Masai Mara Conservancies
Highlights
The various conservancies that surround the Masai Mara have proven to be amazing conservation success stories, and have given a model for low density, high value tourism that is sustainable, deals effectively with human-wildlife conflict and encroachment and can be replicated. These are Masai Rangelands, belonging to a variety of landowners, some of them private individuals, some of them communities, and some of them groups of individuals. The models for each conservancy vary, but in basic principle, the lands from the Maasai landowners, turned over to wildlife conservation, and the tourist revenues are reinvested back into the communities and ecosystems. These are pioneering tourism models that involve and empower the communities in which they operate and ensure the magical fauna and flora are protected for the benefit of future generations. Acting effectively as a more private Mara experience, and with the same levels of thumping game, and excellent guides and lodges, this is definitely something we really support and recommend.
NIGHT GAME DRIVES
Being on private lands, the conservancies are able to offer activities not available in the main reserve. Night game drives offer the opportunity to explore a range of nocturnal wildlife that is generally unseen during the daylight hours. Unusual species, such as aardvarks, bushbabies, and bat-eared foxes top the bill here, but the night is also prime hunting periods for the big cats.
WALKING SAFARIS
On foot, you gain a very different perspective of the safari experience. Your senses are heightened as you begin to look for the slightest flicker of movement through the bushes, or the faintest sound coming from ahead. Walking safaris also offer the opportunity to focus on some of the smaller ecosystems that are often overlooked from the height of a vehicle.
FLY CAMPING
A fly camp is a lightweight campsite set up exclusively for your party. It carries the minimum requirements for a comfortable night, but the emphasis is on the experience of cooking dinner around the campfire, and sleeping in a lightweight tent under the stars, and enjoying the sounds of the night. Combined with walking safaris, fly camping is a truly unqiue way to explore the Mara.