Maasai Mara Tour Kenya Vacation tour to Masai Mara Africa

MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE: ACCESS:
Maasai mara is found 270km west of Nairobi, at a backward southwestern corner of the country, right at the edge of the Tanzanian limit. The fact that there is no main route leading to the reserve, adjacent to Maasai mara’s geography itself, separated into two by the river, makes it better to study the road for each specific situation. The optimal way for
each case will not only vary on the place from where one is leaving, but also on the place where one is going, whether it is outside or inside the reserve, and in the latter case, whether at the eastern or western side.

Definitely, the conditions of the route is another factor to be considered, and you can know this by simply looking at the maps. Generally speaking, there is no route going to Maasai mara that is in a favourable condition. The range depends on accepting and detesting. This without including the factor of rain, which during the wet season marshes the paths and makes driving a harder exercise.

Because of all that, a big number of tourists chooses to go to the Mara by plane. Air Kenya provides two scheduled flights everyday from Wilson Airport in Nairobi. The journey takes only 45 minutes, instead of the six hours and all that, that the one using the road will encounter, of course in 4WD vehicle. Not talking about the buses, that only travel the distance to the town of Narok, still very far from the reserve.

Definitely, travelling by plane is dearer compared to the road trip. The following paragraphs endeavour to put together the various opinions for reaching Masai mara, depending on the place of leaving. Most of the roads join in he B2 road, which goes east-west parallel to the Tanzanian limit and it is the point where many of the paths leading to the reserve begin. After that, and such that you are able to select what your best option is, I will make an overview of the road communications within the reserve and the roads connecting both sides.

From Nairobi:
Don’t be deceived by the 270Km distance from Nairobi. It will consume your six hours just to the eastern sector of the reserve, onto which you should add-if you are the type-the driving hours within the boundaries. In Nairobi, use the A104 route heading to Naivasha and Nakuru. Past the Kikuyu Escarpment, holding your breath with the rift valley spots and going down to the bed of Kedong valley, at Maai-mahiu, diverge left heading to Narok along the B3 road. Some 15-20Km after Narok, the road comes to Ewaso Ngiro, where there is a crossroad. From here there are two ways of reaching the reserve.

First option: This is the route used often times, going to the eastern side of the park, where Keekrot lodge is found. At Ewaso Ngiro, diverge left to the C12.
After some 40Km, the road diverges However, both of the paths head to Masai mara, only that they go to different gates, but still come together within the reserve at Keekorok lodge. The path at the right side is the main route going to Sekenani main Gate. The left path heads to Ololamutiek Gate traversing a collapsed bridge (1998), however, it can be crossed by a 4WD vehicle.

Second option: This route is not used so often, due to its unfavourable conditions and presence of mud after the rains. At Ewaso Ngiro, continue going straight for 40Km up to Ngorengore using the B3. At Ngorengore, diverge left to the C13. From here, there are two other options: The first one is driving straight to Oloololo Gate and Kichwa Tembo camp, at the western sector of the reserve. The second option is diverging left at Aitong to the E177. This path heads to the eastern side via Talek Gate.

From Naivasha:
If you leave from Naivasha, you have two main roads for accessing Ewaso Ngino, from where two choices given for “from Nairobi” also apply.

First choice: Use the main A104 route leading to Nairobi. At Maai-machiu, diverge right to B3 heading to Narok and Ewaso Ngiro. This is the better liked route for it uses a length of the main road.
Second choice: Just south of the lake, use the right divergence to the C88. This path traverses he Mau Escarpment and provides wonderful views, but during the rains, it becomes heavily muddy. Finally, it gets to the B3, which you will use right leading to Narok and Ewaso Ngiro.

From Nakuru:
The case for Nakuru is different from that given for Naivasha. Mainly, there are two choices, one is more straightforward and having fie natural scenery, however, more complex, and the other one uses a length of the main A104 road to Nairobi. Both roads access Ewaso Ngiro, at the B3. From here the route is similar as in “from Nairobi”.

First choice:
Use the main A 104 road heading for Naivasha. See “from Naivasha”.

Second choice:
In Nakuru, use the route going south to Njoro and Mau Narok across the Mau escarpment. This path is a marsh during the rains. Finally, the route leads to the B3 at Narok, then diverge right to Ewaso Ngiro.

From the north (Kericho):
Use the C23 southward leading to Kisii and diverge left at Litein to the paved route that occupies some 40Km before getting to Bomet. Here, diverge left to the B3. From this path you can drive down to Masai mara using the C13 at Ngorengore (some 40Km off Bomet) or the C12 at Ewaso Ngiro, as mentioned under “from Nairobi”.

From the west: (Kisii):
First option: Use the main A1 road going south for Tanzania. After passing Migori at Suna, shortly before getting to the limit, there is a left divergence heading for Lolgorien and Masai mara. This path traverses the soit Ololol Escarpment and is very steep in places. You will enter the reserve through Oloololo Gate, at the western side (Transmara).

Second option: From Kisii, use the B3 eastward to Keroka and Sotik. Continue with this route passing Bomet and Kapkimolwa to drive down the C13 from Ngorengore or the C12 from Ewaso Ngiro, as mentioned under “from Nairobi”

From Tanzania:
This choice is possible only if you move in a personal vehicle, since the companies that rent generally do not accept it apart from when there is a previous fast agreement under special circumstances. Actually, there is a gate to Masai mara from Serengeti, that is, Sand River Gate. This route is rarely used and there is a 12Km distance between both countries’ limit posts. If you enter Kenya through the place, you will need to complete immigration paper work that you will need to complete in Nairobi.

There is some case I have heard of, in which someone has traversed the limit in a rented car using the so-called “green arguments”, that is, plain and simple bribe. Please, refrain from this practice, do not support corruption, or else you will not have the right to complain about it or about any abuse you may suffer.

How to move a round in Masai mara:
A first consideration that is important, is the location of your selected lodging. Many tourists who make choice for an accommodation outside the reserve, do not even get to cross the boundaries. Masai mara is one of the dearest parks and, contrary to what occurs in the rest, animals abound outside the preserved area. The dispersal area north and east of the reserve is also rich I wildlife, having the only difference that there are Maasai residents. The only disadvantage for those opting for this choice is that south of the B3 route, there are no communications connecting the various paths heading for the gates, thus a vehicle coming from Nairobi must make a deviation to access the northwest of Masai mara without entering the reserve. Actually, the road from Kericho is often times used in such cases, since it continues to be passable even when rains are falling.

In any way, all routes get to Masai mara and inside the reserve, it is possible to pass easily from one side to the other, though making long deviation, wince the traversing is at the south border of the reserve and the country.
This new mara bridge is situated along the reserve’s highway, the E176, which joins Keekorot lodge to Oloololo gate. There is a second bridge over the Mara, but it is not found inside the reserve, it is in the northwest of the borders, a short distance past Oloololo gate.

Keekorok lodge, where the E176 dies, is the main crossroad in Masai mara. From here, three routes get to Talek gate (E177), Selenani gate (C12) and Ollamutiet gate (E301), respectively. The C12 comes from Ewaso Ngiro and does not stop at Keekorok, but it continues southward past the lodge to sand River gate, at the Kenya-Tanzania limit.

Leave alone this main network, there is a web of minor routes in different conditions, some of them favourable throughout the year and others dump during the rainy season, especially at the northwest.
In addition to damaging the substrate, off-track driving for many years, has brought about the sprouting of wheel track tangles that re not easy to discern from the authorized routes. Albeit the maps present are generally not perfect at all, this makes their use even harder. This and the huge reserve’s surface, make it easy to get in Masai mara, unless you are a GPS and you are armed with a good collection of waypoints. As a general advice, if you are sure that you see a route, use it, but have it in mind that you may not find it in the map. Keep a record of your movements in a logbook. If you lose the way, you will want to be able to trace your steps back. Losing the way, but knowing how to “find yourself” again, is the best way to leave the beaten paths for exploring landscapes and wildlife in loneliness.

The extension of the regions to discover will depend on the time you give to the reserve, but if your tour is not long, you might pay special attention to the regions highlighted in the next section, depending on your specific preferences.

Generally,, lodges are furnished with a station, where motorists may fill up with petrol. They usually maintain a good fuel supply, however, drought might bring an effect to the regular supply.

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