Masai Mara National Reserve

The Masai Mara National Reserve covers some 1530km² in south-western Kenya. It is the northern-most section of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem, covering some 25,000 km². It is bounded by the Serengeti Park to the south, the Siria escarpment to the west and Maasai pastoral ranches to the north, east and west. Rainfall in the ecosystem increases markedly along a south-east-north-west gradient, varies in space and time, and is markedly bimodal. The Sand, Talek and Mara are the major rivers draining the reserve. Shrubs and trees fringe most drainage lines and cover hillslopes and hilltops.

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 easternmost border is 224 km from Nairobi, and hence it is the eastern regions which are most visited by tourists.

With its rolling grasslands and wide-open savannahs, the Masai Mara is the kind of unfettered, sprawling wilderness you thought only existed on Hollywood film sets. But it's real and out there: experience Kenya's finest wildlife reserve on a Masai Mara safari holiday - where the land pulses with raw energy and a dazzling array of animals takes centre stage.

The Masai Mara Migration

And of course at certain times of the year the famous Masai Mara rumbles to the beat of hundreds of thousands of hooves as the Great Wildebeest Migration rolls in.

Between July and October unimaginable numbers of wildebeest, zebra and gazelles flood into the Masai Mara from the Serengeti where they gather to graze and relax on the Mara's plains, which - at about one third of the size of the enormous Serengeti National Park - is more manageable from a game-viewing point of view.

And what a view: the Masai Mara's open grasslands teem with wildlife in every direction, leaving even seasoned safari-goers open-mouthed in disbelief. Read our month-by-month guide to the migration for details and get your timing right with our when to go section for a perfectly timed Masai Mara safari holiday.