Top Maasai Mara National Reserve Game Drive Experiences.
Game drives in Maasai Mara National Reserve are at the heart of every Maasai Mara safari. This thrilling Kenya safari adventure takes you through the breathtaking wilderness of the Mara, and no two game drives are ever the same. From the dramatic golden savanna views to romantic horizons, you will encounter Africa’s remarkable wildlife species, including elephants, zebras, lions, giraffes, impalas, gazelles and cheetahs, among others.
These game drives are crafted around the guest’s interests: where they have been, what they have seen, what their preferences are, what they would like to do and when they would like to do it, and for how long they would like to be on a game drive at any given time.
Tip: There is always food and drinks on our game drives, so you never have to worry about going hungry while in the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Types of Game Drives in Maasai Mara National Reserve
Game drives in Maasai Mara National Reserve are offered in early-morning sessions.
Early Morning Game Drive
Early morning game drives in Maasai Mara National Reserve are exhilarating experiences. Start before sunrise, wake up with the birds and animals, and have the day fresh before you. Enjoy a cup of coffee or tea before leaving the lodge at dawn and return for a late breakfast or brunch. Alternatively, you can take a picnic breakfast with you to have your meals under an acacia tree with the morning light spreading out around you and be back at your lodge for lunch.
Late Morning Game Drive
Late morning game drives in Maasai Mara National Reserve on a Kenyan safari are a perfect game drive session for those who want to lie in and then go out for a lazy game drive, without worrying about coming back to the lodge for lunch, which will be served at one of the picnic sites along the Mara. Enjoy your meals as you watch zebras and giraffes grazing around. With its endless grasslands and sweeping horizons dotted with acacia forests, the Maasai Mara will enrich your yearning, adventurous soul.
Afternoon Game Drives
The afternoon game drives in Maasai Mara National Reserve are post-lunch game drives; this is considered the golden hour as the sun dips towards the west, and the shadows lengthen across the savannah-dominated plains, making for incredible photography. Expect to return to the lodge in the evening.
All Day Game Drive
Also referred to as a full-day game drive, an all-day game drive is the full-day, double-picnic safari exploring the far corners of Maasai Mara National Reserve. Drive all the way down the Tanzania border for a picnic lunch in the savannah, then enjoy lunch under a desert date along the escarpment. This is one of the most thrilling game drives of all in the Maasai Mara, as you get to watch the landscape change along the way.
What to Expect on Game Drives in Maasai Mara National Reserve
While on a game drive safari in Maasai Mara National Reserve, our experienced guides make every effort to deliver life-changing wildlife adventures for their guests, be it for first timers, birding enthusiasts, safari devotees whose great joy is just to simply be amongst Africa’s creatures, or photographers of all skill levels looking for a perfect shot.
In addition to the Big Five and the Great Migration, Maasai Mara National Reserve is home to more than 470 bird species, including almost 60 raptors such as vultures and martial eagles, as well as the lovely and graceful crowned crane, always found in pairs, together with secretary birds, lilac-breasted rollers, long-crested eagles, superb starlings, pygmy falcons and endangered ground hornbills, among others.
Wildlife All Year Round
Regardless of the time of the year you visit Maasai Mara National Reserve, expect a plethora of creatures ranging from large to small and the unexpected. The famous Big Five can be seen all year round, with lion prides keeping every traveller wondering what will happen next.
From November to April, there is a migration of birds from Europe and North Africa arriving for the African summer, many flamboyant in their mating plumage. From February to May, the sights of newborns and fluffy youngsters are spectacular.
The Great Migration
Also known as the annual wildebeest migration, the Great Migration is the largest land-based animal migration on earth, with more than 2 million wildebeests and 200,000 zebras in a year-long journey in search of nutritious grasses that grow after the rains and water. The arrival of the Great Migration in the Maasai Mara National Reserve is a delight for the Mara’s hungry predators: lions, leopards, cheetahs and the massive crocodile lying in wait in the Mara River.
July to October are the best months to see the Great Migration on game drives in the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Spectacular Mara Wildlife
Renowned for its lion prides, Maasai Mara National Reserve is a true definition of wild. The reserve is also home to other members of the African Big Five: leopards, buffaloes and black rhinos, which can be seen on game drives together with other predators like hyenas, cheetahs and bat-eared foxes.
The Mara River, which is one of the highlight features in Maasai Mara National Reserve, is home to some of the largest crocodiles in Africa. Everywhere in the Maasai Mara, there are photographic opportunities: topi perched on anthills, the towering Maasai giraffe moving gracefully across the plains, gazelles grazing peacefully amongst impalas, hartebeests and herds of elands, the largest antelope in Africa.
Game Viewing Vehicles
Game drives in the Maasai Mara are done in completely custom open game-viewing vehicles to which the animals are well accustomed. These vehicles are specially equipped and converted, offering comfy seats, ample legroom, charging stations and canvas roofs to protect you from the sun or flaps that can be let down if it rains.
When is the best time to visit Maasai Mara National Reserve?
Unfortunately, there is no correct answer to when to visit the Maasai Mara, as visitors are assured of astonishing and abundant wildlife sightings all year round. For those interested in experiencing the Great Migration and the dramatic crossings of the Mara River, July through September to October are the best months to visit.
For those who prefer game viewing with fewer visitors and have the Maasai Mara all to themselves, together with the numerous resident herds which do not leave the reserve by embarking on the annual trek to Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park.
