It’s that time of the year when you’re worn out, probably nearing depression or stuck in a deep rut that you can’t seem to dig yourself out of. You’ve bills piling up; you’ve got mountains of paperwork, and the kids are in for the holidays. You feel so overwhelmed, and you’re wondering how to relieve the pressure.
Well, shake off all the bad energy and pack up for one of the best safari’s you’ll ever be on: the World famous Masai Mara.
It’s a much-loved Safari destination in Kenya, and it comprises a stretch of gently rolling African grassland situated in the southwest part of Kenya, bordering the Serengeti National park in Tanzania.
Unlike other reserves and parks, Masai Mara offers you fascinating, thrilling, and picture-worthy activities to engage in, and here are some of them:
1. Audacious Game Drive
If you’re a city dweller, you know how suffocating and tedious the traffic and the hustling and bustling can be. Maasai Mara offers a chance to breathe in the fresh air, relax in the warm sun, and enjoy the wonders of Mother Nature.
With the vast varieties of wildlife, Kenya’s Maasai Mara is a savannah land flourishing with the Big Game and several distinctive animal species. Some even say this is Lion King’s and his posse’s Kingdom. So don’t miss out!
If you love the wild, you’ll choose to go into Maasai Mara’s savannah grassland where you’ll encounter some spectacular scenes of herds of zebras, antelopes, elephants, lions, giraffes, buffalos, rhinos and other few and far between animals crossing the Mara river, grazing or hunting.
While leaving behind the tedious cities and entering the pure lands of Masai Mara is an exceptional experience in itself, the adventurous safari will leave you in the middle of one the most hassle-free, pure and eye-catching natural reserves of the world.
That feeling is something worth experiencing. Not even this article can purely express the immense beauty that is Masai Mara reserve.
Oh! The still climate in the morning and evening, the warm sun touching your skin, the cool breeze blowing your hair strands, and the crispness of the natural canvas keep you clicking pictures.
Don’t get bewildered if you’re at a loss of words to describe this gift of nature!
2. The Tribes of Maasai Mara
A drive to Masai Mara isn’t complete without a visit to the tribes of the Mara. You’ve got to immerse yourself in the unique culture of the surrounding communities.
Yes! Driving through the unique manyatta villages and mingling with the Maasai gives you a whole new perspective of life. Their deep-rooted culture will provide you with a tiny weeny bit of fascination. You might even catch yourself staring!
They’re one of the tribes in the world that haven’t thrown away the ways of their ancestors to the winds, and this is definitely something you must experience for yourself!
The thrilling site of masculine Maasai men jumping, dancing, and the sultry rhythmic voices of the women will have you swaying your body. Even more impressive is that these dances are a ritual of the right to passage for the boys and older men.
They live close to park, and thus they largely depend on livestock and limited food available in the wild. One of the most recognizable traits of the Maasai living in this region is that they’ve have tenacious yet conventional survival skills and bravery.
You’re already falling in love with the richness and rawness of their culture, aren’t you?
Well, it’s even better when you get to the ground and enjoy the vastness of the culture and the warmness of the people. So book a visit now!
3. Thrilling Set of Activities
Apart from the rich culture of the nomadic people and the mind-blowing game drives, Maasai Mara also throws in a couple of family-fun and thrill-bone testing adventures that you’ll love. There are the hot air balloon flights over the plains where you can see wildlife down below and even travel, virtually, to the fertile lands of Tanzania, by glimpsing at the Serengeti.
It is one romantic and once in a lifetime experience. They take place at dawn and can be a bit costly yet just so worth the price. You won’t regret it!
There are also nature walks in the central Mara reserve though you can only take the longer treks and exhilarating walking safaris in conservancies outside the central sanctuary.
You can also go the Texas way, be one with nature, and enjoy the charm of romantic experiences with the Horseback Safaris that are only offered by limited operators in the more extensive Mara ecosystem.
Last but not least, there is a certain kind of primal joy that comes with enjoying a juicy meal in the raw wilderness of the African savannah. So you can have picture-worthy picnics in the wilds of Africa, enjoy bush meals around a bonfire with entertainment like light music or tribal dance performances and take a breather at the end of the day, the sundowner, with your favorite drink in hand, the company of friends or partner and a gorgeous sunset unfolding right before your eyes.
Maasai Mara Itinerary Overview
· How to Get There
Masai Mara Game Reserve is approximately 280 km west from the busy city of Nairobi, and there are two ways to get there. You can either chose to drive or fly.
If you decide to drive there, you’ll probably take around 5-6 hours if you’re in Nairobi. The road is smooth and tarmacked. In Narok you’ll at stopover if you need food, the restroom, and snacks. From the stopover you’ll then head to Sekenani Gate which will take you about 2-3.5 hours dependent on your vehicle.
The road is broken up and has many potholes so special attention is required. So we recommend having a 4×4 vehicle since they are the best for the dirt roads.
If you choose to fly, some companies can take you there, and it’ll take about 40-45 minutes from Nairobi. You can also opt to get a chartered flight into the Mara Ecosystem. It’s so far the best since safari operator organizes it.
· The Best Time to Visit
Basically Masai Mara is an all-year-round kind of safari, so there’s practically no ‘best time’ to visit if you need to have a single game drive.
However, most people are fascinated by the ‘Great Wildebeest Migration’ and the best time to visit the Masai Mara for this famous spectacle is between July/early August and the end of November although due to unpredictable rainfall patterns, the exact timing differs from year to year.
Some years, the rains might be early and the wildebeest disappear more quickly; and there are times, late rain means you’ll still find ‘stragglers’ (the last of the migrating wildebeest) chilling out with the ‘residents’ (the wildebeest who stay put year-round and don’t see the need for migrating).
· The Costs
There are several factors that influence how much you’ll pay for your Masai Mara Safari Packages cost.
Some of these include:
a]The number of persons travelling; When you travel as a group you’re bound to share costs thus making it cheaper for you than if you choose to travel as couple or by yourself.
Also, dependent on the ages of the children who are on the trip, that’s also bound to affect the cost. Children below the age 12 will pay a reduced cost compared to adults.
b] The season you’re travelling; prices tend to be high during the peak season which is typically during the wildebeest migration. Peak season months are July to October. Therefore, if you’re on a budget, avoid the peak season.
So, don’t let the pressures of the world weigh you down and book a visit to this magnificent destination. There is quite a lot to discover and numerous activities to engage in. It was not after all crowned as the ‘The Jewel of Kenya’s Wildlife’ for nothing, was it?
Therefore, pack those bags, book those tickets, and get you and your family, friends or ‘bae’ to this unforgettable destination. We promise you won’t have enough of it!
