Maasai Mara National Reserve

Maasai Mara National Reserve

The Maasai Mara National Reserve is Kenya’s flagship safari destination, an open expanse of rolling savannah in the country’s southwest that forms the northern extension of Tanzania’s Serengeti ecosystem. Named for the Maasai people who still graze cattle along its boundaries and for the Mara River that cuts through it, the reserve holds one of Africa’s highest densities of lion alongside healthy numbers of leopard, cheetah, elephant and buffalo.

From July to October the Mara becomes the stage for the Great Migration, as more than a million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebra cross the crocodile-filled Mara River in search of fresh grazing. Beyond the migration months, the reserve’s resident wildlife and open terrain make it one of the most reliable year-round game-viewing destinations on the continent, complemented by hot air balloon safaris at dawn and visits to nearby Maasai villages.

What to Expect

Most visitors spend three to four nights based in or around the reserve, combining morning and afternoon game drives with at least one full day near the Mara River during migration season. A sunrise hot air balloon flight followed by a champagne bush breakfast is a popular addition, as is a guided visit to a local Maasai village to learn about the community’s traditions and way of life.