Masai Mara National Reserve
Kenya

The Masai Mara National Reserve is a large game reserve in southwest Kenya, bordering Tanzania. It is the northern part of the Serengeti National Park and is one of the most famous and most visited game reserves in Africa. The Masai Mara is home to an abundance of wildlife, including lions, elephants, giraffes, zebras, cheetahs, and wildebeests. It is also one of the best places to see the Great Migration, which is the annual movement of millions of wildebeests and other animals across the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem.

The Masai Mara is known for its exceptional population of predators, including the famous Big Five (lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and rhinoceroses). It is also home to over 500 species of birds and is a popular destination for wildlife photography and safaris. Camping and lodging are available in the reserve.

The Masai Mara offers good wildlife viewing throughout the year, but the rainy months (March, April, November and December) make some of the roads difficult to navigate, and wildlife might be more difficult to spot. The driest months (from late June to October) are the best for wildlife viewing because the vegetation is thinner and animals gather around rivers and water holes. The wildebeest migration and the river crossings in particular are difficult to time, but your best chance to witness this spectacle is in late September and October.

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