Choose wisely. Connect locally.Add your business The Maasai Mara in southwest Kenya is one of the most famous wildlife areas on Earth. Its rolling grasslands, scattered with acacia trees and cut by the winding Mara and Talek rivers, form the northern part of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, which continues south across the border into Tanzania.
Mara River crossing points
Musiara Marsh
Talek River and the central plains
The Mara Triangle
+4 more places
This guide covers the best places to visit in the Maasai Mara, from the river crossing points and Musiara Marsh to the Mara Triangle and the private conservancies on the reserve's northern edge.
The Mara offers some of the most reliable game viewing in Africa. The open terrain makes animals easy to spot, and the density of predators is remarkable: lions, leopards, cheetahs, spotted hyenas and black-backed jackals all hunt here.
The Great Migration adds high drama in the dry months, when columns of wildebeest gather on the riverbanks and finally leap into currents patrolled by crocodiles. Yet the Mara is far from empty outside migration season, since resident wildlife stays all year.
The Mara River flows from the Mau Forest highlands through the reserve and into Tanzania. During the migration, herds gather at traditional crossing points along steep banks, sometimes for hours, before one animal plunges in and thousands follow. Crocodiles wait in the water and lions often lurk nearby.
Wildebeest cross the Mara River in large herds during the annual migration, usually between July and October. Photo: Charles J. Sharp, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
In the northwest of the reserve, Musiara Marsh is a permanent wetland that draws grazing animals, and therefore predators, throughout the year. It is the home ground of the Marsh Pride, a lion pride made famous on television, and buffalo, elephants and waterbuck are common.
The Maasai Mara supports one of the densest lion populations in Africa. Photo: Benh LIEU SONG, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
The central part of the reserve, around the Talek River, is known for cheetahs, which hunt across the short-grass plains, and for lion prides that rest in the shade of riverine trees. The area around Talek Gate and the Sekenani Gate road is busy, so a guide who knows quieter loops makes a big difference.
Beyond the big cats, the central plains are excellent for the supporting cast of the savanna. Look for topi standing sentry on termite mounds, Maasai giraffes browsing acacias, herds of elephants and buffalo moving toward the river, and ostriches striding across open ground.
Cheetahs often use termite mounds and vehicles as lookouts on the open plains of the Mara. Photo: Hobbyfotowiki, Wikimedia Commons, CC0
West of the Mara River, the Mara Triangle is part of the national reserve but is managed separately by a non-profit organization, the Mara Conservancy. It is bordered by the Oloololo Escarpment on the west and Tanzania to the south.
The Oloololo Escarpment forms the western boundary of the Mara Triangle. Photo: Stumorrisonza, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
In the southern part of the reserve, the area around Keekorok has wooded hills and open grassland, and is often the first place the migration herds appear when they arrive from Tanzania.
Dawn hot-air balloon flights are one of the signature experiences of the Mara. Balloons launch from several sites in the reserve and conservancies, drifting low over herds and rivers for about an hour before landing for a breakfast on the plains.
Balloon flights over the Mara launch at dawn and usually end with a breakfast on the plains. Photo: Wajahatmr, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Surrounding the reserve to the north and east are community conservancies such as Mara North, Olare Motorogi, Naboisho and Ol Kinyei, created through agreements between camps and Maasai landowners. They limit the number of guests and vehicles, so you may share a lion sighting with only a couple of other vehicles instead of dozens.
Elephant herds move between the reserve and the surrounding conservancies. Photo: Svein-Magne Tunli - tunliweb.no, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The Maasai are semi-nomadic pastoralists known for their red shukas, intricate beadwork and herding traditions. Many camps can arrange a visit to a nearby village, or manyatta, where you may see homes built of mud, sticks and dung, learn about cattle-keeping and watch the adumu jumping dance.
The adumu, or jumping dance, is performed by young Maasai men during ceremonies. Photo: BarcarolIa, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Most visitors eat at their camp or lodge, where meals are included and usually mix international dishes with Kenyan staples.
Kenya grows excellent tea and coffee, and both are served at dawn before game drives. Many camps offer bush breakfasts, sundowner drinks on a hilltop and dinners under the stars.
Popular dishes to try in Maasai Mara
Inside the main reserve, camps near the Talek River and the central plains suit travelers who want to be in the thick of the action and close to the crossing points, with options across many budgets.
The Mara Triangle suits travelers who want river crossings with fewer vehicles. The conservancies, including Mara North, Olare Motorogi and Naboisho, suit those who want an exclusive experience with walking safaris and night drives; many visitors combine two nights there with nights in the reserve.
Where to stay in Maasai Mara
The Great Migration is usually in the Mara between July and October, with the most frequent river crossings typically in August and September. This is peak season, with the busiest roads and highest demand for camps.
From late December to March the weather is mostly dry and warm, animals are easy to find, and vehicle numbers drop.
International flights arrive at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi.
Inside the reserve you travel by safari vehicle with a guide, either from your camp or a tour operator; self-driving is possible but not recommended for first-time visitors.
Fly from Wilson Airport to a Mara airstrip and meet your guide.
Leave before dawn with a packed breakfast and spend the day along the Mara River, waiting for crossings during migration season or watching hippos and crocodiles at other times of year.
Hundreds of hippos live in the pools of the Mara River. Photo: Christoph Strässler, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
Take a sunrise balloon flight, then explore Musiara Marsh or the Mara Triangle.
Move to a conservancy for a guided bush walk in the morning and a night drive to look for nocturnal animals such as hyenas, genets and bushbabies.
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