Sectors of Maasai Mara

Masai Mara is one of the most visited tourism destinations in Kenya, renowned for its wildlife populations and the great wildebeest migration. The reserve covers an area of 1,500 square kilometers and is contiguous with the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.
The entry fee to Masai Mara is $80 for foreign non-resident adults, $70 for resident adults, $45 for foreign non-resident children, and $40 for foreign resident children. East African citizens will pay KSh 1,200, East African citizen children will pay KSh 500, and Kenyan citizen children will pay KSh 300. East African students will pay KSh 500, while Kenyan students will pay KSh 300.
Sectors of Masai Mara The Masai Mara Game Reserve is split into three sectors, naturally divided by the Talek and Mara rivers: the Musiara sector, the Sekenani sector, and the Mara Triangle.
Sekenani Sector The Sekenani Sector is the main point of entry for visitors coming from Nairobi. It mainly has accommodation units and is crowded with many cars entering and inside the reserve. The Sekenani Sector is found southeast of the Talek and Mara rivers.
Musiara Sector The Musiara Sector is located between the Talek and Mara rivers in the northern sector of the reserve. The sector is characterized by swamps teeming with several species of birds and wildlife. It is historically significant to the Maasai pastoralists who used to graze their cattle in this area during the dry seasons before the area was gazetted as a game reserve. Musiara Sector is also home to the Marsh Pride, a group of about 20-30 lions documented by the BBC. While at this sector, you can also have chances of seeing the Mara crossings during the great wildebeest migration. Tourists can stay in Little Governors’ Camp, Serian Camp, Moran Camp, Neptune Mara Rianta Camp, Mara Expedition Camp, and many others.
Mara Triangle Sector The Mara Triangle Sector comprises 510 square kilometers, located between the Mara River and the Oloololo Escarpment. This sector of the Mara region used to experience devastating poaching, leading to a dramatic decline in the wildlife population until the year 2000, when a group of local leaders decided to ban poaching to conserve wildlife. This is the best sector to visit while in Masai Mara; it’s less crowded compared to other areas of the reserve due to its limited access. The Mara Triangle has numerous wildlife, including lions, leopards, zebras, Maasai giraffes, wildebeests, gazelles, elephants, buffalos, olive baboons, hyenas, and many others. The Mara Triangle is the best place to be during the great Mara crossing of millions of wildebeests, thousands of zebras, and hundreds of gazelles, closely followed by predators such as lions, cheetahs, leopards, and hyenas, while crocodiles lie in wait at the great Mara River. The Mara Triangle is also good for birding, with likely sightings including the common ostrich, Egyptian goose, red-winged francolin, red-eyed dove, emerald-spotted wood dove, crowned lapwing, secretary bird, white-backed vulture, long-crested eagle, African fish eagle, speckled mousebird, and little bee-eater, to name a few. While staying at the Mara Triangle, you can stay in places such as Mpata Safari Club, Mara Siria Camp, Mara Serena Lodge, Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp, Bateleur Camp, Mara Engai Wilderness Lodge, Angama Mara, and Mara River Camp. The choice of accommodation will depend on the tourist’s budget because the units range from budget to luxury.
The Masai Mara Reserve can be reached within a 5-6 hour drive from Nairobi, or you can take a one-hour flight to the reserve from Nairobi. You can access the park through the Oloololo Gate, Sekenani Gate, Talek Gate, Musiara Gate, and Oloolaimutia Gate. The entry fee to the reserve is usually paid at the gates before accessing the reserve.
The best time to visit Masai Mara is from June to September and December to February when the vegetation in the park isn’t thick, and animals are concentrated at the main water points, making it easier to spot wildlife. June to October is the best time to witness the wildebeest migration.
You can make your safari more memorable by visiting the local nomadic Maasai people, who coexisted with wildlife in the reserve before it was gazetted as a national park. The Maasai people now embrace conservation and have created several conservation groups to end poaching and protect wildlife. The Maasai people have a very unique and rich culture, well-known by tourists across Africa. Support the Maasai communities by visiting their homesteads, learning about their ways of life, engaging in their day-to-day activities, and buying their handmade crafts to take back home as souvenirs for a small fee.