Masai Mara National Reserve

Pros & Cons

• Excellent wildlife viewing throughout the year
• Annual wildebeest migration (usually September and October)
• Open savannah makes for easy wildlife spotting
• Wide variety of accommodation for different budgets
• Hot-air balloon safaris
• The park gets busy, especially during high season
• Access road is bad so a fly-in safari is recommended
• Roads can be in terrible condition, especially after rain

The Wildebeest Migration

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.

• More about Masai Mara's wildlife

Scenery

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.

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Best Time To Visit

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.

• More about the best time to visit

Want To Visit Masai Mara NR?

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