The Maasai Mara National Reserve, located in southwestern Kenya, covers 1,510 km2 (583 miles2) of breathtaking landscapes and endless plains. This reserve offers excellent safari attractions thanks to a high concentration of wildlife year-round. It is most famous as the stage for the Great Migration, when over two million wildebeest, zebra, and other antelopes cross the land. A paradise for photographers and naturalists, the Mara hosts abundant elephant, buffalo, giraffe, lion, and cheetah. Furthermore, leopards are frequently sighted, endangered black rhinos hide in the dense thickets, and the Mara River is home to large pods of hippo and enormous crocodiles. The park also boasts over 450 bird species.
The Maasai Mara National Reserve and its neighbouring conservancies form Kenya’s flagship conservation area and one of the top safari destinations in Africa. Its wide-open plains provide a sanctuary for an abundance of animals like elephant, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, hyena and the Mara’s famous big cats: lion, leopard and cheetah. And between about August and November every year, the Mara is a much-welcomed pit stop for unending masses of wildebeest that follow the rains on their death-defying, 2 900-kilometre (1 800-mile) circular journey.
Game viewing in the Maasai Mara is excellent all year round thanks to its varied landscapes, wide open spaces, temperate climate and diverse population of resident game. Its champagne-coloured savannahs are home to safari heavyweights like lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo, plus popular species like zebra, giraffe, hyena, eland and gazelle. Rhino sightings are scarce, but these endangered animals can be spotted – if you’re in luck – in the Mara Triangle.
The Mara is renowned for delivering exceptional big cat (lion, leopard and cheetah) sightings. Cheetahs are particularly well adapted to the region’s flat plains, which makes the Maasai Mara one of the best places to see these nimble predators. They often seek vantage points on fallen trees, termite mounds, and even game drive vehicles! It’s a highlight of any Maasai Mara safari to watch the world’s fastest land mammal chase down its prey.
