ACCOMODATION »Great Rift Valley & The Mara Region«

MAASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

Set at an altitude of 1650m (5210 ft) the rolling grasslands of the Maasai Mara offer one of the nature's most dramatic spectacles, the annual migration of over a million wildebeest and zebra from Tanzania's Serengeti which takes place from late July to September. The Masai Mara lies 275 kms (170 miles) west of Nairobi.

The journey to Masai Mara, either by air, with extensive panoramic views of the floor of the Great Rift Valley including the "lost world" volcano of Suswa with its inner plateau, or by road along the south slopes of the Mau, is scenically magnificent.

Here the great herds of immense shuffling elephants, browse among the rich, tree studded grasslands with an occasional sighting of the solitary and ill-tempered rhino. Thompson's gazelles, zebra and eland and many more species of plains' game offer a rich choice of food for the predatory lions, leopards and cheetahs which hunt within the Masai Mara's 1,672 Kms2 of pristine African wilderness.

In the Mara River, which every now and then comes into tumultuous flood, hippo break surface to snort and grumble whilst drowsy looking crocodile sunbathe on the river banks, mouths agape awaiting for prey.

But all of this richness of fauna, and untouched life of Africa continuing as it has for thousands of years, is secondary to the Mara's main attraction - the march of the wildebeest. Each year, far south in the great vastness of the Serengeti, they will raise their heads, sniff the air and, as if one by one accord, turn and start the long trek to the Kenya border and the Masai Mara.

The spectacle of more than a million of these creatures moving as a great mass across the savannah, in a lemming, follow-my-leader ritual, is one of the most astonishing sights in nature. The herds are following the rains and when they arrive in the Mara there is new succulent grass for fodder. But the trek is costly.

Blindly heading north, accompanied by ravening packs of predators, hyenas, feline carnivores and the circling ever-watchful vultures, hundreds perhaps thousands of the lame, laggard and sick will never reach their destination. More die in the swirling flood waters while trying to cross the Mara River.

Once the rains have ended and the grass begins to wither under the harsh sun, the wildebeest once again, turn south, heading hundreds of kilometres back into the Serengeti. The actual migration does not last for very many days and its start is impossible to foretell accurately. Nevertheless visitors to the Masai Mara in August through September are certain to see the great herds of wildebeest and zebra together with their attendant predators.

Year round the Mara is the richest of all Kenyas parks. Apart from the better known species already mentioned there are numerous opportunities to add some of the rare and less frequent seen animals to the visitor's check list.

In the south western sector of the Reserve are roan antelope, bat eared foxes are found sniffing the air from a vantage point and there are thousands of topi, wild dog, hunting in packs are a savage and awesome sight.

The combination of a gentle climate with scenic splendor and unbelievable wildlife makes the Masai Mara Kenya's most popular inland destination.

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