Discovering the Masai Mara

The Masai Mara National Reserve (1,510 km²) is the northern extension of the Serengeti in Tanzania — together they form the largest contiguous safari ecosystem in the world. The Mara is located at an altitude of 1,500–1,650 meters in southwestern Kenya and belongs to the territory of the Masai people.

What makes the Mara so special: The animal density is unmatched. Even outside of the migration, you regularly see lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, buffalo, giraffes, zebras, hippos, and crocodiles on a single game drive. The vast, treeless savannah offers perfect viewing conditions — no dense bush to hide the animals.

The Mara is about 270 km from Nairobi (5–6 hours drive over partly bumpy roads) or 45 minutes by bush flight from Wilson Airport. Most visitors spend 2–4 nights to do enough game drives.