Maasai Mara National Reserve

The Masai Mara was first established in 1961 and forms the northernmost section of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem. The name ‘Masai Mara’ is derived from the words ‘Massai’ referring to the Maasai people, the ancestral inhabitants of this region, and ‘Mara’, which means ‘spotted land’ in Maa (the Maasai language), due to the desert date trees dotted across the savannah. The Masai Mara is widely regarded as the best protected area in Kenya with outstanding wildlife viewing all year round.

Zebras in The Maasai Mara

Notable sightings:

• From July to November each year, the Masai Mara hosts the Great Migration of 2.5 million wildebeest.
• The Masai Mara has the highest density of lion in Kenya and is one of the best places to see this iconic cat while the rest of the Big 5, elephant, buffalo, rhino, and leopard, are also a common sight.
• Hot-air balloon over the Masai Mara and watch wildlife glide by beneath you, giving you a different perspective of this beautiful landscape.
• The Mara Conservancies, land leased from Maasai landowners, not only offer excellent game viewing, night drives and bush walks but are also sole use areas giving you exclusivity like nowhere else in the Masai Mara.