Masai Mara National Reserve

Much to see during a short time.

In the summer of 2011 I worked as a volunteer in Kenya. During that time I and seven other volunteers went together from a Friday to a Saturday to Masai Mara and I must say that this was one of the highlights of my six weeks long stay in Kenya. I have heard before that this national park is a good one, but still it exceeded my expectations.

After entering the gate we saw a lot of gnus and zebras together in flocks. Two of the gnus butted each other and I immediately realize that this trip would be something special. The savannah of the park was open and because of that the sight of animals is good. It only took thirty minutes before we encountered lions. Then it was also possible to drive two meters close to them and I could shoot really nice pictures. During the time in Masai Mara we came to see many lions; flocks of lions, young lions, a lion eating gnu and even grown-up lion males.

However, we came to see a lot more and at the end we had seen almost all animals that one can imagine to see when going for safari. There was only exception; the rhino. Rhinos are the rarest animals in Masai Mara, but it happens quite frequently that they are observed in the park. Consequently, we had bad luck with respect to that, but because everything else was so good I am more than satisfied with the wildlife in the park. There is also a river, where we could see a lot of hippos and crocodiles. At some places it was possible to leave the vehicle and when we ate in free air, a baboon came and wanted our food. The driver did not let him come to close, but I went against his will quite close to the monkey anyway and this was really an amazing encountering. I also liked that we could face cheetahs and some leopards sitting in top of trees, but as I mentioned we saw every kind of animal except the rhino. As implied we were for three days in the park and I would recommend not be there less than that, because the park is huge and there is so much to see. I am interested in photographing and I must admit that the best photos ever taken by my come from this trip.

We lived in Entumoto Safari Camp. The camp consisted of sturdy tents, each suited for two people. I had no problems sleeping there, but I must say that the food was not good. One day we got Spaghetti Bolognese and unfortunately it only consisted of ground beef and water. I had expected some dessert, but we never got any. What I liked about the accommodation is that the camp is guarded by Maasai people. During first evening we sat around a camp fire and heard their stories and experiences of life. We also heard a lion roaring quickly the Maasai guards started to see what was going on. The last day we also got invited to visit a Maasai village. The guards took us there. I am not against paying 1000 Kenyan shilling for that, but I did not like that they did not tell us that before they started to take us there, but first at the entrance. There was also a market in the village, but sadly the same low quality souvenirs as anywhere else in the country were sold there. I think that the Maasais can be seen as real Maasais, but the thing is just that their presence in the park has become to commercialized.

The price for the trip was good and everything was included in the price. Unfortunately, the contact person from the travel company was rude. She told us that everything was included in the price, but when the driver noticed that the entrance fee was increased, we became forced to compensate for that. When we drove home, the driver stopped by the road and bought a sack of dried leaves as fuel for his stove at home. I found it unprofessional doing personal errands when being on duty.

To summarize I am very satisfied with the wildlife experiences of Masai Mara. I could really recommend other tourists to go to this park. Concerning food and accommodation I am not complaining, because we as volunteers chose a low-budget option and we got what we paid for. If you would like to also experience good food during the evenings and good accommodation, which I actually think could be a pleasant part of a safari trip, I would like to recommend you to investigate the offerings of hotels in the park or other camps.

It was amazing

It was so amazing especially the wild beast crossing the river to the other side plus the weather not forgetting the tour guide it's place would like to visit again

The park has an abundance of wildlife but leopards are a very rare sighting.

Wildlife - stunning!
Organizational aspects take down the experience...

The beautiful scenes is hardly described in one word

The most famous national reserve of Kenya

Masai Mara is a great park with loads of wildlife. Lion sightings are basically guaranteed, cheetahs and leopards less so. The park is accessible around the year and more quiet and peaceful ourside the wildebeest migration, busiest months being July-September. Also, if you don't like seeing 20 cars chasing a cheetah, try to avoid going there on Kenyan holidays (esp. Christmas-New Year time), and even better, try to go in the middle of the week, when locals and expats in Kenya stay at work in Nairobi. The Mara Triagle is on the western side of the main park, accesible with the same ticket and more quiet.

Easy to travel around. Lots of wildlife. Nice Sopa lodge.

+ good access
+ lots of animals, we saw Buffalo, Zebra, Giraffe, Wildebeest, Rhino, cheetah, hyena, lions and many deers.
+ Amazing views over Savanah
+ Crocoldile river-centre + walking trail
- limited facilities in the parc such as restaurant/picknick area/washrooms.

Beautiful scenery, especially at sunrise, but we were mobbed by peddlers at the gate. This, however, was quickly forgotten when we saw the amazing variety of animals there! It definitely exceeded my expectations!

You can see the big 5, there're lots of animals in this park as it is the big one. However the scenic beauty is not as amazing as in Amboseli or Lake Nakuru.