The Maasai Mara is the northern extension of the Serengeti ecosystem, a 1,510 km² mosaic of open grassland, riverine forest and gentle escarpment in Narok County. It carries one of the densest predator populations on earth, which is why lion, cheetah and leopard sightings are near-daily rather than lucky.
Between July and October the Mara hosts the river crossings of the Great Migration, when more than a million wildebeest and zebra push north from Tanzania. Outside that window the reserve is quieter, greener and considerably cheaper — resident game does not migrate.
Community conservancies bordering the reserve (Naboisho, Olare Motorogi, Mara North) offer lower vehicle density, night drives and walking safaris that are not permitted inside the reserve itself, with lease fees paid directly to Maasai landowners.
Highlights
- Great Migration river crossings (Jul–Oct)
- Highest big-cat density in Kenya
- Sunrise hot air balloon safaris
- Maasai community conservancies