Mara North Conservancy

Location: Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Narok County, Kenya

Area: 27,680 hectares (68,398 acres) as at Feb 2021.

Overview

A beautiful private wilderness north of the Maasai Mara National Reserve, in the South-Western corner of Kenya, area of more than 27,500 hectares (approx. 67,954 acres). A vital part of the Maasai Mara ecosystem, forming the north-western zone led by a Board of Directors elected by the Tourism Partners and Landowners, with equal representation from both groups of stakeholders.

Total of 922 landowners as of February 2021, The Board further works in partnership with the Maasai Landowner’s Committee to meet long and short-term conservation objectives for the future. Mara North Conservancy is a not-for-profit entity established in January 2009.

The partnership is spread between 12 Tourism Partner members (6 camps, 3 lodges, and 3 riding outfits) and over 900 land owners, aimed at creating a best practice, world-class conservancy with long-term commitments to the environment, wildlife, and local communities.

This conservancy strongly believes in low bed density tourism and aspires to an ideal minimum ratio of Mara North’s formula of one bed per 350 acres (or one tent per 700 acres) so as to guarantee an exclusive safari minimizing the impact on the environment. The Conservancy is formed by leases of land parcels from individual Maasai Landowners.

The Maasai Mara National Reserve stretches 1,510 sq. km (580 sq. miles) and raises 1,500-2,170 meters above sea level. The terrain of the reserve is primarily grassland and riverine forest with clumps of distinctive acacia trees. It’s about 270 km west of the capital city Nairobi and takes about 5-6 hours by road or 40-45 minutes by flight with several scheduled airlines and private charters using Mara North airstrip.

The Maasai Mara Ecosystem holds one of the highest densities of lion densities in the world and this is where over two million Wildebeest, Zebra, and Thomson’s gazelle migrate annually. Its hosts over 95 species of mammals and 570 recorded species of birds.

The Uniqueness of this Park

• • The Conservancy is renowned for its exclusivity.

• • Most densely populated wildlife conservancies in the Mara ecosystem.

Accommodation Options

Accommodates the twelve member camps in a sustainable way that benefits the environment, the wildlife, and the community

Activities at the Destination

Birdwatching, game viewing, photography