Which Is Better The Maasai Mara Safari Park Or The Nairobi National Park?

By Author: Amar Shah
Total Articles: 215
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The Maasai Mara safari park as well as the Nairobi national park are amongst some of the most outstanding safari parks in Kenya. However there is a great disparity between the two in terms of location, accessibility and the wild animals present in both parks.

In terms of accessibility, Nairobi National park is the ultimate choice because it's conveniently located near Nairobi town and the means to get there readily available especially with the recent introduction of special Kenya Wildlife Service buses in the city center to ferry people to and from the park at a small fee. On the other hand, getting to the Maasai Mara can be quite a hurdle considering the distance, the often bad state of roads especially in bad weather and of course higher expenses both travel as well as accommodation.

The Maasai Mara is definitely a marvel in terms of the wildlife presence. The Mara embodies a great variety of wild animals from carnivores; lions, leopards, a big population of herbivorous animals and the Tana River that cuts right through the Mara game reserve. The uniqueness of this is that it is extensive and the animals are ...
... in their very natural environment. You get to experience a wild hunt at the Mara, the thrills of the chase, the stealth of he hunters and the survival skills of the hunted all at the same time The Nairobi National Park however, has fewer species of animals which are some of the time outsourced from other national parks and game reserves in order to balance the eco-system. Despite this fact, it is easier to monitor the progress of the animals at the Nairobi National Park and it can serve as a safe haven for endangered species.

For the wholesome, wild experience, the Maasai Mara takes the day. At Maasai Mara the amount of adventure is unbelievable from camping in the wild to balloon rides to one of the most spectacular phenomenons, the wildebeest migration. In addition the Maasai community at the Mara is a marvel of its own, as you watch them live harmoniously with the wildlife and as they recount their one on one encounters with the wild animals; the lion teeth and leopard skin hanging around their necks are a testimony to this.

At the same time, human encounters with wildlife can be a great disadvantage when it comes to conservation concerns. With the increased need to preserve our natural resources, these encounters promote such ills as poaching, cutting down of trees, hunting and this is one of the greatest challenges of the Mara, as opposed to the Nairobi National Park where conservation efforts are easy to follow up due to the fencing around the park that ensures little or no contact between people and animals. It also ensures that animals are well protected against poachers hence endangered species that are transferred here from other parks due to such concerns are well preserved. Education is also very important towards ensuring conservation and the Nairobi National Park is a step ahead because it offers such education to its visitors besides the Kenya Wildlife Service running an adjacent wildlife conservation school near the park and their aggressive tree planting efforts.

Depending on the experience you are looking for, both the Nairobi National Park and the Maasai Mara are very different but both are equally worthwhile experiences.