21 Facts about Masai Mara National Reserve

21 Facts about Masai Mara National Reserve are some of the key informative tips that a traveler should equip themselves with as they set out to explore the reserve. This looks at all the basic 21 facts about Masai Mara national reserve in detail as well as the necessary travel information such as the best time to visit the reserve, the payments made to access the reserve, the activities and attractions in the reserve and so much more.

21 Facts about Masai Mara national reserve include the following;

Masai Mara national reserve is located in the south western part of Kenya and in the western direction from Nairobi and is a popular safari destination known for its large concentration of wildlife, wildebeest migration and for the local community of the Masai people as well as other attractions.
The wildebeest migration is among the wonders of nature which take place within this national reserve and in Serengeti national park in Tanzania. This migration involves the movement of thousands of wildebeest cross the Mara river in search of water and greener pastures. This migration takes place in the reserve during moths from July to October.
The Masai people are the major cultural attraction for tourists visiting Masai Mara national reserve. The unique culture of the Masai who have a nomadic way of life is among the features which attract tourists as well as other cultural aspects such as their way of dressing, local arts, and crafts, “manyattas” which are the Masai houses, traditional dances among others.
Mara means spotted which is a description of the dotted nature of the landscape in this national reserve according to the Masai language. The scenery is also characterized by trees, scrub, savannah, woodland, marshes, and swampy areas and riverine forests which are along the Mara River.
There is a large concentration of big cats such as lions, leopards, cheetahs in Masai Mara national reserve and especially the lions are in big numbers.
Activities which are carried out in the wilderness of the Masai Mara national reserve include game drives, nature walks, balloon safaris, birding, horseback riding. Some of these activities are guided by the Masai people themselves and this makes the safari experience unique and interesting since a lot of information is provided by the guides about the attractions as well as their culture.
The Masai Mara national reserve is managed by the local community and it has a number of private conservancies surrounding it such as Ol Kinyei conservancy, Mara Naboisho Conservancy, Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Mara North conservancy, Ol Choro Oiroua conservancy, Mara triangle conservancy, Olderikesi conservancy and Siana conservancy.
Entry gates in Masai Mara national reserve include Oloololo gate, Oloolaimutia gate, Sekenani gate, Musiara gate, and Talek gate. Entrance fees at this reserve is paid at the gates before proceeding into the reserve.
The Mara Triangle is also another attraction within the reserve which is an unspoiled and preserved part of the reserve which is managed by the Mara conservancy characterized by beautiful scenery and good pastures. This triangle is evergreen and consists of dotted acacia trees in an ecosystem that supports a wide range of wildlife species.
Horseback riding is among the unique ways of exploring the Masai Mara reserve and its large concentration of wildlife.
The big five which include buffalos, elephants, lions, leopards, and rhinos are among the wildlife species which are seen by the tourists visiting Masai Mara national reserve.
A variety of bird species can be sighted in the Masai Mara national reserve and they include the grey crowned crane, eagles, vultures, ostriches, secretary birds, kori bustards, malachite kingfisher, lilac-breasted roller, yellow billed hornbill, saddle billed stork and many other bird species.
The Masai Mara national reserve was first established as a wildlife sanctuary and wildlife species include wildebeest, topi, zebra, gazelles, lion, leopard, hyenas, cheetahs, jackals, buffalos, African wild dogs, and many others.
The reserve is bordered by Serengeti national park to the south, Siria escarpment to the west and Masai pastoral ranches to the north, east and west. Rivers that pass through the Masai Mara national reserve include the Talek river and Mara river.
The conservancies are located adjacent to the Masai Mara national reserve in the northern section of the Serengeti- Mara ecosystem.
Park entry fees for the Masai Mara national reserve is charged according to citizens, East African residents, and non-residents. The entrance fees to this national reserve is USD $ 80. Visitors are expected to present their identifications especially the nonresidents. Resident rates are applicable for people from Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, and Burundi. The children’s rates apply to children aged between 3 to 18 years.
Different rules and regulations are put in place by the park rangers to protect visitors, wildlife and the environment and some of them include speed limit of about 50 km/hr, slowing down for wildlife, avoiding off the road, avoid littering and many other rules.
There are different campsites around the reserve and they include both private and public campsites. Other accommodation facilities in the reserve include luxury accommodation, mid-range accommodation, and budget accommodation.
Possible means of accessing the Masai Mara national reserve include flight and road means. Airlines that operate in the reserve include Air Kenya, Safarilink, Fly540, Blue sky, Mombasa air services, Silverstone air, Aeronav, Boskovic air charters, Jetways. There are several airstrips that operate the flight in this reserve and they include the Ol Kiombo Airstrip, Keekorok Airstrip, Kichwa Tembo Airstrip, Musiara Airstrip, Mara Serena Airstrip among others.
Hot air balloons provide amazing experiences of wildlife viewing from an aerial view depending on the weather of the day. The balloon tours are operated by different companies at a cost and the flight lasts to about one hour and the hot air balloons are of different capacities such as 16 passengers, 12 passengers, 8 passengers, and 4 passengers.
Game drives in Masai Mara national reserve take place at different times of the day and they include morning game drives, full-day game drives, evening game drives, and night game drives. Chances of viewing the wildlife species depend on the time of the day in that morning game drive increases the chances of seeing the wildlife species. Full day game drives make it easy to see the wildlife at different times of the day and to observe their behavior and other aspects such as how they feed, survival. Another way of exploring the reserve is during nature walks which are conducted by Masai warriors or game rangers on foot.