After the whole day of driving (468 km), we arrived at midnight at the Sekenani gate of the famous Maasai Mara National Reserve. Rangers were pretty shocked but allowed us to park behind the gate just a few steps from the main building. The following day, we paid the “special” entrance fee of 80 USD per person (cash payment), including the parking (they called it camping). We made a deal with the driver (📞 +254727695250) for the full-day game drive around the park (200 USD, from 09:00 to 17:00).
Someone said, “Dream of Africa, and chances are that you dream of the Maasai Mara.” This vast expanse of gently rolling grassland – specked with flat-topped acacia trees and trampled by massive herds of zebras and wildebeest – is the ultimate African cliché. Reliable rains and plentiful vegetation underpin this extraordinary ecosystem and the millions of herbivores it supports. Wildebeest, zebras, impalas, elephants, Masai giraffes, and several gazelle species call the Mara home. This vast concentration of game accounts for high predator numbers, including cheetahs, leopards, and the highest lion densities in the world.
The Maasai Mara is the northern extension of Tanzania’s equally famous Serengeti Plains. The numerous private and community-owned conservancies and group ranches surrounding the reserve significantly extend the ecosystem.
Note that if you want to buy something, there are several well-stocked supermarkets in Narok, including Quick Mart (open until 22:00). There are also plenty of good gasoline stations like Shell or Total.
Parking location – Sekenani Gate: 1.521087S 35.337890E (🅿️,🚻)