Night Game Drives in Maasai Mara

Night Safari Experiences in Maasai Mara, Kenya.

Night Game Drives in Maasai Mara National Reserve: Experience the dark hours of Maasai Mara National Reserve and witness the magic of the calm night hours, with the savannah grasslands coming to life with sounds and sightings of nocturnal animals such as lions, aardvarks, hippos, leopards, silver-backed jackals, striped hyenas, and others.

A night game drive offers an incredible opportunity to spot predators and prey alike. The lights of the 4×4 safari vehicles illuminate an unseen world, unknown even to the experienced adventurers. Spotting shy nocturnal creatures, scuttling, feeding and fighting their way through the bush at night can be every bit as thrilling and exciting as sighting larger mammals during the day.

Synonymous with the Great Migration and the Big Five, Maasai Mara National Reserve is one of the most popular safari wildlife destinations in the world, covering approximately 1,510 square kilometres. The reserve is known for its golden, sweeping savannahs, abundant wildlife and incredible safari experience, which is why it is visited by thousands of visitors from all over the world.

Unlike the normal day game drives, night game drives in Maasai Mara National Reserve are not permitted in the main reserve. They only take place in selected Mara private conservancies such as Mara North Conservancy, Mara Naboisho Conservancy, Siana, Trans Mara and Olara Motorogi Conservancy, which share boundaries with the Maasai Mara National Reserve.

Where to Do Night Game Drives in Maasai Mara National Reserve

Game drives in Maasai Mara National Reserve are only permitted in the private conservancies, which brings to a commonly asked question: “What is a conservancy?”

A conservancy refers to a very specific form of land and wildlife conservation whereby several landowners enter into lease agreements with safari operators and conservationists. In the Maasai Mara National Reserve, this means that thousands of residents who own small parcels of land come together, put their properties together and enter into contracts with safari operators in return for monetary compensation and other assistance, which could be anything from educational and healthcare programmes to management of their livestock and grazing.

In light of night game drives, below are the conservancies where this unique Kenya safari experience is allowed.

Mara North Conservancy

Founded in 2009 with a size of 74,000 acres, Mara North Conservancy is among the most famous private conservancies of the Maasai Mara National Reserve, situated on the northwestern edge of the main reserve.

Mara North Conservancy is one of the best conservancies to do night game drives in the Maasai Mara, thanks to its abundant wildlife, savannah landscapes and commitment to community conservation. Game viewing in this conservancy is excellent, and the big cat sightings and the dramatic herds of the Great Migration are the particular highlights.

Mara Naboisho Conservancy

The 50,000-acre Mara Naboisho Conservancy is ranked as the top private conservancy of the Maasai Mara National Reserve by many, situated to the north of the national reserve. This conservancy is loved by many for having plenty of wilderness without other cars, and the environmental impact is limited.

In Mara Naboisho Conservancy, the concentration of wildlife is high, with abundant big cats and herds of wildebeest, giraffes, buffaloes and elephants, among others, making it the best place for night game drives in Maasai Mara National Reserve.

Siana, Trans Mara

The Siana Trans Mara, also known as the Mara Siana Conservancy, was established in 2015 by 1200 landowners. The 7898-acre conservancy lies some distance from the Maasai Mara National Reserve to the east, perfect for those who want to get the off-the-beaten-track experience. Unlike other Maasai Mara conservancies, it is more remote and has two accommodation options.

In the secluded valley making up the Mara Siana Conservancy, there is plenty of wildlife to be spotted on game drives (day and night drives) and guided nature walks, from prides of lions, herds of elephants, cheetahs, leopards, buffaloes, and the endangered black rhinos and packs of wild dogs, among others.

Olara Motorogi Conservancy

The Olare Motorogi Conservancy is one of the oldest and most successful conservancies in Maasai Mara National Park, made up of the former Motorogi and Olare-Orok conservancies. This conservancy has been the inspiration and the foundation for other conservancies and community conservation in the Masai Mara.

Olare Motorogi Conservancy offers exceptional wildlife viewing with large prides of lions and herds of elephants. This conservancy has one of the highest concentrations of animals in the Mara and the lowest tourist densities.

Night Game Drives in Maasai Mara National Reserve Experience

Night game drives in Maasai Mara National Reserve are conducted by experienced local guides in custom 4×4 Land Cruisers or Land Rover vehicles fitted with powerful lights for proper vision at night. These spotlights are fitted with animal-friendly red filters; that way, the animals are not startled and scared to run away.

Before the night game drive experience, your driver guide or local guide will always brief you on the experience, depending on the location of your accommodation.

The sharp-eyed spotter may seem to be able to see in the dark, but the night torches and spotlights are equipped with filters so as not to alarm the animals they illuminate. Our specially converted vehicles are equipped with a heat-seeking night-vision camera known as a “FLIR”, whose infrared images are relayed to screens on the seatbacks ahead of you.

On your night game drive, animals to look out for include prides of lions, leopards, hippos, bat-eared foxes, silver-backed jackals, honey badgers, striped hyenas, banded mongooses, bush babies, bush pigs, caracals, genet cats, cape hares, porcupines, civet cats, aardwolves, and owls, among others.

When do night game drives in Maasai Mara National Reserve take place?

The typical timing for night game drives in the Maasai Mara is from 7 pm to 9 pm, with a typical duration of 2 hours. Therefore, the safari experience of 9 pm would occur after dinner, while the 7 pm one takes place before dinner.

Note: Private vehicles are not permitted on night game drives whilst unaccompanied by ranger guides from Mara Conservancy, and in most locations it is mandatory to have an authorised guide and driver to accompany guests and provide the night game safari in line with the local conservancy rules.