Maasai Mara is the best-known destination worldwide, having amazing sites to see. Let’s check out Fantastic Destinations in Maasai Mara:
- Mara River
- Mara Triangle
- Ol Kinyei Conservancy.
- Mara North Conservancy
- Musiara Swamp
- The Nashulai Maasai Conservancy
- Olare Ork Conservancy
Mara River
This particular location is undoubtedly one of the most notable locations in the whole mara. It’s famous for the annual wildebeests’ migration from the Serengeti national park in Tanzania into the Maasai mara national park. Can you imagine witnessing an estimated two million animals crossing the Mara River, infested with crocodiles just gearing up to shred them? That’s mind-blowing, right?
The animals are a mix of gazelles, wildebeests, and zebras. You get to witness this event up close from the comfort of your rover. The colossal spectacle usually occurs in July and October within a short time window, so it essentially requires prior preparation.
Fun activities to do at Mara River
- game watching,
- Bird watching
Charges; Adults $80 children $45
Mara Triangle
Talk of adventure! Located on the southwestern part of the Maasai Mara, the Mara Triangle is indeed promising. The Mara Conservancy manages this part of the reserve. The entrance to the triangle is through the Olololo bridge. This location offers impressive scenes and views.
The allure of the triangle coupled with sipping plains in the path of the all-inspiring great migration of the wildebeests creates an authentic dose of African wildlife blended with the legendary Kenyan hospitality.
Apart from the thrill of the wildlife and the scenery, the triangle is surrounded by dozens of luxurious resorts and lodges that offer world-class facilities to make your well-deserved vacation as comfortable as possible.
Fun activities to do at Mara Triangle
- Game watching,
- Camping,
- Bird watching
Charges; Adults $80 children $45
Ol Kinyei Conservancy.
Occupying an estimated 17500 acres of land and located near the wet of Naibosho, the Olkenyie conservancy is indeed teeming with wildlife and untouched terrain just calling for your attention.
The locals put the destination in 2005, who set aside their plots of land to help in the conservation efforts of the wildlife and provide a vast space for the animals away from the cattle grazing areas.
These efforts have indeed borne fruit, as there has been a reduction in human and wildlife conflicts.
Aside from all these, this location opens up into a huge field coupled with hills and valleys watered by the Mara River. This is indeed somewhere you’d want to try.
Fun activities to do at Ol Kinyei Conservancy
- Bird watching
- Game watching
Charges; Citizens adults Ksh 1500 children Ksh 750
Non-citizens adults $70 children $35
Mara North Conservancy
The Mara North Conservancy is the largest of the Mara conservancies, occupying the northern side of the entire mara reserve. The park is over 75,000 acres of savanna grassland jampacked with wildlife. It was established in place by a couple of Maasai landowners and various touring companies in order to help boost the livelihood of the locals whilst promoting conservation efforts of the wildlife in the area.
The conservancy offers breathtaking views of the wildebeests as they pass by. The unique feature of this conservancy is that you get phenomenal game drives and tours and even get up close to the animal prides, which is quite rare if you ask me.
The extraordinary density and variety of animals in the conservancy means that one is constantly checking for something new and fascinating each time!
The conservancy is furnished with an airstrip that easily cuts off those long, arduous trips through the Maasai Mara.
Fun activities to do Mara North Conservancy
- Nature trails
- Bird watching
- Balloon safaris
Charges; Adult $100 child $50
Musiara Swamp
This part of the park is located on its northern edge. The vast lash of marshy vegetation provides reasonable hiding grounds for the various pride of lions inhabiting this area. While here, you need to watch out for not only the lions while in action, but also the ostriches, hyenas, cheetahs, and leopards as they go about their daily lives.
The site offers rewarding views of the elephant herds as they stroll along, heading to their grazing zones. The best seasons to visit the area would be between the months of March and June, without forgetting the September wildebeest migration.
Fun activities to do Musiara Swamp
- Game drives,
- Camping,
- Bird watching
Charges; $50-80
The Nashulai Maasai Conservancy
Owned and directed by the Maasai community themselves, this conservancy is like none other. The conservancy bridges the gap between the community, the wildlife, and tourists in general.
The word “Nashulai” is derived from the Maasai to mean the meeting point between the essence of nature and the spirit of people in a commonly shared space where people, wildlife, and livestock live together in peace. This is possibly the only conservancy that is community-driven and managed.
The primary mission of setting up the conservancy was to promote wildlife conservation by providing the animals with more space without interfering with the residences of the local Maasai community. Once in a while, the landowners are compensated with leases as a means of livelihood for their families.
Get to visit the conservancy and learn more about how the locals are coming together to set up a more sustainable ecosystem, not only for themselves but for the wildlife as well. Sights to see here are the beautiful Mara savanna filled with wild animals. The conservancy also provides support for locals by educating them more on income-generating activities.
Fun activities to do at Nashulai Maasai Conservancy
- Game watching
- Bird watching
- Camping
Charges; $80-100
Olare Ork Conservancy
Formed from the merging of two large conservancies, Olare Ork Conservancy is a whopping 33, 000 acres wide. Having the best attractions in the area is definitely worth it on your bucket list this vacation.
The conservancy was established in 2006 by some 275 local landowners who agreed to give their 3500 acres at freehold This section of land attracted a lot of grazing wildlife which in turn attracted the lions and hence this would usually bring conflict.
This was the only possible solution to the conflict. The conservancy has so far seen massive growth in the number of lions as a result of the excellent nutrition of the other animals.
The conservancy has attracted lots of investors who have set up lodges and bush camps and come in to provide comfortable accommodation and lodging facilities at affordable rates. What’s more, is that the conservancy has a fully functioning airstrip that connects you directly to Kenya’s capital through Wilson airport.
Fun activities in Olare Ork Conservancy
- Game watching
- Camping
Charges: $60-100
Maasai Mara is 260 km away from Nairobi. You could access it directly with a plane through the Wilson Airport, where you could land at the various airstrips all over the Mara. If you decide to take the road, you’ll drive all the way to Narok, from where you’ll use the different entrance gates available. The road option can take you approximately 6 hours, whereas by air it’ll only take 1 hour.
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