Trip Summary:
This safari takes you
to visit Masai Mara which has a variety of wildlife, the Masai Mara is
one reserve where you can see the 'Big Five' in a single mornings game
drive. The Masai Mara in Kenya stretches out over a flat grassy plain
and is most famous for its annual migration of millions of wildebeest..
You will enjoy and experience nature, wildlife, habit and habitat of the
fauna and flora in the natural areas, also peoples and culture.
Availability 90%
Minimum Rate Per Adult: US$
Departing From: Nairobi
Duration: 4 Days / 3 Nights Masai Mara Lodge Safari
Departure Time: 0800 Hrs (possible to leave earlier than)
Departures: Daily
Minimum Persons Required: 2
Accommodations: Luxury lodgeBest Time: All round the year
4 Days Maasai Mara
lodge safari
Day 1: Nairobi – Maasai Mara
Pick up from your hotel at 0730 hrs and drive via the scenic Great Rift
Valley, to the Mara Reserve arriving in good time for lunch. Afternoon
game drive is taken. Dinner and overnight at Keekorok Lodge/ Mara
Leisure Tented Lodge
Day 2/3 : Maasai Mara
Full days spent exploring the park. Early morning and late afternoon
game drives are offered. Dinner and overnight at a lodge. The Maasai
Mara Game Reserve is arguably Kenya’s most popular game sanctuary. It is
the most famous and most visited game reserve in Kenya. The film ‘Out of
Africa’ was made to a great extent in this reserve. Virtually every type
of wildlife can be seen at the Mara. A spectacle worth seeing is the
annual migration of millions of wildebeest, zebra and gazelle from
Serengeti plains across the Tanzania border and the Mara River to reach
Maasai Mara grazing fields from late June. The dramatic crossing of the
river and the preying on the migrants by predators can be viewed from
early July to August. The reserve abounds with birdlife since dose to
about 452 species have been recorded. Hot air balloon safaris are
readily available in this park
Day 4 : Maasai Mara – Nairobi
Heading north to Narok, we stop to browse in the bustling, vibrant
Maasai markets to buy curios and handicrafts before continuing to
Nairobi where our safari ends.
Cost per person sharing
Safari price Includes:
-Transport on custom made 8 seater tour van ideal for game viewing and
photography
-Full board accommodation whilst on safari
-Accommodation in double/triple room
-All park entrance fees to include government taxes
-Service of an English speaking professional driver/guide
-All game drives as detailed in the itinerary
Complimentary return airport transfers
-Bottled water whilst on safari
-Start and end in Nairobi.
-Personalized service
safari price excludes:
-Tips
-Laundry
-Beverages/Drinks
-International flights
-Visas
-Items of a personal nature
-Any other extras not detailed in
-Hotel accommodations in Nairobi before and after the safari
Maasai Mara
South Western Kenya is the heartland of the Maasai.
Masai Mara is "The" park of parks in Kenya. Its grass-carpeted smooth
hills, the chocolate Mara river waters with frolicking hippos, as well
as the rich faunal diversity, fulfill the expectations of any visitor
searching the African landscapes portraited in motion pictures such as
"Out of Africa" or "Mogambo". Save particular tastes or special
requirements, this is the park on top of the "must" list in the country:
no trip to Kenya would be complete without a visit to Masai Mara. True
that it's not the best park for birdwatching, and true that some species
are not easily found. However, leopards and rhinos abound, and with more
than 450 bird species, the reserve should not be envious of Samburu or
the great Kenyan bird sanctuaries. Albeit, in an area only slightly
smaller than the State of Rhode Island and with a diverse and complex
geography, getting lost is far easier than finding a leopard or sighting
a given bird species in its multiple woods.
The reserve, gazetted in 1961, is located west of the Rift Valley and is
a natural extension of the Serengeti plains, in Tanzania. The Mara
river, the reserve's backbone, traverses north to south heading for its
westbound way unto lake Victoria, through the Tanzanian park. This
course is the natural barrier crossed every year by the large migratory
herds of wildebeests and zebras which march across the two parks. As
explained below, more than one million wildebeests and 200,000 zebras
move in a quest for the best pastures, finding along the way the
crocodile-crowded river. When the herds ford the stream, many animals
die flattened or drowned and leave their bones by the Mara banks. From
July to October, Masai Mara is at its peak, with the seasonal visitors
populating the vast grasslands.
Masai Mara's location and altitude, above 1,500 m, yield a climate which
is milder and damper than in other regions. The grassy landscape and the
nutrient wealth for the great herds are mantained by the abundant rains,
which here last from November through June, as a fusion of the two rain
seasons (long and short) typical in other Kenya areas. Night storms are
frequent. In the hills and plains, grasslands are scattered with acacia
woods and bush. The riverbanks of the Mara and of the multiple tributary
streams are bordered by dense riverine forests with a good chance to
find some of the reserve's bird species.
The Maasai are a strongly independent people who still value tradition
and ritual as an integral part of their everyday lives. They regard
themselves not just as residents of this area but that they are as much
a part of the life of the land as the land is part of their lives.
Traditionally, the Maasai rarely hunt and living alongside wildlife in
harmony is an important part of their beliefs. Lions and Wildebeest play
as important a role in their cultural beliefs as their own herds of
cattle. This unique co-existence of man and wildlife makes this Maasai
land one of the world’s most unique wilderness regions.
At the heart of these lands is the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, widely
considered to be Africa’s greatest wildlife reserve. The Mara comprises
200 sq miles of open plains, woodlands and riverine forest. Contiguous
with the plains of the Serengeti, the Mara is home to a breathtaking
array of life. The vast grassland plains are scattered with herds of
Zebra, Giraffe, Gazelle, and Topi. The Acacia forests abound with
Birdlife and Monkeys. Elephants and Buffalo wallow in the wide Musiara
Swamp. The Mara and Talek rivers are brimming with Hippos and
Crocodiles.
Each year the Mara plays host to the world’s greatest natural spectacle,
the Great Wildebeest Migration from the Serengeti. From July to October,
the promise of rain and fresh life giving grass in the north brings more
than 1.3 million Wildebeest together into a single massive herd. They
pour across the border into the Mara, making a spectacular entrance in a
surging column of life that stretches from horizon to horizon.
At the Mara River they mass together on the banks before finally
plunging forward through the raging waters, creating a frenzy as they
fight against swift currents and waiting crocodiles.
The wildebeest bring new life to the Mara, not just through their cycle
of regeneration of the grasslands, but for the predators who follow the
herds.
The Mara has been called the Kingdom of Lions and these regal and
powerful hunters dominate these grasslands. Cheetah are also a common
sight in the Mara, as are Hyena and smaller predators such as Jackals.
The Mara is an awesome natural wonder, a place where Maasai warriors
share the plains with hunting lions, a place of mighty herds and
timeless cycles of life, death and regeneration.
The Mara is probably the best serviced of all Kenyan Parks and Reserves
with a wide range of Accommodation for any budget. The Reserve is a
popular attraction with Safari operators. The reserve is ideal for game
drives, and some lodges and camps offer walks and balloon safaris.
Wildlife moves freely in and out of the reserve, and through
neighbouring Maasai lands. Outside the boundaries of the reserve there
are many other small camps and lodges, some of which offer walking,
horse riding and other safari options.
The Loita Hills and the Nguruman Escarpment, both considered sacred to
the Maasai, offer high forest trekking opportunities for the adventurous
traveller.....
How to Get to Masai Mara
The point of road access to this region is Narok, a 3 hour drive from
Nairobi. There are regular buses and matatus to Narok from Nairobi and
other destinations. Some people choose to Fly to the Mara, which is
serviced by 2 airstrips. There are daily scheduled flights from Nairobi,
and the coast. Private Charters also use these strips.
Getting around Masai Mara
Accessing the Mara area is difficult without private transport. Most
visitors come to Maasai Mara as part of a Safari package from Nairobi or
in a Hire Car. The park has well established internal roads and tracks.
Accessing areas outside the reserve is only possible using basic public
transport, and finding your way around can be difficult. Several Safari
operators can arrange specialized tours, treks or hikes in this area.
