ASSLSK301: 3 Days Masai Mara Lodge Kenya Safaris

Daily departure at 7.30am

A safari to Maasai Mara National Reserve is Kenya's most celebrated game park offering the possibility of seeing "the big five" and many other species of game. This is where the great wildebeest migration is a spectacle to behold for any would be visitor to Kenya mainly in July and August of each year.

Day 1: Nairobi - Maasai Mara Game Reserve

Distance: 285 kms (5 hrs).Pick up from your hotel at 7.30am and drive into the Maasai Mara with its amazing concentration of wildlife and outstanding scenery. Lunch. Afternoon game drive. Overnight at Mara Sopa Lodge, L,D.

Maasai Mara

The Maasai Mara (aka Maasai Mara) is a large park reserve in south-western Kenya, which is effectively the northern continuation of the Serengeti National Park game reserve in Tanzania. Named for the Maasai people (the traditional inhabitants of the area) and the Mara River which divides it, it is famous for its exceptional population of game and the annual migration of the wildebeest every July and August, a migration so immense it is called the Great Migration.

Geography

With an area of 1510 km2 the Maasai Mara is not the largest game park in Kenya, but it is probably the most famous. The entire area of the park is nestled within the enormous Great Rift Valley that extends from the Mediterranean Sea to South Africa. The terrain of the reserve is primarily open grassland, with clusters of the distinctive acacia tree in the south-east region. The western border is the Esoit Oloololo Escarpment of the Rift Valley, and wildlife tends to be most concentrated here, as the swampy ground means that access to water is always good and tourist disruption is minimal. The easternmost border is 224 km from Nairobi, and hence it is the eastern regions which are most visited by tourists.

Maasai Mara Wildlife

The Masai Mara is perhaps most famous for its lions. All other members of the "Big Five" are to be found in the Masai Mara, although the population of black rhinoceros is severely threatened, with a population of only 37 recorded in 2000. Hippopotami are found in large groups in the Masai Mara and Talek Rivers. Cheetah are also to be found, although their numbers are also threatened, chiefly due to tourist disruption of their day-time hunting. As mentioned above, the plains between the Mara river and the Esoit Oloololo Escarpment are probably the best area for game viewing, in particular regarding lion and cheetah.

Like in the Serengeti, the wildebeest are the dominant inhabitant of the Maasai Mara, and their numbers are estimated in the millions. Around July of each year these ungainly animals migrate in a vast ensemble north from the Serengeti plains in search of fresh pasture, and return to the south around October. The Great Migration is one of the most impressive natural events worldwide, involving an immensity of hervibores: some 1,300,000 Wildebeest, 360,000 Thomson's Gazelle, and 191,000 Zebra. These numerous migrants are followed along their annual, circular route by a block of hungry predators, most notably lions and hyena.

Numerous other antelope can be found, including Thomson's and Grant's gazelle, impala, topi and Coke's hartebeest. Large herds of zebra are found through the reserve. The plains are also home to the distinctive Masai giraffe as well as the common giraffe. The large Roan antelope and the nocturnal bat-eared fox, rarely present elsewhere in Kenya, can be seen within the reserve borders. The Maasai Mara is a major research centre for the spotted hyena. Additionally, over 450 species of birdlife have been identified in the park, including vulture, marabou, secretary bird, hornbill, crowned crane, ostrich, long-crested eagle, and pygmy falcon.

Day 2: Maasai Mara Game Reserve

Morning and afternoon game drives in the finest game sanctuary in Kenya, noted for its lions and other wildlife. Overnight at Mara Sopa Lodge, B, L,D.

Optional activities:

-Hot air balloon Safari: US$ 425 per person

-Visit to a local Maasai village: US$ 25 per person

Day 3: Maasai Mara - Nairobi

After breakfast drive to Nairobi where the tour ends at approximately 2pm, B

Tour Cost: US$ 595 per person sharing. Single room supplement: US$ 135

Tour price Includes:

-Guarantee price/guarantee safari on confirmation

-Transport on safari in a safari van equipped for game viewing, photography and touring

-Full board accommodation whilst on safari

-Meal plan as described, B=Breakfast, L=Lunch and D=Dinner

-Accommodation in double/triple room