By clicking ‘Accept’ you agree that we use Analytical cookies for gathering information about how our
website is used, as well as Advertising and social media cookies (including cookies from trusted
partners) to personalize our advertising campaigns and to allow you to share on social media.
About our use of cookies
Below you can decide which type of cookies you would like to keep switched on.
Open a list of all cookies
Functional cookies
Functional cookies are essential to using our website and cannot be switched off.
These cookies do not contain personal information and are not used for analytical or advertising purposes.ShowHide
description
Analytical cookies
(anonymous)
Analytical cookies gather anonymous information about how our website is used. The information collected
does not contain personal information, cannot be traced back to you, and
is not used for advertising purposes.
ShowHide
description
Advertising and social
media
cookies
Advertising and social media cookies (including cookies from trusted
partners) enable us to personalize our advertising campaigns, and enable you to share on social media.
ShowHide
description
Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guide to Kenya.
Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of the Lonely Planet guide to Kenya.
Anthony is the author of the Lonely Planet guide to Kenya.
Masai Mara National Reserve is one of Africa’s most famous parks. The wildlife viewing is superb throughout the year. The grassy plains and regular rainfall support a huge population of herbivores, in turn attracting many predators. All three big cats are relatively easy to see. The yearly wildebeest migration coming through the park is one of the world’s most amazing wildlife spectacles.
The Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is home to the annual wildebeest migration where 2.5 million wildebeest, zebra and gazelles follow the rains in search of new grass. They make their way from the Serengeti National Park (in northern Tanzania) to the Masai Mara somewhere around July and August, and usually arrive in September. The crossing of the Mara River along the way is one of the highlights of this spectacular event. They slowly head back into the Serengeti around October.
Wildlife
The Masai Mara is one of the best parks in Africa for seeing big cats. Even leopards are quite used to vehicles and you can see their natural behavior. Cheetahs inhabit the open savannah, hunting or eyeing off their next meal. Of the other Big Five, elephant and buffalo are also plentiful, but black rhino is trickier and they only roam in certain areas.
Grassland savannah dominates the landscape in the Masai Mara, but pockets of acacia woodland, riparian forest and rocky hills intersperse the plains. The Maasai word 'Mara', meaning spotted, refers to these dots in the landscape.
Weather & Climate
The Masai Mara has a generally mild climate that doesn’t deviate too much from a comfortable 25°C/77°F in the region’s Dry season (June to October). Variations in temperature are mainly due to changes in altitude in the park, with conditions getting cooler the higher you climb. The Wet season (November to May) comprises a shorter and a longer rainy period that are broken up by a brief dry spell.
The Dry season (June to October) is the best time to visit the Masai Mara. The roads haven’t yet deteriorated because of rain, and thirsty animals crowd around the local waterways. The last two months of the Dry season are often when the incredible annual wildebeest migration passes through. January and February, the interlude between the short and long rains of the Wet season, is also a good time.
Gemma authored several Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guides to Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and South Africa.
Cheap, cheerful and ideal for first-timers
3/5
Plenty of travel writers and tour operators can be a bit snobby about the Masai Mara. It’s East Africa’s most popular and best-known park, with easy access from Nairobi and a plethora of cheap accommodation options. All this combines to...