Masai Mara National Reserve

Should be No.1 on any nature lover's bucket list

Returned to the Mara with my wife and four children after working in Kenya 21 yeara ago. We wanted to share our amazing experience all that time ago with our kids and the Mara certainly did not disappoint. Despite not seeing all of the Big 5 this time around we did get to see some fantastic animals up close. These included a mother with 3 baby cheetahs and 3 lion brothers stalking a herd of zebra. The undoubted highlight was a balloon safari over the savannah with Hot Air Safaris. This took off early so we could see the sun rise over Tanzania and Andrew the Captain managed to guide the balloon over a larg herd of startled elephants. Upon landing the 16 passengers were treated to the most amazing Champagne breakfast on the plain under the shade of a tree. We stayed at Ilkiliani Camp and were spoilt rotten by the staff there as the tourist numbers were down due to negative media reports regarding ebola and terrorism. Don't let this put you off going to this most wonderful place on earth which is far away from all the reported incidents. These are having an unnecessary detrimental impact on the wonderful people of this unmissable country.

Premier Safari Experience in the World

When it comes to African safari's, there is just no comparison to the Masai Mara/Serengeti. This region is home to one of the last remaining expansive wild frontiers with herds of game animals in the millions and a combined territory of thousands of km of untouched natural bush. The variety of game animals is unmatched, all the Big 5 can be viewed in a single day, birds, crocodiles, the annual migration... Furthermore, the cultural aspect of being in traditional Masai territory and being exposed to the Masai people and way of life adds another element of interest to the whole experience. This park is certainly not a secret, however due to the expansive size and the abundance of game life, it doesnt ever feel crowded or like a large zoo, how some smaller fenced in game parks can feel. The sense of adventure from driving across the expansive plains, through rivers and viewing unique animal interactions is unmatched.

truly the adventure of a lifetime wonderful reception wherever we visited very friendly country

Our guide really went the extra mile to make it so special very impressed with accomodation and quality of food...highlight was the balloon trip at the break of dawn....fantastic variety of wildlife at every turn...

Lots of varied landscapes in the Mara. Wildlife exceptional. Again excellent accommodation and welcome

Magnificent, incredible landscape and an unbundance of wildlife

We absolutely loved the Masai Mara due to the vast and picturesque landscape and the diversity and abundance of wildlife. We stayed in a tented camp which was fantastic and extremely comfortable it was exhilarating being woken in the middle of the night by the sounds of lions, hyenas and grazing hippos right next to our tent, what a fantastic experience. Our personal guide was a Masai who knew everything about the Mara from the plants to the fabulous creatures who inhabit this wonderful place, we were generally the first to spot wildlife either in the savannah or in trees, we were very fortunate enough to see fresh kills, water crossing and 4 of the Big 5, no Rhino sighting however we did get to see a Rhino in the Serengeti. This is definitely a part of Africa that I will be coming back to.

The hundreds of thousands of Wildebeast keep the cat population well fed!

We saw 4 out of the Big five. The scenery was enjoyable. The weather was pleasant. The accommodations were much nicer than my own home. The menu alone had me salivating long before our meals arrived. Transportation was a standard Landrover set up. Our guide had learned from his father so, there were very few stones left unturned. Many, many Lions feasting on Wildebeast!

My favourite out of seven

We have had two safaris in Kenya and the Mara reserve is by far the best. The reason is that you are not totally restricted to roads as in other parks in Kenya and Tanzania. Being able to drive further into the bush, you are more likely to be able to spot and photograph the animals at a closer range. On almost every drive there were so many animals to see and the rangers keep each other informed. On occasions there may be several vans grouping round a kill or an unusual animal such as a leopard but more often than not we got to view one completely on our own. One day we observed a cheetah for an hour and a half and there were no other vehicles. She eventually got up, chased and killed a young Thomson gazelle. Unfortunate for the gazelle but great for our video. We stayed at the Ashnil Mara which was superb. The tented accommodations are unbelievably good and so was the food. Our guide was from Kenya Espresso Safaris based in Niarobi and I would highly recommend them. We had three guides in all as we travelled to Tanzania and then back and they were all good.

Simply amazing and a lifetime experience of been closer to nature.

We visited Masai Mara National Reserve with a skepticism of how the experience will be then what we all watch on TV. I was impressed by the scenery, weather and the people around us. At the same time thank full to our guides who took in extra efforts to find us every wildlife that one wish for watching in wild.

The Great Migration in the Masai Mara

A friend and I went to the Masai Mara for two days during the Great Migration. We booked a tour with Ket Safaris out of Nairobi. Our driver, Henry, picked us up at our hotel in Nairobi and drove us to our accommodation, which was a luxury tented camp. We saw plenty of wildlife, particularly wildebeest and zebra. All our guides were excellent. Definitely go during Migration if at all possible. Also, we booked a van instead of paying a little extra for a 4X4. If cost is not a significant issue for you, I highly suggest a 4X4 because the vans they use in the area don't have air con, and you are on very rough, dirt roads for the last two hours into the Mara. It can get quite uncomfortable.

Best premier safari experience of all the Park

When it comes to East Africa safari, there is no other like a Maasai Mara experience. With the vast wild animals in millions in the natural habitat and the beautiful landscapes not to forget the highlight - the african sunset!
We were able to see all the Big 5 in our 3 days safari including the Black Rhino which is very rare to spot, the huge hippos and crocodiles in Mara River and the flora and fauna were all incredible. The park is very huge and the adventure while doing a game drive through the park is unmatched!