Best time to Visit Masai Mara National Reserve
Best time to Visit Masai Mara National Reserve is that time of the year when travelers feel like its more convenient to visit the park for different activities. What is the best time to visit Masai Mara National Reserve is the most common question that most travellers who are planning to visit the reserve ask. This is more common to the first time travellers to Africa who do not know how the weather of Kenya is. Masai Mara national reserve is with no doubt the African Mecca in wildlife. More popular not only in Kenya but the entire world. Its premium national reserve that is found at the heart of the Great Rift Valley region. Its dominated by open savannah grassland in the semi-arid area which is occupied mostly by the Maasai Locals who have left in the area for the last decades. The reserve is managed by the locals themselves under the Narok Council and newly formed Trans Mara council. It is one of the few protected areas in Africa that is managed by the locals themselves.
The Masai Mara national reserve was named in honor of the Maasai locals which called it Maa which meant looked from far. The reserve is a home of both permanent residents and migratory animals and birds. The bird mostly come during the rainy months of March to May and from November. These are considered the best birding months in Masai Mara if the guests or birders want to get the best. The reserve is located along the migratory route for the most European birds. Masai Mara is famous as an excellent animal viewing destination all year round. However, some guests keep asking What is the best time to visit Masai Mara National Reserve? The best time is determined by many factors which are natural and travellers points of interest. The reserve has more permanent wildlife than migratory wildlife. This permanent residents makes it possible for the guest to view the wildlife game throughout the year. What are you looking at when asking What is the best time to visit Masai Mara?
Naturally, Kenya like any other African country has two rainy seasons one early which is called longer rain season and the other late in the year called short rainy season. The first longer rains start from March to May and this is considered the low season in Masai Mara national reserve. However, this does not hinder game viewing chances in the reserve as plenty of wildlife is easily viewed during this time. During the rainy season, the park is less crowded making it easy to see the game and the animals are always close. Accommodation is easy to get at more at a low price, it is such a nice time for travellers who do not like staying in crowded areas. This is also the best time for birders and the birds are nesting and breeding. Another advantage for this time of the year is that however much the rains are available it rains mostly at night and little one day time this makes you enjoy all your activities with little interference. Masai Mara is cold during this time on day while warm at night as opposed to dry season.
However, during this time you must travel with 4×4 wheel drive cars with an experienced driver-guide. You should also give the local operators to organize for you all fully inclusive packages not good enough for self-drives. This is because some of the areas along the reserve are closed during this time of the year. Some roads are impassable yet google maps may show as good and short cuts to enter the reserve as google will not show the road conditions during the rainy season.
The first rainy moths start from Mach to April when the rains are much and some of the camps close down. The second short rains are experienced in November and they are brief for only one month. The rains of November are short and do not affect most of the infrastructure at the reserve. However, the migratory camps move away and stop working during this period of the year. Guests enjoy much during this time only if they use reputable local operators who advise the guests on the packing list before coming for their trip to Masai Mara. Well, preparation is one of the key factors for the success of the safari. The parking list for the rainy season includes a Rainy jacket, good waterproof hiking shoes, a hat, sunglasses, and good cameras.
The other season is a dry season which is always said the What is the best time to visit Masai Mara. The dry season is also divided into two the first dry season starts from June to October and the second dry season is from December to February. It’s during the dry season that the Masai Mara national reserve is more lively. Every animal has to wake up early to look for something to eat for the day. The early bird rises early for the warm as the predators try their luck to hunt for the prey. During this time all the reserve is accessible and the wildlife viewing is great since it is easy to locate the wildlife along with the water catchment areas. The only challenge is that the best time of doing the game drives are during morning times. This is best considered as What is the best time to visit Masai Mara simply because it moves with the great wildebeest migration that happens annually. The wildebeest migration is the largest animal migration on earth and it happens between Serengeti national park of Tanzania and Masai Mara national reserve. The wildebeest crosses through the Mara River and it happens around July and later returns back to Serengeti in October. Are your intentions of visiting Masai Mara national reserve for the wildebeest migration, then the What is the best time to visit Masai Mara is during the dry season. To catch the live-action of the migration then July is the best time to do it and later in October. You will welcome millions of wildebeests crossing the river and entering the reserve. The game drives are more rewarding though the reserve is more crowded during this time of the year.
Best time to Visit Masai Mara National Reserve
Wildebeest Migration – Best time to Visit Masai Mara National Reserve
Planning to visit Masai mara national reserve and wondering What is the best time to visit Masai Mara. This article will guide you and also highlights the key activities that can be done in the specific times of the year around the Masai mara national reserve. You only need to contact the rightful operator who will give you more guidelines on how to make your Masia Mara safari lifetime experience safari. Masai mara never disappoints as far as you take the right steps to get the best local tour operator. Please note that Masai Mara can be visited all year round and it is all awesome. Please choose the time depending on your free time, preference and purpose of the safari.