5 Differences between Masai Mara Safari and Serengeti Safari
5 differences between Masai Mara safari and Serengeti safari. Serengeti Vs Masai Mara for safari; which is best to visit for the best Africa safari? Serengeti or Masai Mara? Well in quite honesty either is the answer, but the ideal is both.
There is no better or worse when it comes to Masai Mara National Reserve of Kenya and Tanzania’s Serengeti national Park; both the Masai Mara and Serengeti Park are a world-famous and sought after Africa safari destinations that form part of the same cross-border Mara-Serengeti ecosystem
Both Masai Mara National Reserve and Serengeti National Park offer the most unrivalled Africa safari tours and experiences, breath-taking landscapes, a wide sense of space not to mention the abundant wildlife in either park all year round! There are many Kenya safari tours and Tanzania safari tours that you can book for an amazing Masai Mara safari or Serengeti safari. Below are pointers that would suffice for the 5 differences between the Masai Mara safari and Serengeti safari;
- Habitat, Landscape, and Wildlife
The Masai Mara and Serengeti make up the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem. Notwithstanding however their landscapes are not identical. Both parks vary in size with Masai Mara National Reserve measuring 1,510 square kilometers, while the Serengeti National Park measures 14,760 square kilometers which is quite a huge difference.
Serengeti National Park Tanzania is dominated by open grassland thus its name in local Maasai language which translates to endless plains. Also, the Serengeti National park has rocky outcrops known as kopjes, ever green riverine forests and deciduous woodland, all inhabiting a variety and loads of wildlife. Gradually, the terrain becomes more hilly and wooded as you travel north of Serengeti and into the Masai Mara.
Both Masai Mara National Reserve and Serengeti National Park have incredible animal densities and offer unparalled wildlife viewing. Best known for the wildebeest migration, there is so much more they offer. Both parks inhabit the big 5 animals, offering amazing sightings of lions, leopards, elephants, buffaloes, cheetahs, giraffes and so much more. Prides of lions can easily be seen in the Serengeti; rhinos are scarce throughout the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem but are far more likely to be seen in Masai Mara, especially in the western part known as the Mara Triangle.
- Best time to Go
On the overall, the best time to visit either park is the dry season months from June through October, when the animals are drawn to few remaining water points like rivers. As the dry season sets in, the vegetation shrinks away making wildlife viewing easier, especially the predator action!
The best time to see the wildebeest migration is different on the most part in the Serengeti Park and Masai Mara, whose exact timing is purely left to nature. Notwithstanding, you travelers have great chances of seeing the migration in the Serengeti from January through September, while the best time to see the migration in Masai Mara is from July ending to October.
- The Great Migration
Another of the 5 differences between Masai Mara safari and Serengeti safari is the length or duration of the great wildebeest migration in either parks. The circular annual migration of more than 2 million grazers including wildebeests, zebras and gazelles mostly, is one of the most sought after and impressive wildlife spectacles that many travelers plan their Kenya safari tour and Tanzania safari tours in sync to these seasons. Given the size of the Serengeti National Park Tanzania, the great migration in longer in Serengeti National Park than Masai Mara.
January and February are a great time for Serengeti migration safari in the southern Serengeti plains of Ndutu area; this is where the calving season takes place as the wildebeests give birth. At the peak of the calving season thousands of calves are born daily which also attracts predators in large numbers. Towards the end of April when the calves are stronger, the herds start their migration yet again, moving northwards in long noisy columns.
Around June to July, they cross the Grumeti River in the Western Corridor of Serengeti National Park. The survivors of the Grumeti River crossing continue northwards to reach the Mara River and cross to Masai Mara National Reserve Kenya around July ending – August.
The Mara River crossing, which is the most exciting, can be witnessed from either the Masai Mara Reserve or Serengeti National Park. Once all the migrating herds have crossed, they spend up to 2 months in Masai Mara National Reserve before returning to the Serengeti, and the cycle continues.
- Safari Cost
A Masai Mara safari is cheaper than a Serengeti National Park safari that is for a fact. First is that there are more budget-friendly accommodations in Masai Mara National Reserve than in the Serengeti Park, and many of the Masai Mara lodgings are outside the reserve. Given the size of Serengeti National Park and the fact that the main entry point to Serengeti is through Ngorongoro Conservation Area, staying outside the park and entering every other day is not a viable option.
Park fees also play an important role in the safari cost of either Masai Mara or Serengeti National Park; while you only pay Masai Mara National Reserve entrance fees, on the contrary, you have to pay Serengeti National Park entrance fees, as well as concession or camping fees and transit fees if moving through the Ngorongoro Conservation Area!
- Accommodation Options
As you plan your Masai Mara safari or Serengeti safari, one of the things to consider is the diversity of accommodation options. Both the Serengeti National Park Tanzania and Masai Mara National Reserve Kenya have a variety of accommodation options that befit all kinds of travelers. Accommodation styles in both Serengeti National Park and Masai Mara National Reserve include tented camps that are both budget and high-end to exclusive, rustic small lodges as well as bigger chain hotels and resorts. It is tented camps that are especially popular; they are usually fully furnished units with canvas walls. Many luxury and high-end exclusive lodges do blend in with nature and the environment.
Although all kinds of accommodation options are available in both parks, the Serengeti National Park has a bigger selection of small upmarket and luxury lodgings, while Masai Mara has fewer options and most of which are outside the reserve.
