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MAASAI MARA GAME RESERVE

Things to Do in and around the Masai Mara Reserve

* Game Drives: If you have flown straight to the Masai Mara Reserve then your safari package will usually include several daily game drives. If you've rented your own vehicle then it is recommended you find a map of the reserve or take an askari (guard) with you.

* Walking Safaris: If you enjoy a little adventure try a walking safari with a Maasai guide. The best ones are outside the reserve boundaries.

* Cultural Tours with the Maasai: Visiting a traditional Maasai village or enkang is frequently included in a safari package to the Masai Mara. While not really an authentic experience you may learn something about the Maasai. You can also take some excellent cultural tours to learn more about the Maasai.

* Hot Air Ballooning: a popular pastime that provides an expensive but unique experience. Every lodge and camp will be able to set up a flight for you. The balloons usually fly at dawn and last about an hour. Upon landing most balloon companies offer a champagne breakfast.

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Romantik Safaris & Travel Ltd.
Wabera Street, City House,

5th Floor, Suite 1, 

P.O. BOX 9494 (00300), Nairobi, Kenya

 Tel: +254(020)2409606,      Cell: +254(0722)782201 Fax: +254(020)312618

E-Mail:  info@romantiksafaris.com or romantiksafaris@hotmail.com

“ …….. a taste of African hospitality”

The Maasai Mara Game Reserve is widely considered to be Africa's greatest wildlife reserve. The Mara comprises 200 sq miles of open plains, woodlands and riverine forest. The Mara is part of a massive ecosystem, contiguous with the plains of the Serengeti, which stretches across the border into Tanzania.

The prime interest for most visitors to this area, obviously, is to see wildlife. The sheer volume and variety of the Mara will certainly not disappoint. If visiting the Mara from July through October, visitors should take the opportunity to witness one of the world's greatest natural spectacles, the Great Wildebeest Migration from the Serengeti. Each year 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. On the southern plains of the Mara the herds make a spectacular entrance in a massive, surging column of life that makes a breathtaking spectacle.

One of the best vantage points is on the banks of the Mara River, to see the herds making their mass crossings through the wild, crocodile infested waters.The herds of the Mara attract plenty of predators. This is the best place in all of Kenya to see Lions. Whether on the hunt or at rest in family groups, Lions are a very common sight throughout the reserve. Cheetah are also often seen here, as are Hyena and smaller predators such as Jackals.

A safari through the Mara lets the visitor experience several different habitats in a single day. On the wide open grasslands you can travel through huge herds of Zebra, Giraffe, Gazelle, and Topi. The attendant predators are a continual presence among the herds. Around the waters of the Musiara Swamp elephants can be found seeking refuge from the heat. Travelling along the banks of the Mara and Talek there are excellent river views of Hippos and Crocodiles, while the riverine forests abound with Birdlife and Monkeys.

          The best time to see game in the Mara is early morning and late afternoon. In the midday heat, most animals generally retreat to the cool of thick undergrowth and become invisible. Morning and afternoon game drives also allow you to witness the unforgettable African dawn and sunsets.The most common means of Game viewing here is in customized vehicles. These vehicles usually have open roofs or sides and are ideal for photography. There are a series of maintained roads throughout the reserve. Some safari companies offer all day game drives, stopping for a riverside picnic in the midday heat.

Other lodges and camps arrange escorted walks through the bush. This is an ideal way to explore this wilderness, and experience the wildlife at ground level. Sometimes specialized hides and viewing platforms are established in the grounds of lodges or camps.

For a truly unique perspective on this spectacular wilderness, dawn Balloon safaris, carried out daily from several lodges, can be booked through most Safari companies. This incredible once in a lifetime experience offers the visitor a fantastic view of the great plains of the Mara, and the chance to drift unobtrusively over the great herds below.

While the massive herds and predators are the Mara's great attraction, there is also a wealth of birdlife, reptiles, primates and small mammals to be seen. Taking your time to experience the Mara as a whole will give you a much better appreciation of the diversity and intricacies of this fascinating eco-system. There has been some recent of African Wild Dogs (Lyacon Pictus- sometime known as the Cape Hunting Dog) in the Northern Mara. One of the most endangered African predators, the wild dog has been believed by many to have vanished from this area. The recent sightings are a hopeful sign for the return of this rare and beautiful predator to the plains.

SEASONS

Altitude is 4,875-7,052 feet (1,500-2,170 metres) above sea level, which yields a climate somewhat milder and damper than other regions. The daytime rarely exceeds 85°F (30°C) during the day and hardly ever drops below 60°F (15°C) at night.

Rainy Season: It rains in April and May and again November and this can cause some areas of the Mara to be inaccessible due to the sticky 'black cotton' mud. Dry Season: July to October is dry and the grass is long and lush after the rains. This is a good time to come and see the huge herds of migratory herbivores. Hottest time: The warmest time of year is December and January. Coldest Time: June and July are the coldest months.

MASAI MARA SPECIALITIES

· Wildebeest Migration · Hot Air Ballooning · Huge savannahs of golden grasslands · Big skies · Rift Valley escarpment · Lion sightings

FACTS

This is a malarial area The reserve covers an area of ??m² (1,510 km²) There is no night driving and vehicles must be back at the lodge by 6pm. Several lodges are located outside the park's boundaries, but as there are few fences you may not be aware of this. This is a Reserve rather than a National Park and it belongs to the Masai people.

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