Maasai mara safari

When reading about safaris in Maasai Mara national reserve, you must have come across pictures of large herds of wildebeest crossing crocodile-infested rivers, plains of swaying grass, and rolling hills. Maasai mara is acknowledged worldwide for its massive assemblage of wildlife, making it a top safari destination in Africa as well as one of the world’s seven natural wonders. There is a huge gathering of fearful prey and their fierce predators, and the hills and rivers are black with animal populations. People rarely get to see the spectacle of the struggle for survival. An excursion into the Masai Mara can cost anywhere from $100 to tens of thousands of dollars. Among the simplest camping sites with basic amenities are some of the best Masai Mara lodges on the planet. The wildlife in the Masai Mara gives me the chills from my scariest dreams, despite the area’s far more tranquil topography. Masai Mara’s landscape is made up of gently rolling hills and meandering valleys. Even the Mara River, which in my fantasy is a torrent of water that drives wildebeest to their doom, is surprisingly silent. Its surface is broken by crocodiles and fat hippos rather than rapids.

Maasai mara animals

The Masai Mara, with its breathtaking sweeping views, patchwork of fields, and scattered acacia trees, may appear at first to be the classic English country landscape. However, its gentle beauty is misleading; the place is full of all sort of predators found in Africa. It is forbidden to even lean out of a car window when viewing the Maasai Mara animals because of the  extreme danger it poses.

Maasai mara national reserve main attraction is its full diverse wildlife, the Great Migration safaris, plenty of animals ,great sceneries and a fantastic safari in kenya destination.

The Great Migration

During the Masai Mara migration, nothing impresses more than the wildebeest, gazelles and zebra. During the Kenyan safari, some 1.5 million wildebeest, 350,000 Thomson’s gazelles, 200,000 zebra, and 12,000 eland migrate to the 580 square miles of Maasai Mara. On your safari in Mara you can hear numerous animals rutting, sighing, honking, and grazing across these flat savannah grassland. The smell of hot livestock manure is strong in this location, and the dark traces are seen scattered everywhere in the savannah. What is magnificent is in the quantity and the proximity to this great journey, to the point when you nearly lose track of your other game.

Mammoth herds of elephants live in harmony with the millions of hoofed animals in the savannah which makes up the beautiful scenery for tourists at the Mara. The presence of wildebeest has reduced hunting pressure on the Masai giraffe, who graze calmly. There is more to the Masai Mara reserve than just lions and groups of buffaloes, as they gaze the safari cars that are taking turns in search of prey. Watch for the vultures circling on the horizon, the white rhino standing proudly alone, the hyenas breaking bones – voluntarily aiding the vultures in clearing the Mara. You may also spot the black back jackal sneaking between the bucks.

The Big Cats of Maasai Mara

Maasai mara safari
Lions

The majority of visitors visit to see the cats. Big cat sightings, including lion, leopard, and cheetah sightings, are common in the Masai Mara area. Populations increase in areas where food is readily available in large quantities. The Masai Mara is home to the greatest concentration of lions in the world, and it is difficult to overlook the 30 member strong pride lounging in the grass, the mother guiding her cubs, and Simba scrounging for his dinner. The easiest technique to find a lion is to observe where the animals are gazing. If a group of 1000 zebra are starring at a ridge, you can be absolutely certain that there is a predator there. On several kenya safari tour films you might have seen images of five cheetah brothers preying less than a metre from safari vehicles offering great photographic opportunity to capture  them at close range. Leopard and cheetah populations are higher here in Maasai Mara national reserve than in most other places in the world. On a tour safari in Maasai Mara search for smaller cats too.

Cost of Safari in Maasai Mara

A vast gathering of fearful prey and their fierce predators takes place, covering the hills and rivers in black livestock. The spectacle of the struggle for survival is rarely witnessed by the public. A Masai Mara trip might cost anywhere from $100 to tens of thousands of dollars. Among the simple camping sites with modest amenities are some of the world’s best Masai Mara lodges. My greatest safari highlight is when  I see the animals in the Masai Mara, despite the area’s much more tranquil topography. The gentle hills and meandering valleys are what makes up Masai Mara’s topography. Even the Mara River, which I imagine to be a torrent of water that drives wildebeest to their extinction, is surprisingly peaceful. Crocodiles and fat-bellied hippos break its surface instead of rapids.

How to do a Masai Mara trip on a (super tight) budget.

An itinerary for a low-cost, self-drive safari at the Masai Mara Reserve. Our lodging was at Oldarpoi Camp, located on the far east side of the Masai Mara Reserve, right outside Sekanani Gate. As a result, the safari trip from Nairobi takes only four hours, but the safari trip to the Mara Triangle, where the greatest places to see wildebeest river crossings takes only two hours. We camped at Oldarpoi, but they also have extremely affordable basic safari tents. Camping in the Masai Mara is not limited to Oldarpoi. There are campsites and inexpensive safari tents at Talek Bush Camp, Oseki Masai Mara Camp, Mara Sidai Camp, and Enchoro Wildlife Camp. Don’t forget to visit the KWS campsites located within the Masai Mara Reserve.

Transport to the Maasai Mara

We travelled for just four hours to get to Oldarpoi Camp. After renting a car, go to the camp and explore the park on your own. Even though it’s crammed with largely tourist cars and camera-ready foreigners, self-driving is surprisingly simple. The roads in the park are superior to the ones outside my Nairobi home. Economy Cars offers affordable car rentals worldwide and has vehicles available at Nairobi Airport. Don’t be lured to rent a cheap car in Kenya; there are plenty of unscrupulous organisations there.

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