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Kenya - Masai Mara Safari Holiday -
The Masai Mara Reserve
See the outline map of Kenya showing where Masai Mara National Park is.
If you are looking to have a Masai Mara safari holiday in The Masai Mara reserve, it is situated on the south western border of Kenya with Tanzania about a five hour drive from Nairobi to the Sekenani or Narok entrances to the park. A flight by light aircraft takes about an hour (give or take 15 minutes) depending on the airstrip availability.
Many people come on a Masai Mara safari holiday for the annual wildebeest (Gnu) migration which usually occurs about July and August for the crossing through into the Masai Mara reserve from the Serengeti in Tanzania. Then the herds are resident here usually until about mid October then they migrate back to the Serengeti plains again. This is the main spectacle of the Masai Mara reserve, so you will probably have to book early - about one year in advance - just to get your accommodation at this time. The Masai Mara reserve becomes absolutely packed to the gunwales!
The rest of the year the Masai Mara is pretty much like any other  of Kenya's National Parks, except for the Masai tribes people themselves. But even they have learned to frequent the other parks around Kenya - for the photo tips!
The Masai Mara climate is as changeable as the rest of Kenya - April, May and November are usually the rainy season months here, with July through September being the cooler months and February and March bringing hotter temperatures. The Masai Mara is really is an all year round destination, with opportunities to see the big cats along with every type of resident game - Most people want to avoid the worst of the rainy season, and some of the many excellent Masai Mara safari camps and lodges do close during this time. One health warning - The Masai Mara is a malarial area, so take precautions.
Organised Masai Mara safaris can be taken by 4WD, Mini-bus, horseback, hot-air balloon or even on foot! There are cultural elements in the area as this is the traditional homeland of the Kenya Masai tribal people and home of the black maned lion..
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