Kenya - Masai Mara
The Masai Mara is one of the best known and most popular reserves in the whole of Africa. The Mara is a favourite amongst travellers to East Africa, due to the phenomenal game viewing, the open savannahs, the romance of films like 'Out of Africa' and in particular because of the annual wildebeest migration that passes through from August to October.
The Mara Nature reserve is also home to the Maasai people, whom have a proud heritage they maintain to this day and they are amongst the most well-known of all tribal cultures in Africa.
The Mara lies in the Great Rift Valley, which is a fault line some 3,500 miles (5,600km) long. Most of the game viewing activities occur on the valley floor. The wildlife moves freely outside the park into huge areas known as 'dispersal areas,’ so there can often be as much wildlife roaming outside the park as inside.
The Mara can feel a bit crowded at times due to the smaller landmass (relative to the Serengeti in Tanzania) and high density of tourists, so it is important to stay at camps which are well located away from the busier areas.
While we don’t feel it is necessary to include both the Masai Mara and the Serengeti in Tanzania for a great safari itinerary, some travellers who have more time and are on a ‘once in a life time trip’ may wish to visit both. In the past this required a lot of travel back through Nairobi and Kilimanjaro to get between the two reserves which actually border each other. There is now a flight which operates between the two and although it requires a stop at the border and a short transfer, it is a much more appealing option. The flight is fairly expensive so should only be considered for those looking at a high end safari option.
