The Masai Mara National Reserve is in Kenya’s Great Rift Valley. It is mostly made up of open farmland. There is a Serengeti National Park right next to it, and the annual Great Migration takes place there. Malai Mara got its name from the Maasai people who live there.

Malai Mara is where you can meet the Maasai people.

The Maasai have lived here since a very long time ago, when they moved here from the Nile Basin. Maa, the language of the Maasai people, says that Mara means “spotted.” It’s about the many short, bushy trees that you see all over the savannah lands as you drive through the park. There is a town in the Masai Mara where you can see how the Maasai people live.

The Great Migration

More than 95 types of animals and more than 400 types of birds live in the National Reserve. Most of the wildlife lives along the reserve’s cliffs. Going to Masai Mara in August through the middle of October is the best time to see the big migration of wildebeests, zebras, gazelles, antelopes, and impalas.

They probably crossed from Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, which is across the border, by that time. Over 2.5 million animals take part in this yearly wildebeest migration. The animals are crossing the dangerous Mara River in large groups to get to fresh grass on the other side. There are already crocodiles in the water waiting. You should not miss this thrilling show!

Masai Mara, also known as the Mara Triangle

The Masai Mara Triangle is one of the best places in the world to see wildlife, so lots of people go there. This area is shaped like the Mara River. People make their way from the Serengeti to the Masai Mara through this area first. There are a lot of animals that you can see here. The Masai Mara is home to the famous “Big Five” animals: the elephant, the lion, the leopard, the rhinoceros, and the buffalo.

You might also see bat-eared foxes, cheetahs, servals, hyenas, and black-backed and side-striped jackals. Aside from zebras, hippos, baboons, warthogs, topis, elands, Thomson’s gazelles, Grant’s gazelles, impalas, waterbucks, oribis, reed-bucks, and more, the Mara Triangle is home to many other animals.

Things to do in the Masai Mara

Seeing games
Drives at night to see wildlife
Go on a balloon safari or visit a Maasai culture village.
Bush breakfast, lunch, or dinner

How to get there

A 45-minute trip from Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, will get you to the Masai Mara. The different parts of the Masai Mara can be reached by a number of airstrips.

From Tanzania, it’s hard to get to Masai Mara because there isn’t a customs office close.

The weather

Days can get very hot (30°C) during the dry season, which lasts from June to November and February to March. A lot of rain falls from November to May, with the most in December and January and April and May. During this time, temperatures often drop to 20°C. Most of the time, it doesn’t rain all day; mornings are sunny, and clouds start to gather in the afternoons and nights.

Time to go to Masai Mara at its best

If you want to see the great migration, you should go to the Masai Mara between August and the middle of October. When you compare it to Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, this is the only time it’s better.