Masai Mara National Reserve

Much to see during a short time.

In the summer of 2011 I worked as a volunteer in Kenya. During that time I and seven other volunteers went together from a Friday to a Saturday to Masai Mara and I must say that this was one of the highlights of my six weeks long stay in Kenya. I have heard before that this national park is a good one, but still it exceeded my expectations.

After entering the gate we saw a lot of gnus and zebras together in flocks. Two of the gnus butted each other and I immediately realize that this trip would be something special. The savannah of the park was open and because of that the sight of animals is good. It only took thirty minutes before we encountered lions. Then it was also possible to drive two meters close to them and I could shoot really nice pictures. During the time in Masai Mara we came to see many lions; flocks of lions, young lions, a lion eating gnu and even grown-up lion males.

However, we came to see a lot more and at the end we had seen almost all animals that one can imagine to see when going for safari. There was only exception; the rhino. Rhinos are the rarest animals in Masai Mara, but it happens quite frequently that they are observed in the park. Consequently, we had bad luck with respect to that, but because everything else was so good I am more than satisfied with the wildlife in the park. There is also a river, where we could see a lot of hippos and crocodiles. At some places it was possible to leave the vehicle and when we ate in free air, a baboon came and wanted our food. The driver did not let him come to close, but I went against his will quite close to the monkey anyway and this was really an amazing encountering. I also liked that we could face cheetahs and some leopards sitting in top of trees, but as I mentioned we saw every kind of animal except the rhino. As implied we were for three days in the park and I would recommend not be there less than that, because the park is huge and there is so much to see. I am interested in photographing and I must admit that the best photos ever taken by my come from this trip.

We lived in Entumoto Safari Camp. The camp consisted of sturdy tents, each suited for two people. I had no problems sleeping there, but I must say that the food was not good. One day we got Spaghetti Bolognese and unfortunately it only consisted of ground beef and water. I had expected some dessert, but we never got any. What I liked about the accommodation is that the camp is guarded by Maasai people. During first evening we sat around a camp fire and heard their stories and experiences of life. We also heard a lion roaring quickly the Maasai guards started to see what was going on. The last day we also got invited to visit a Maasai village. The guards took us there. I am not against paying 1000 Kenyan shilling for that, but I did not like that they did not tell us that before they started to take us there, but first at the entrance. There was also a market in the village, but sadly the same low quality souvenirs as anywhere else in the country were sold there. I think that the Maasais can be seen as real Maasais, but the thing is just that their presence in the park has become to commercialized.

The price for the trip was good and everything was included in the price. Unfortunately, the contact person from the travel company was rude. She told us that everything was included in the price, but when the driver noticed that the entrance fee was increased, we became forced to compensate for that. When we drove home, the driver stopped by the road and bought a sack of dried leaves as fuel for his stove at home. I found it unprofessional doing personal errands when being on duty.

To summarize I am very satisfied with the wildlife experiences of Masai Mara. I could really recommend other tourists to go to this park. Concerning food and accommodation I am not complaining, because we as volunteers chose a low-budget option and we got what we paid for. If you would like to also experience good food during the evenings and good accommodation, which I actually think could be a pleasant part of a safari trip, I would like to recommend you to investigate the offerings of hotels in the park or other camps.

Exelent lodges. Large area lots of animals. Tends to be crouded by tourists

There is not much to tell about Massai Maraanymore. It is well known through yearly migration of ten thousands of animals. But even the the migration is over and the herd have moved back to serengeti there is still lots of wildlife to spot. The big cats and other predators do not migrate. In the short grass it is difficult to spot lions or cheetas.
The backdraw during my visit were the ongiong presence of tons of cattle, goats and donkeys in the park.

the best national park

Famous.

It would be great but there was too many people.

Easy to travel around. Lots of wildlife. Nice Sopa lodge.

That was a worthwhile trip.

This is a very beautiful place with a lot of wildlife to view but the most enjoyable part of this safari was witnessing the wildebeest migration.

A good experience in nature, well organised and according to the price.

Our Safari was well organised and was better than we thought. The wildlife was amazing as well as the scenery. Food and accoodation were sometimes much better than we had expected. And our guide was a very responsible driver and he really made great efforts to spot as many animals as possible.
I hope to repeat this experience soon.

Exciting AND Beautiful!

The Masai Mara was amazing. Our guide was determined to find all the wildlife he could so he drove us many miles out. It felt very remote and special. We saw animals and birds I had never seen before and they were gorgeous. All the animals seemed to be in their natural habitat...even elephants climbing mountains??? My favorite were the giraffe. You could see them off amongst the trees with their heads sticking up high. We also saw a huge group of them just off the road. We saw many animals so up close it was crazy from our open top vehicle. Great views for great picture taking.

It was also very special to be able to see the local tribes people. They were in their native clothes, of course, and we could see their homes and small communities very nearby. We saw many natives from Masai warriors to Masai women who make beautiful trinkets for tourists. They're a bargain, great memorabilia and easy to pack.