Masai Mara National Reserve
Maasai Mara National Reserve is one of the largest game reserves in Kenya, widely considered to be Africa’s greatest wildlife reserve (also known as Masai Mara and by the locals as The Mara). Maasai Mara National Reserve stretches 1,510 square kilometers (580 square miles) and raises 1,500-2,170 meters (4920-7120 feet) above sea level. Contiguous with the plains of the Serengeti, the Mara is home to a breathtaking array of life. The Mara Game Reserve is known all over the world for a wide range of wild animals such as the ” big five ” (lion, leopard, African elephant, cape buffalo, and black rhinoceros) and other popular species like zebra, giraffe, hyena, cheetah, wildebeest, eland and Thomson’s gazelle.
It is named in honor of the Maasai people (the ancestral inhabitants of the area) and their description of the area when looked at from afar: “Mara” means “spotted” in the local Maasai language of Maa, due to the many trees which dot the landscape. The reserve is managed by The County Goverment of Narok and the local Maasai community has been involved in the conservation efforts to contain poaching and other illegal activities.
How To Get To Masai Mara: Journey From Nairobi To Masai Mara Reserve
Here we list the best ways of getting to Masai Mara from Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. The road distance from Nairobi to Masai Mara Game Reserve is about 225 kilometers ( 140 miles ) to the nearest entry point, though this differs depending on which entry gate you plan to access. One of the most common questions from tourists is how long is the drive from Nairobi to Masai Mara. So the road trip from Nairobi to the reserve takes about 6 hours, and this is to one of the nearer entry gates in the Mara, on the Narok side of the reserve such as Sekenani, Talek or Oloolaimutia gates. This 6 hour journey includes a couple of brief stops. The entry gates on the western side of the reserve such as Musiara or Oloololo take about 30 minutes longer using a different route which turns west onto the B3 highway towards Bomet, just after passing Narok town. Road conditions are poor in places with the last 75 kms to the reserve being on a bumpy gravel road.
Flying to Masai Mara is a more convenient option, being only about a 1 hour flight from Wilson Airport in Nairobi to a variety of different airstrips in the Mara.
Listed below is relevant information on how to reach Masai Mara by road and air from Nairobi with information also on how to reach Masai Mara and Kenya from overseas, such as from USA, UK, Canada, Europe, Australia India and Dubai UAE. You may contact us for international flight options.