature.

During the migration, the experience is beyond extraordinary as you go close to animals even touching their backs.

Bird watching

Masai Mara is known as a birders haven hosting over 342 bird species among which are savanna birds.

Masai Mara hosts a lot of migratory birds annually between October and February the park receives more Palearctic migrants, swallows, tens, waders, and others.

While around June to July, the Mara River swamp is fully occupied by weaver birds and bishops as they come for breading.

Other popular bird species are Rosy-throated long and Magpie Shrike, Ostrich, long-tailed Cormorant, little bittern, cattle egret, Rufous-bellied Heron, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Hamerkop, Marabou stork, Yellow-billed stork, tawny Eagle, Kori bustard, secretary bird, Sooty chat, Usambiro barbet among others.

Nature walks

Nature walks as one of the activities in Masai Mara is done with an escorted game ranger with a gun using trails that are less used by predators enjoying a close view of animals like elephants, giraffes, antelopes, buffalo, zebras, warthogs among others.

Guided nature walks are the most rewarding ways of experiencing Maasai Mara, walking on foot with locals putting on local sandals made out of car tires sharing a lot of excitement as you explore the park looking for wildlife and witness the wildebeest migration on the Mara River.

Best time to visit Masai Mara

Masai Mara national park can be visited at any time of the year giving the memorable wildlife experience but the best time to visit Masai Mara is from late June to early October where you will have a glimpse of the wildebeest migration in full flow.

The Great Plains, Maasai villages, and big five are the best to sightsee in this period.
Late March-May brings downpours and floods with scarpering wildlife.

In conclusion.

The Masai Mara is one of the magnificent destinations with outstanding natural beauty and wonders of the world that will make your African safari remarkable and exceptional offering an unforgettable wildlife experience. Regards!