Masai Mara, safari destination

Masai Mara It is a great safari destination and attracts travelers from all over the world. For those who delight in the large fauna, there is no better activity than doing a safari through the African lands, under the burning sun of the day and a beautiful starry sky at night.

Masai Mara is in kenya and is part of a very popular region, the Serengeti National Park. If one of your dreams is to know Africa, then today we will know this exceptional natural reserve.

Masai Mara

Like we said, it's in Kenya, in Narok County, and It is named after the Masai tribe that inhabits this part of the country and by the Mara river. Originally, in the 60s when Kenya was still a colony, it was designated as a wildlife sanctuary.

Later that sanctuary was expanded to cover other areas that the animals used to move between Mara and the Serengeti. Total occupies about 1.510 square kilometers, although formerly it was larger. There are three major areas, Sekenani, Musiara and the Mara Triangle..

The reserve is characterized by its Flora and fauna. The flora has acacias and the fauna, although it occupies the entire reserve, is more concentrated where the water is present and that is in the western part of the reserve. Here basically live the animals that every postcard in Africa should have: lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo and Rinocerontes. There's also hyenas, hippos and cheetahs and of course, wildebeest. There are thousands of them.

We add gazelles, zebras, giraffes and hundreds of species of birds. And what can the tourist do in the reserve? Well, Masai Mara is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Kenya in particular and Africa in general. Visits are usually concentrated in the Mara Triangle which is where wildlife most abounds.

This area is at 1.600 meters of altitude and has a rainy season which goes from November to May, with a peak of rainfall between December and January and between April and May. The dry season is from June to November. The maximum temperature is around 30º C and the minimum around 20º C.

To the Mara Triangle accessed by two runways always open, no matter the weather. They are Mara Serena and Kichwa Tembo. The main access road crosses Narok and the Sekenani Gate. Within this area is the offer of accommodation.

If you have money, there is expensive accommodation, such as Mara Serena that offers 150 comfortable beds or Little Governor's Camp, with 36 luxury beds. These two accommodations are the only ones within the Mara Triangle. On the periphery are Mpata Club, Olonana, Mara Syria, Kilima Camp and Kichwa Tembo.

The best time of year to go on safari is between July and October, at the time of migration. At the beginning of November and February there are also wonderful natural scenes, but if you can go in those months it is better. Then there are usually car trips at night, visits to the Maasai villages to learn about the culture of this people, balloon flights, dinners under the stars ...

The Masai or Maasai are one of the emblematic tribes of Africa. This nomadic tribe is traditionally dedicated to herding and is very famous for its traditional red clothing and colorful shukas, the decoration of their bodies. African culture and African fauna, the best combination when thinking about going on a safari.

Thinking then of safaris, the reserve offers one of the best experiences because as we said it has all the emblematic animals of the continent. Those Big Five turn into migration season, July through September, into the Big Nine, but sure, a safari is great anytime. Right now They are already taking reservations for the 2021 and 2022 safaris, from cheap to luxurious.

These safaris can be by land or by plane. Road safaris are very popular and generally start and end in Nairobi. Obviously, in 4 × 4 vehicles or in minibuses. The tour between Nairobi and Masai Mara takes between five and six hourss, depending on which area you are going to stay in within the reserve. The advantage of doing this type of safari is that it is cheaper than the plane and that you can see the Kenyan landscapes in the first person and very close. The disadvantage is that you go by land ...

Prices? Prices vary depending on the length of the trip, but a safari by route, economic version, goes from 400 to 600 dollars; intermediate version up to $ 845 and luxury version up to approximately $ 1000.

For a four-day safari, prices start at $ 665 and go up to $ 1200 (intermediate version), up to the luxury trip that can go up to $ 2600. A five-day safari is between $ 800 and $ 1600 and so on, all the way to the seven-day safari. The safari week has more or less the same prices as the five and six day trips, so if you have time the whole week is convenient.

Now with respect to airplane safaris or Flying Safaris, they are very convenient too because by plane you join Nairobi with Masai Mara in one hour. There are flights twice a day and if you leave in the morning you arrive at the camp at lunchtime. Rates? A two-day airplane safari costs between $ 800 and $ 950, a three-day safari between $ 990 and $ 1400 and a four-day safari between $ 2365 and $ 3460.

Whether you opt for one type of safari or another, the vehicles used on land are of two types, the authorized ones: Toyota Landcruiser jeeps and minibuses. Both have roofs that can be opened to contemplate the African lands and both also have radios that keep them in communication with the park rangers. The accommodation offer is variedIt all depends on the budget, you have camps that are five stars and other simpler ones and even private rental houses.

So basically a safari in the Masai Mara Reserve can include jeep rides, balloon flights, visiting the Masai villages, hiking, horseback riding and romantic dinnerss under the stars in the campgrounds. It is knowing, seeing African animals and landscapes first-hand.

One last piece of information, a fee is paid to enter the reserve It will depend on where the accommodation you chose is located. If you stay inside, the entrance is 70 dollars per adult for 24 hours and 430 for children under 12 years old. If the other way around, you stay outside the main reserve, the entrance will cost $ 80 for 24 hours and $ 45 per child.

This rate applies to the Narok side and the Mara Conservation, in the western corridor of the reserve. Luckily these costs are included in the final price of the safaris.


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