Tourist Attractions in Masai Mara National Reserve is one of the most famous reserves and wildlife habitats in Africa and Kenya as well, there reserve is globally known for its exceptional wildlife and the annual wildebeest migration which is the largest movement of wildlife on earth often referred to as “Wildlife World Cup”. Masai Mara national reserve comprises of only 0.01% of Africa’s total landmass and regardless of its size, the reserve inhabits 40% of Africa’s larger mammals. Across the endless plains, tourists will be able to witness the large herds of wildebeests, gazelles and zebras taking part in the annual wildebeest migration, lions, cheetahs and elephants among others.
LOCATION OF MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE
Masai Mara national reserve lies in the Great Rift Valley, a fault line of about 3,500 miles long stretching from Ethiopia’s Red Sea through Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and into Mozambique. Here the valley is wide and a towering escarpment and it can be seen in the hazy distance.
Masai Mara national reserve is located in the southern region of Kenya in Narok County, about 224 kilometers from Nairobi the capital of Kenya, Tourist Attractions in Masai Mara National Reserve.
Masai Mara national reserve covering an area of 25,000 square kilometers is located in a semi-arid area and is dominated by the open savannah grasslands dotted with circles of the Acacia trees. The reserve borders the Great Rift Valley Escarpments and borders Serengeti national park with whom the form the Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem – the world’s oldest ecosystem.
In Masai Mara national reserve, the wildlife are at the liberty to move outside the reserve into huge areas which are known as dispersal areas. At the boundaries of the reserve, there are Masai villages which are located in the dispersal areas and they have for over centuries developed a synergetic relationship with the wildlife.
Masai Mara national reserve has 4 main types of terrain that is
- The Ngama Hills to the East – with sandy soil and leafy bushes which are favored by black rhinos in the area
- Oloololo Escarpment – forming the western boundary of the reserve and rising at a magnificent plateau
- Mara Triangle – bordering the Mara River with lush grassland and acacia woodlands supporting masses of game especially the migration wildebeests.
- The Central plains – forming the largest part of the Masai Mara national reserve with scattered bushes and boulders on rolling grassland favored by the plains game, Tourist Attractions in Masai Mara National Reserve.
WILDLIFE AND MIGRATION
Masai Mara national reserve is best known for the annual great migration which takes place every year from July to September, in this period of the year the savannah plains are dotted more than 1.5 million wildebeest, zebras, Thomson and Grant’s gazelles and antelopes that migrate from Serengeti national park to the plains of Masai Mara in search for food and water.
Masai Mara national reserve and Serengeti national reserve are interdependent wildlife havens making up the Mara – Serengeti ecosystem, the movement of the herds are centered around the wildebeest migrating from Serengeti into Masai Mara during the dry people in Tanzania crossing the Mighty Mara River along the way.
The Great wildebeest migration is one of the world’s natural astonishing spectacles comprising of more than 1.5 million wildebeests and ten thousands of zebras, gazelles and antelopes. The migration constitutes the last surviving multi-species migration on the planet.
Masai Mara national reserve inhabits an abundance of wildlife including the big Five “lions, leopards, cape buffaloes, rhinos and elephants”, other wildlife species include giraffe, cheetah, hippos, Nile crocodiles, aardvark, Aardwold, African Hare, Banded Mongoose among others.
THE GREAT MIGRATION SEASON
The Great migration is one of the main attractions in Masai Mara national reserve, from the end of July on words, millions of herds which have just arrived scatter the great plains of the reserve thus making this Natural Wonder of the World even more wondrous until they head back into Serengeti in December.
The life cycle of The Great Migration is similar to the circle of life of all living creatures, the wildebeest spend their loves wandering unwearyingly trekking between the Serengeti in the south to the Masai Mara in the North. Every sequence in the wildebeest’s life happens in accordance with mother Earth, their migratory routes are determined by the rain patterns. The wildebeests wander in a constant pursuit of water and fresh grass, the calving instincts of the wildebeests are timed to the movements of the moon, resulting in a 3-week-long birth fest on the Serengeti plains in February.
The arrival and departure of the wildebeests in Maasai Mara national reserve shapes the lives of many other species living in the reserve, for the predators, the arrival of the wildebeests marks the beginning of a time of feasting and prosperity. The big cats in particular thrive during the migration season, the availability of prey means that the lions, cheetahs and leopards are able to grow strong and produce healthy offspring.
The dramatic contrast between life and death to be witnessed during the annual Great migration makes the Migration season a particularly spectacular time to visit Masai Mara national reserve in Kenya.
ACCOMMODATION IN MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE
In Masai Mara national reserve, there is a variety of accommodation options for visitors on a Kenya safari to choose from, these accommodations range from luxury, midrange and budget and they include
- Mahali Mzuri lodge
- Sarova Mara game camp
- Angama Mara camp
- Sand River Masai Mara by Elewana
- Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp
- Cottars 1920s Safari camp
- Elewana Sand River Camp
- AA Mara Lodge
- Ol Talek Kinyei Camp among others
