The Maasai Mara National Reserve is located in the Great Rift Valley in southwest Kenya, sharing a border with the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Preserved savannah and grassy plains as far as the eye can see, with an abundance of wildlife and big game making this one of the top wildlife reserves in Kenya and also in Africa.
This reserve is fantastic all year round and home to a large concentration of game, lions, cheetahs, elephants and leopards are a common sight when out on a game drive or visiting the reserve. Famous for its wildebeest migration along the endless grassy plains, where 2 millions wildebeest along with thousands of zebras and antelope take on the Great Migration every year between July and October. Moving between the Maasai Mara National Reserve in Kenya to the Serengeti National Park in northern Tanzania in search of fresh grasslands after the annual seasonal rain, making for a breathtakingly beautiful wildlife marvel.
Some of the most popular scenes would have to be the millions of wildebeest crossing the Grumeti and Mara rivers with enormous crocodiles lying and waiting quietly for their prey. With the Mara river not the only threat as lions, leopards, cheetahs and other predators following the wildebeest throughout their migration making for some spectacular sightings.
Dispersed throughout the area you will also find the local Maasai people and traditional villages called a manyatta, bomas or enkangs. When you travel through the region you can visit these villages and learn more about the culture and history of these semi-nomadic people who call the Mara home. Learn about their daily lives and traditional rituals and ceremonies like the jumping dance. You can also support the community by buying some unique Maasai beaded jewellery and souvenirs, making for the perfect gift or memory of your unforgettable visit to the Maasai Mara.
With several private companies and lodges offering game drives, you also have the option of taking hot air balloon flights usually done at sunrise. This unforgettable experience will give you a birds eye view over the savannah and grassy plains of the Maasai Mara, this memorial experience is not to be missed if you do have the time and opportunity presents itself.