The Masai Mara Game Reserve ranks right up there with Tanzania's Serengeti National Park and South Africa's Kruger National Park. Established in 1961, some 275 km southwest of Nairobi it covers an area of 1.800 square km and is demarcated by the Serengeti in the south, the Loita Hilss in the east, the Esoit Oloolo escarpment in the west, and the Itong Hills in the north.
The Masai Mara is part of the Serengeti ecosystem that extends from northern Tanzania into southern Kenya. Watered by the Mara River National Reserve and littered with an astonishing amount of wildlife is the world -renowned Masai Mara.
Although concentrations of wildlife are typically highest in the swampy area around the escarpment on the reserves western edge, superior roads draw most visitors to the eastern side. Sandy - eyed lions are found in large prides everywhere, and it is not uncommon to see them hunting. Cheetah and leopards are less visible, but still fairly common and elephants, buffaloes, zebras and numerous other grazers occur in quantities that boggle the mind. Breathtaking at any time of the year the Mara reaches its pinnacle during the annual wildebeest migration in July and August, when literally millions of these ungainly beasts move north of the Serengeti seeking lusher grass before turning south again around October. A Balloon safari over the Masai Mara is a must especially during the annual wildebeest migration.
