"How to See Masai Mara Game Reserve On... " a Masai Mara Game Reserve Travel Page by Waxbag

This is Africa; grassy plains that stretch for miles speckled with umbrella trees. Herds of animals march across the horizon silhouetted by a rich mixture of pinks and oranges that is the African setting sun. There is a constant singing of birds and humming of insects with the occasional screeching of baboons and moans of lions and hyenas in the distance. The sky is blue with puffy white clouds that create shadows on the otherwise sun-lit earth. The storms roll in quickly and the sky releases a steady stream of water to quench the parched earth. The Mara is an extension of the Serengeti and covers over 1500 sq km. It contains a staggering amount of game especially during the annual wildebeest migration. There are no fences around the reserves in Kenya and Tanzania allowing the animals to roam freely in search of new grasses for grazing. The Maasai people are indigenous to this region. They are very proud and despite government opposition and decreasing lands they continue to live a traditional lifestyle. Their livelihood depends on their livestock and now the tourism surrounding the reserve.

Check out our video at Masai Mara

If you are not too fond of being couped up in a tiny van and you like doing your own gamedrives, rent a car from the numerous outfits in Nairobi and drive to the reserve. Masai Mara is 4-5 hours from Nairobi. Half of the drive is on good road, the other half is bad as is the reserve itself. But, if you take it slow and be careful it is really doable. Check out my tips for more in depth information on how to do it yourself.

Once you have made it to the Mara, you can find budget accomodation near Talek gate, and base your drives from here. You can hire a guide to show you the roads. This is good because there are no signs on the roads and there are numerous tracks. It is easy to get lost. However, we didn't use a guide and slowly figured out the roads and tracks. If you are there a long time like we were, you get to know the park. You discover where the lions are and where the carcasses are. It doesn't take a naturalist to do this. It is incredibly rewarding to be independent and go where you like and spend as much time or as little as you like at each find along the way.

We will give you are insight on how to do this on your own. I wish the information was available to me when we went to Kenya. So we will do our best to provide it here if you too decide that the reason you are going to Kenya is to see great game, and you don't want to be hassled in Nairobi to take a tour, and 3 days in the park is just not enough!