 | Masai Mara Game Reserve Off the Beaten Path | Tips 1 - 10 of 51 |  |
Popular Off the Beaten Path | Other Off the Beaten Path Tips | All Tips (51) Masai Mara reserve is named for the tribe that inhabits this area, and the river that dissects it - Mara River. The river is the lifeblood of the reserve and attracts much game, hippo and crocodile.
Running close to the Tanzanian border, it was quite a trek for us to reach this point. Leave a Comment
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This is the infamous Mara River - the place where each year, millions of Wildebeest, Zebras, Impalas and countless other hoofed animals make their perilous crossings on the way to the "greener pastures" between Tanzania and the Kenya Plains.
Knowing nature's course, which has been unchanging throughout milleneum, hungry crocodiles await the creatures which are driven by hunger and the need to survive.
It is also the best place in Kenya to see the Hippo - Africa's most dangerous animal.
Each year countless people are attacked by Hippos who have either wondered out of the water to their grazing grounds (they're hervibores) and an unsuspecting tourist or even guide has gotten between the huge beast and the river.
For this reason, the Mara River lookout is always patrolled by National Park officers, complete with very menacing looking guns and only they can escort you to and around the river.
For the best vantage points, go down to the river's edge (again, with a guide who is knowlegeable in knowing where the hippos lie) and around the naturally worn crossings to the top of the hill.
The sight of these magnificent animals all lazily basking in the sun or just under the water's surface was one of our favorites. Leave a Comment
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More or less in the centre of the reserve, you will find Look-out Hill. It is worth making the journey here, for the sheer concentration of plains game found here. Everywhere you look there are various gazelles, zebra and others. They favour this area as it is elevated, so that they can see for miles around and spot any predators approaching. Many of the films from Masai Mara are shot here. Leave a Comment
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Way down on the Tanzanian border, is the New Mara Bridge Hippo Pool, where hundreds of these docile, but aggressive animals laze in the midday sun. Groans and grunts can be heard quite some distance away, as you walk with a ranger along the opposite bank for a closer view of the numerous animals along the river. Leave a Comment
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Siana Springs Camp was about half an hour's drive from the Sekenani Gate - entry into the Masai Mara. The camp was located in what is known as the Dispersal Area, although not part of the Mara proper, there are no fences to seperate the animals from the reserve and the dispersal area. One day we found a herd of giraffe right outside the camp gates, and sometime we'd encounter large herds of animals on the way to the reserve gate. Leave a Comment
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Also near the Tanzanian border is the place where the enormous herds of wildebeest cross the Mara River. Up to 1.5 million animals will cross at this point, many falling prey to the crocodiles that lurk in the river, or will fall and injure themselves from the bank. Leave a Comment
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There are six gates into the Masai Mar reserve, Oloololo in the north, Musiara Gate in the northeast, Talek gate in the east, Sekenani Gate a little further south on the eastern border, Ololamutiek Gate on the woutheastern stretch and Sand River Gate which takes you into Tanzania on the western border of the Mara.
Entry to the park is US$30 per person per day. You do not have to pay for the day you are leaving even if you do go for a drive in the morning, only those days which you are spending the night in or near the reserve. Leave a Comment
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We had a thing for counting LIONS in the MARA! The 5 days I was there at the end of my 2001 safari. This guy was #42!!!!! Thought that was good. We couldn't get to him. He took off anyway. Thats ok, he still looked BIG!
Just about time to drive back to DREAM CAMP!!
10/2001 Leave a Comment
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For about $400.00 you can take a ride above
the PLAINS! Depends on the wind! 1 HOUR or 2 HOURS! If the wind takes you over to
TANZANIA too fast. You have to land! If I had
the extra cash I would do it. But, then I think I
could spend another 2 days here instead!
9/2002 Leave a Comment
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Macharia, what a driver!! He took me to the TANZANIA BORDER! The SERENGETTI is
in back of me! Now I can say I was in TANZ!!
The top of this cement marker had the PARK NAMES IN IT! I didn't take a pic of that. NOW I HAVE TO GO BACK!!
we went to another marker this 2004
MASAI-MARA 9/2002 Leave a Comment
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More Masai Mara Game Reserve Tips |
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on January 7, 2005
on November 20, 2006
on April 23, 2003
