What to do / Activities in Masai Mara
Tourist Activities in Masai Mara, Kenya
Activities in the Masai Mara National Reserve range from unique Game drives where one can see or view the African Big 5. Masai Mara National Reserve is one of the most unique parks not only in Kenya but in Africa at large, where tourists enjoy a wide range of Activities in the Masai Mara.
Below are the highlights of Activities in the Masai Mara:
Game drives/ Game Viewing
Game drives are most common and popular Activities in the Masai Mara and in most of the African national parks and reserves. By definition, it’s an adventure through the park in a 4×4 open-roof safari van or Land Cruiser, enjoying the close view of the animals but observing the park regulations.
Game drives are usually done in three swifts those are:
Morning game drive, which starts at dawn to catch up with sun risers, and observe the African sunrise.
This is the most rewarding game drive since you will find all animals very active and fresh, looking for food of the day in an open savannah grassland grazing; the cats are also in ambush, looking for the food of the day by hunting. After the sun gets hot, all animals go near river banks to quench their thirst and cool themselves, while the cats go to hidden quiet areas to relax and rest, hence hard to see again.
Evening Game drive, which usually starts from 4 pm till late at 6:30 pm. On this game drive, we get the final catch-up of the game while they are out of their hides, getting their dinner and sunbathing, especially the reptiles. Kobs and other animals that graze in groups will be assembling for their rest.
Night Game drives: this is strictly done under the guidance and escort of well-trained game rangers, and mostly an extra fee is put on it. It’s mostly enjoyed by filmmakers who want to see more of the nocturnal animals in the park, see the cats hunting at night, and others.
Maasai Mara is one of the best destinations not only in Africa but in the world for excellent, rewarding game viewing with more than 1000’s of animals to see. In the Migration season, which takes place between July and October, millions of animals assemble at the reserve as they cross the Mara River from the Serengeti for new, fresh pastures and water. This is the period they come for breeding for the grazers, attracting more predators, especially the big cats since the prey is much available.
The national reserve’s different ecosystems have contributed to different animal species, with the most famous being the big five those are: Lions, Leopards, buffalo, elephants, and Rhinos. Other animals are the Oribis, Hyenas, Giraffes, Gazelles, Hippos, Hartebeest, Zebras, Antelope, Crocodiles, and many more.
Maasai Mara can be accessed throughout the year, with the most rewarding time during green season when millions of animals, both migratory and permanent residents, are present at the reserve.
Gifted by nature, the reserve has more to explore during your stay around Maasai Mara, and this can be done through the use of safari land cruisers or even walking. The reserve is being monitored and cared for by the local community, hence giving many opportunities to guests to have leisure walks both inside the park and around the local community.
Nature walks, as one of the Activities in Masai Mara, are led by the game ranger equipped with a gun, using trails that are less used by predators, enjoying close views of animals like Elephants, Giraffes, antelopes, buffalo, 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; researchers mostly prefer this so that they can learn more and more about the different vegetation zoning of the reserve, behaviors of the animals, the relationship between the locals and the park, and others.
Walking safaris are one of the easiest but 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 best of the reserve looking for wildlife. You can reach as far as the Mara River, witnessing the migration if you’re in the right season.
One of the incredible moments in the Maasai Mara is seeing the best Ecosystem of the Maasai Mara while floating on air with an Eagle eye. Three safari companies operate hot air balloon safaris in the Maasai Mara: one is Governors Camp, The Hot Air balloon which is the oldest with 100% record on safety, and the Sky Ship company.
The Hot air Balloon safaris is a once-in-a-lifetime experience one can never forget, its starting sound and shakes can scare and most guests are advised to sit down and cover their eyes as the balloon starts lifting the basket into the air slowly, with high heartbeats as you internally feel the motions when it’s leaving the ground, as your body feels crazy yet you have no control over it.
The safari starts early in the morning with a wake up call for light breakfast and be driven to the starting point where you will meet the pilot for briefing then enter to the Balloon basket and then kick off as we raise higher approaching the skys the sun will also be rising, our floating will take us between 1 o 2 hours depending on the weather of the day as we enjoy the birds view of the undulating beautiful scenery of the great rift valley, observing closely the big cats especially if they are on a hunt we follow them as we join them to hunt!!
Our happiness will be beyond imagination, flying together with birds of the Maasai Mara, exploring all deep corners of the reserve at tree-top heights or below, which gives a clear panoramic view, and an ideal angle for good photographic opportunities at an aerial point.
Upon landing, a toast will be made with a glass of wine in the bush, a heavy breakfast, and finally certificates of success will be issued to all the crew on board. Be picked up by our driver-guide, who will add more game drives on the ground to see more animals from another angle before we head back to our lodge for refreshments and lunch.
Picnic view
Maasai Mara is termed the birding paradise, with over 450 bird species, of which more than 45 are species of birds of prey. The reserve hosts the largest bird on planet Earth, that is, the ostrich, also commonly known as “the Maasai Ostrich”.
This bird life is harbored by a great advantage of different ecosystems that form the reserve, like open savannah, river banks, rocky sides, and the Great Rift Valley escarpments.
Birders enjoy the Maasai birds, which come in all colors and sizes, with key Kenya’s Savannah bird species easily seen in the reserve. Maasai mar ahs a record of raptors with over 45 species available in the open savannah of the park; this gives an added advantage to birders to do birding throughout the year in Maasai Mara.
Maasai Mara has the greatest record of the highest number of bird species in Africa, more than even countries; it’s through Maasai Mara that Kenya got an award after breaking the birding record as the only country in the world where one can see 342 bird species within 24 hours, courtesy of Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Mara hosts a lot of migratory birds annually between October and February. The reserve 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 breeding.
Other most popular bird species are Rosy-throated long and magpie Shrike, Ostrich, Long tailed Cormorant, Little Bittern, Cattle Egret, Rufous-billied Heron, Great Egret, Grey Heron, Hamerkop, Marabou stork, Yellow-billed stork, Hadeda Ibis, Sacred Ibis, Ruppels Vulture, Egyptian Vulture, African Fish Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Kori bustard, Secretary bird, Sooty chat, Usambiro barbet the list is very long.
The wide and diversified range of habitats supports a great diversity of birds in the Maasai Mara, making your birding holiday more wonderful and experiential.
One of the most unique Activities in the Masai Mara, along, along with the rest of the parks and reserves, is that its managed by the local community, the Masaai people dominate the reserve and leave together with the wildlife amicably and this has benefited not only the locals but also the guests who have a wide range of activities to do especially on learning about new people and their culture.
The Maasai culture is one of the greatest cultures one can feel in Africa, with their own lifestyles. The pastoralists who rear more animals in a mobile way have a unique culture which cannot be seen anywhere in the world.
These people have lived near and around the reserve for more than one hundred years now with unchanging traditions, norms, and customs; even if the guests from all corners of the modern world frequently move with them, they have stuck to their traditions.
The Maasai community has around 50 traditional houses that surround the large kraals of cattle, compacted with all traditions of the true Maasai lifestyle. They have more community projects that help them benefit from tourism and make them leave in good, sustainable life with a clean environment.
Cultural safaris or community visits to the Maasai community form one of the most active and lively Activities in the Maasai Mara one should not miss while at the Maasai Mara, from 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, making their local houses with mud, and many more active activities.
Community participation is one belief we have for sustainable tourism in Africa, and the Maasai people always win their awards on this. Let us support sustainable tourism through village or community tours.
Maasai Mara is one of those reserves and parks in Africa where horse riding is done as an activity in Masai Mara inside the park for the game drive, this was mostly used by long ago explorers since their were no cars but today even if their safari vans and land cruisers most guests prefer to use horse rides during their game drives, and it’s more popular in the Maasai Mara.
It gives you an open way of exploring the best of the landscape, passing through other animals with an animal not off the truck, only enjoying the fresh breeze of nature. During the migration, the experience is beyond as you’re escorted by a well-trained game ranger one enjoys more as you go closer and closer to the animals, even touching their backs.
Seeing the Wildebeest Migration
Going to Africa!! Many ask what to see, how to reach, and when to go? Africa is one of the best continents to go to if one wants to enjoy a real wildlife safari; it’s not as expensive as many have anticipated but much more affordable to all classes of guests.
Activities in the Masai Mara cannot be mentioned and completed without the migration of the wildebeest, which is an annual event that takes place between the Serengeti of Tanzania and the Maasai Mara National Reserve of Kenya.
These wonderful moments of excitements are always much memorable if one sees by his or her self than reading or looking at the documentaries, the act starts between July and October and during that time millions of animals cross to Maasai mara from Serengeti for breeding purposes and looking for green fresh pastures then after they migrate back hence the action is twice every year but within that range of July and October sometimes early November depending on the rains since they follow the rainy season patterns.
During this time, you need to book your trip very early to secure a nearby lodge, which is good around the area, so that you will have enough time to enjoy the World Cup of nature, which is played by millions of wildebeest and 1000’s of zebras versus a few but large crocodiles and the lions along the Mara River. The score is not always high since all the players are experienced; mostly it’s 1 or 2 to zero depending on the lack of the season.
The action invites a wide range of predators not only around the river, but also the sole Activities in Masai Mara during this period as they come to welcome their visitors as well as neighbors to the homeland of the Masai Mara. Your role is to come early and leave late in the evening, as you come with everything to keep you lively for the day.
