Highlights Kenya

Masai Mara

Reaching far across the Kenyan countryside, the Masai Mara National Reserve provides visitors with one of the best game viewing experiences in Africa. If you've been dreaming of the ultimate safari experience featuring the Big Five, set against the breathtaking backdrop of sweeping grasslands and open African sky, a trip to the Masai Mara is a must.

You can explore the Mara for yourself on a tour with Bench Africa, whether you're spotting wildlife from your game vehicle or relaxing at your lodge.

About the Masai Mara

The Masai Mara is undoubtedly one of Africa's most beloved safari destinations, with a wide variety of wildlife and a naturally diverse landscape. It gets its name from the Maasai, a semi-nomadic people who traditionally inhabited the land. The Masai Mara was first declared a wildlife sanctuary back in 1961, and since then has grown to encompass some 1,800 square kilometres in south-west Kenya.

The Mara backs onto the Serengeti National Park across the border in Tanzania, and as such falls within the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem. Within the reserve, the landscape is shaped by the winding Mara and Talek rivers, as well as the Ngama Hills and the sweeping Oloololo Escarpment. The lush grassland area known as the Mara Triangle is dense with wildlife which shelters amongst the acacia trees, with the park opening up into the expanse of the Central Plains.

In addition to Africa's Big 5 - lion, leopard, elephant, black/white rhino and Cape buffalo - the Masai Mara is also home to zebra, giraffe, impala, hyenas and cheetah, not to mention a host of vibrant birdlife.

Great Migration

One of the Masai Mara's biggest drawcards is that it forms the stage for the annual Great Migration. One of the world's most impressive, and awe-inspiring natural events sees millions of wildebeest making the trek north from the Serengeti towards the Mara. Pursued by predators, the wildebeest travel almost 2,000 kilometres in search of fresh grazing pastures, accompanied by zebra and antelope.

If you time your visit right, you could potentially see the spectacle of the animals splashing through the Mara River, or even a lion lying in wait to catch any wildebeest which strays from the herd.

Visiting the Masai Mara

There are a number of ways to visit the Masai Mara, but with Bench Africa you can be assured of an incredible trip, planned by our expert travel agents both in Australia and on the ground in Africa. If you're hoping to see the Great Migration, the timing can vary from one year to the next, with the wildebeest usually reaching the Mara between July and October.

There are a range of options when it comes to finding your ideal accommodation in the Masai Mara, from family-friendly stays to luxury lodges with everything you could need for a five-star safari experience. As with a number of African countries, if you are travelling on an Australian passport, you will need a visa to enter Kenya. You can discover our Masai Mara experiences online, or talk to one of our Bench Africa travel specialists to start planning your trip today.

Check out our Trip Planner for more information on travelling to Africa.