Visiting Masai Mara National Reserve is one of the highlights of any safari to the Magical Kenya
What is the difference between Masai Mara National Reserve and the Mara Conservancies, and which option is best for a Kenya Safari Holiday.
Masai Mara National Reserve
The famous Masai Mara National Reserve is at the heart of the Mara Ecosystem and includes some of the most breathtaking scenery and wildlife action. The spectacular migration river crossings only occurs in the reserve plus the Serengeti.
Some of the most beautiful Kenya locations that is The Mara, Sand and Talek River and the surrounding areas are found solely within the reserve.
Masai Mara is the most famous safari destination in Africa comprising of vast savannahs dotted with rogue acacia trees and a huge diversity of wildlife
The Masai Mara National Reserve was created in 1961 and from since it has become a favorite safari destination. The combination of the thundering annual visit of the Great Migration with a side order of exhilarating river crossings and the year-long presence of all the members of the Big 5 against the iconic backdrop of pristine savannah is a safari enthusiast’s dream. Due to the popularity of Masai Mara, numbers of visitors rose steadily over the years, which created an opportunity for the surrounding areas to develop a more sustainable balanced vision for tourism for the 21 st Century.
Mara Conservancies
A conservancy refers to a very specific form of land and wildlife conservation whereby landowners enter into lease agreements with safari operators. In Masai Mara, this means that thousands of small-scale farmers and residents who own small parcels of land come together, put their properties together and enter into contracts with safari operators in return for monetary compensation and other assistance.
The first Mara Conservancy was established in 2005 and now is a collection of 15 separate conservancies that surround Masai Mara National reserve, this land is owned by the Maasai local people who lease concessions to tourism partners which offers the local community consistent income while conserving the land and wildlife. The conservancies are privately managed and as such, have stricter control on visitor numbers creating exclusivity, while retaining the freedom to offer a wide range of guest activities that are not available in the main reserve.
There are many conservancies in Masai Mara, however the major conservancies are
Mara North Conservancy
- Naboisho Conservancy
- Ol Kinyei Conservancy
- Olare Motorogi Conservancy
The main differences between the two areas are highlighted as below ensuring the area you choose dovetails perfectly with your ideal holiday. However, many guests will make the most of traveling to this remarkable region by creating a twin-centre safari.
Masai Mara National Reserve | Mara Conservancies |
1,510 square kilometers/373 | 1,450 square km/358,303 acres |
The land is currently government owned and managed | The land is owned by over 14,500 Maasai landowners who lease it to 39 tourism partners and is independently managed, |
Park fees are paid | Concession fees are paid and generates income to support over 100,000 people within the conservancies |
The best place for river crossings are Mara River and Talek River. | Migration viewing is like, but not possible to see river crossings from inside the conservancies. |
Incredibly busy during migration months (July – October). Over 5,000 beds available supplemented by day trippers | Visitor numbers are well controlled all year round, conservancies aim for one tent per 700 acres as a way of maintain low densities |
Anyone can pay park fees and enter the main reserve including those staying in camps in private conservancies or outside the Great Mara Region | Only those staying within the conservancy can game drive within the conservancy, it is not possible to visit a conservancy if staying in a camp located in the main reserve. A minimum of five vehicles are allowed at a sighting |
No restrictions on the number vehicles allowed at a wildlife sighting | Situated further to balloon launch sites |
No game walks allowed | Walking safaris and fly camping is permitted |
No off-road driving | Off road driving is allowed |
No night game drives | Night game drives are possible |
No local communities | Community and Positive Impact Partner visits are easily arranged |
No livestock or grazing is permitted, though in practice it does happen in the Musiara/Talek areas | Cattle can graze in certain zones – grazing management plan in place. |
