3 Days Masai Mara Safari
Discover the incredible wildlife of the Masai Mara National Reserve on this 3-day Kenya safari. Enjoy thrilling game drives across the vast savannah plains in search of the Big Five, including lions, elephants, leopards, rhinos and buffaloes. Depending on the season, witness the spectacular Great Wildebeest Migration and encounter zebras, giraffes, cheetahs and other wildlife in one of Africa's most famous safari destinations.
Overview
This 3 Days Masai Mara Safari takes you to the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya’s best-known wildlife destination and one of the finest places in Africa to see big cats. Over three days and two nights, you explore wide golden plains dotted with acacia trees, where lion, leopard and cheetah hunt among large herds of zebra, topi, gazelle and wildebeest. It is the ideal short safari for travellers with limited time who still want a true Big Five experience.
The Masai Mara covers about 1,510 square kilometres in south-western Kenya. It forms the northern part of the Serengeti ecosystem, which continues across the border into Tanzania. The Mara and Talek rivers wind through the reserve, home to large pods of hippo and some of Africa’s biggest crocodiles. Elephant, buffalo, giraffe, hyena, jackal and more than 450 bird species complete the picture. From July to October, the reserve hosts the Great Wildebeest Migration, when more than a million wildebeest, along with zebra and gazelle, move up from the Serengeti in search of fresh grass.
The dramatic Mara River crossings are the highlight of this season. Outside migration season, the Mara still offers excellent year-round game viewing and quieter roads. Optional extras include a sunrise hot air balloon flight with a champagne breakfast and a visit to a Maasai village to learn about local customs, homes and traditional dance.
The reserve is about 5 to 6 hours’ drive from Nairobi through the Great Rift Valley, or a 45-minute flight from Wilson Airport, which gives you more time on game drives. Accommodation ranges from comfortable mid-range lodges to luxury tented camps along the river and in the private conservancies around the reserve. This 3-day Masai Mara safari suits first-time visitors, couples, families and business travellers looking for a short but rewarding taste of the African wilderness.
Day-By-Day Itinerary
Nairobi/Masai Mara National Reserve
You will be picked up from the airport for an early morning drive to Masai Mara National Reserve. It holds on as one of the few places left on earth where wildlife still lives comparatively undisturbed, in the numbers that once roamed the plains and forests of Africa. As the northern tip of the vast Serengeti ecosystem, the Mara hosts the spectacular seasonal migration of many thousands of wildebeest, zebras and attendant predators. You’ll arrive in time for lunch, which is followed by an afternoon game drive. Later on, you will return to the camp for dinner and your overnight stay.
Masai Mara National Reserve
After breakfast, we’ll have a full-day game drive with packed lunch provided. The reserve is well known for its black-maned lions, as well as its abundant resident wildlife. Its one of the few places where it’s possible to see the Big Five during a morning game drive. Many of the cheetahs are so tame that they seek shelter from the hot sun under one’s vehicle and several even climb onto the roof to get a better view of prospective prey.
For the bird enthusiast, almost 500 species have been recorded: among these 16 species of eagle, plus many hawks and falcons, 6 species of vultures, 8 species of storks 4 of bustard (including the kori bustard, the world’s heaviest flying bird), and 9 species of sunbirds.
Masai Mara National Reserve / Nairobi
We will wake up at 6 am for a sunrise game drive. At 9 am, we will drive back to accommodation for brunch then depart for Nairobi. We will enjoy lunch en-route and arrive in Nairobi late in the afternoon.
Included
- Accommodation as per itinerary
- Game drives as per itinerary
- Services of professional tour guide/driver
- Pick up in Nairobi and drop off in Nairobi
- Transport in an open roof tour van (4*4 safari vehicle)
- Entrance fees
Not Included
- Drinks
- Tips for waiters and drivers.
- Hot air balloon
- Expenses of personal nature like laundry, emails, airtime etc.
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