Famous for the Big Cats and Great Migration, the Maasai Mara is Kenya’s wildlife jewel. Open grasslands and riverine habitats create prime viewing for lions, cheetahs, and wildebeests in huge numbers.

  MAHARASHTRA

Famous for the Big Cats and Great Migration, the Maasai Mara is Kenya’s wildlife jewel. Open grasslands and riverine habitats create prime viewing for lions, cheetahs, and wildebeests in huge numbers.

With an area of 1510 km² the Maasai Mara is not the largest game park in Kenya, but it is probably the most famous. The entire area of the park is nestled within the enormous Great Rift Valley that extends from the Mediterranean Sea to South Africa. The terrain of the reserve is primarily open grassland, with seasonal riverlets. In the south-east region are clumps of the distinctive acacia tree. The western border is the Esoit Oloololo Escarpment of the Rift Valley, and wildlife tends to be most concentrated here, as the swampy ground means that access to water is always good and tourist disruption is minimal. The plains between the Mara River and the Esoit Oloololo Escarpment are probably the best area for game viewing, in particular regarding lion and cheetah. As in the Serengeti, the wildebeest are the dominant inhabitant of the Masai Mara, and their numbers are estimated in the millions.