The Ultimate Safari: Comparing Stays at Masai Mara and Naboisho Conservancy
Masai Mara Reserve
The Masai Mara Reserve is one of Africa’s most famous and rich wildlife regions. It is located in southwestern Kenya, bordering Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. The Masai Mara Reserve is a public park; anyone can enter and tour it. Many tour operators offer safari tours; this is where my research on Kenyan safaris started.
The Masai Mara is home to a kaleidoscope of wild and rocky landscapes, warm and hospitable Masai people, and a fantastic diversity of large and tiny animals. It is world-famous for hosting the dramatic Great Migration, which brings 1.5 million wildebeests to its expansive savannahs every July through October. The Mara also supports about 95 animal species and almost 550 bird species. The Mara is home to the African Big Five—lions, elephants, rhinoceroses, Cape buffalo, and leopards.
The Masai Mara National Reserve is one of the few national reserves in Africa that is fortunate enough to host all of “The Big Five.” However, spotting rhinos and leopards can be as challenging as finding gold! The Masai Mara National Reserve is the “Home of the Big Cats” (lions, leopards, and cheetahs). It is famous for having the most significant number of big cats in East Africa and worldwide, delivering exceptional sightings and unrivaled cat encounters.
Park Entrance Fee:
Visitors pay park entrance fees to support conservation efforts and sustain the park’s ecosystem. As of January 1, 2024, the Masai Mara National Reserve has two different entry fee structures based on the travel season:
- January 1–June 30: Non-resident adults pay $100 per day, children ages 9–17 pay $50 per day, and students and citizens of Masai Mara pay different rates.
- July 1–December 31: Non-resident adults pay $200 per day, children ages 9–17 pay $50 per day, and students and citizens of Masai Mara pay different rates.
- Children aged eight and under receive free admission.
Conservancy
Private conservancies, such as the Naboisho Conservancy, are not just areas of land set aside for wildlife conservation. The Masai people own these exclusive havens, and local organizations or private businesses run them. Though smaller than the Masai Mara Reserve, these conservancies offer a more intimate and personalized safari experience, making you feel like a privileged guest in the heart of the wild.
The Naboisho Conservancy consists of 50,000 acres of pristine wildlife territory and spectacular scenery in the Great Rift Valley. Situated within the greater Mara Region, it borders Mara National Reserve to the southwest, Olare Motorogi Conservancy to the west, and Ol Kinyei Conservancy to the east.
The number of tourists at the Mara Naboisho Conservancy is limited—about 100 people at any given time, ensuring you’re not just another vehicle in a crowd. You might find yourself the only one around, enjoying unspoiled views of the wildlife. The Conservancy is home to one of Africa’s highest populations of lions. Their passionate and knowledgeable guides promise a memorable and thrilling time.
The Conservancy supports land and wildlife conservation while generating wealth for Masai landowners. By visiting Mara Naboisho, you contribute to protecting the cultural heritage of the local Masai people and improving access to their vital services.
Spanning 145 square kilometers, Mara Naboisho Conservancy is the second-largest Masai Mara region and has one of the highest wildlife concentrations in the region. Its rolling hills, riverine acacia woodlands, and sprawling grasslands host elephants, giraffes, wildebeests, and many lions. With only nine safari camps, it offers an exclusive safari that is free from crowds and provides a more authentic feel.
Due to the limited number of accommodations, booking early is essential, especially during the peak travel season from July to October. Each camp and lodge offers unique qualities, ensuring a comfortable, satisfying, and exceptional safari experience.
What are the differences between staying at Masai Mara Reserve and Naboisho Conservancy?
Access
The Masai Mara Reserve is open to the public, meaning there are more tourists. Such activity positively affects the wildlife, as they are familiar with humans’ presence. The reserve accommodates both day and overnight visitors, guided and unguided.
Guests staying at the conservatory can interact closely with the wildlife. For instance, at a big cat sighting in the Masai Mara Reserve, you might see 20 to 30 cars, and sometimes even more. Most of the time, you will only see three or four vehicles at a time in a private reserve.
Private conservancies only let a certain number of people in each day, and park tourists are not allowed to stay there all day. During the day, people who remain in private conservancies can visit the reserve. However, this isn’t the case; only those residing in conservancies can access safaris.
Game Drives
The reserve has strict rules about where you can go and what you can do on a game drive. The Masai Mara Reserve restricts game drives to the main road only during daylight hours. Your guide must stay on the road and get closer to the animals. However, the reserve is the best place to see the famous river crossings of the Great Migration in July.
Game Drive at Masai Mara National Reserve
The Naboisho Conservancy permits guides to drive off-road, allowing visitors to get closer to the animals. There is a limit on the number of cars at each location. The scenery makes it easier to see the animals and enhances viewing enjoyment.
Naboisho Conservancy Game Drive
Night Drives
While the Reserve prohibits night drives, private conservancies like Naboisho permit them. Every safari-goer should have the exciting encounter of seeing nighttime animals like leopards prowling at night at least once. On our night game drive, we saw an unforgettable leopard!
Walking Safaris
Only private conservancies, not the Masai Mara Reserve, allow walking safaris. Exploring the bush on foot offers a new perspective and lets you learn about the smaller creatures and plants often overlooked during game drives.
Accommodations
The Masai Mara Reserve has various properties, from camps and lodges to beautiful luxury properties. Accommodations in private conservancies offer a more luxurious and personalized feel. These can include private plunge pools, spa treatments, and gourmet meals. Depending on your chosen camp, additional activities, such as community visits, may be available.
Private conservancies provide a far more exclusive and personalized package with a broader range of activities while still offering access to the reserve. They also help protect a more significant part of the ecosystem and provide a sustainable source of income to the Masai community.
Whether you choose the Masai Mara Reserve or any private conservancies, both options offer an incredible opportunity to see African wildlife up close.
For the best safari experience, I recommend staying at both.
Where we stayed:
Property: Base Camp Explorer, Masai Mara National Reserve
BaseCamp Explorer provided a classic first stop and an absolute “out of Africa” adventure. Our stay at Basecamp lodging in Masai Mara was a truly unique experience. This gold-rated camp, nestled along the Talek River and bordered on one side by Masai Mara Reserve, Talek village, and privately owned land, was the epitome of sustainable ecotourism. Offering a perfect balance of exploration, cultural authenticity, and environmental sensitivity, it provided an exclusive opportunity to connect with the incredible wildlife that calls this space home. Our tented suites faced the river, offering a private deck and a breathtaking view of the Talek River. It was a privilege to stay at a camp that hosted Barack Obama and his young family, a testament to its allure and commitment to ecotourism.
Guards monitor the surroundings throughout the night because the nearby river is a watering hole for many animals. We used a walkie-talkie to call the guards for an escort if we wanted to go to the communal area for food or drinks at night. Our rooms provided us with lockers to store food we brought to the tent. At night, you hear different wild animals stirring in the darkness. The night feels like an auditory safari as you listen to the roars of lions, the laughs of hyenas, and a symphony of brays, snorts, trumpets, squeals, croaks, groans, and chirps—it’s so unbelievable! A bright light and noise woke me from outside our tent on our first night. The guard informed us that a lion had been wandering by the water across from our tent all night. The guard ensured the lion did not cross the river to get close to the tents.
Destination Highlights:
- Staying for only a short time would still allow you to view many animals and have fun interactions with them.
- The Mara is busy during the high season, but you’ll find it much quieter and slower when you go there in the low season.
- There’s plenty of wildlife for you to see.
- The expansive landscapes and skies provide a sense of limitless space.
Property: Eagle View, Naboisho Conservancy
On a natural hilltop overlooking a waterhole, Eagle View offered constant entertainment through unexpected interactions between predators and prey. National Geographic Travelers Magazine nominated Eagle View, located in Naboisho Conservancy, a highly acclaimed model for nature conservation management, as one of the top 25 eco-lodges in the world in 2013. The hotel was the only lodge in Kenya to be nominated.
As soon as we arrived at Eagle View Conservancy, we felt like we were part of the family. Drinks by the fireside and communal dining helped us feel at home. Guests enjoyed exclusivity, privacy, and wildlife viewing, making it one of the best safaris on the savannah.
The camp’s minimalist design perfectly blends with its stunning surroundings, allowing your imagination to expand as you gaze across the vastness of the African savannah. There was ample wildlife in Naboisho Conservancy, with guided walking safaris and day or night game drives accompanied by knowledgeable Masai guides. Eagle View was home to nine spacious and luxurious tents with en-suite bathrooms and private terraces, an elevated dining area, and a viewing deck with 18 beds.
The cabins were a lovely place to stay, both big and cozy. Our room was on the side of a hill and had a beautiful conservatory view. It hadn’t rained much in this part of Kenya in the past few years, but the recent El Niño brought enough rain to turn the land into an Eden. It rained a lot, and the once straw-colored grass was now thick and bright green.
Eagle View is a beautiful place to stay in the Masai Mara Naboisho Conservancy, with its sweeping open savannah in one of the Mara ecosystem’s most magnificent and protected regions. Our tents were beautifully designed, the guides were excellent, and the food was delicious. Moreover, the Conservancy boasts an abundance of felines! We saw plenty of big cats during the three days we spent at Naboisho.
Destination Highlights:
- On a night game drive, you could see animals that only come out at night, such as leopards and other small animals.
- You could also walk around the conservatory in the morning or afternoon.
- You can request to dine in the bush after your safari and enjoy a bush dinner with a dedicated staff member who will cater to your needs.
Whether you stay at the Reserve or the Conservancy, Masai Mara is a wonderful place to see these beautiful “Big Five” (African Buffalo, Lion, Elephant, Rhino, and Leopard)! It was cool that the rhino sometimes appeared—the first time after three months!
I am not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned in this post. However, I genuinely recommend them based on my personal experiences and their positive impact on my journey. I believe they offer exceptional services and can enhance your visit to Masai Mara.”
Author and photo credit: Cristy