Magical Masai Mara

Welcome ( Karibu ) to Masai Mara, Kenya

Kenya, Africa’s wildlife capital, is a land of breath-taking landscapes. Rich biodiversity and deep cultural heritage. At its heart is the Masai Mara, an iconic destination where Kenya’s wildlife legacy thrives, offering a stunning glimpse into the untamed wilderness that makes this country truly extraordinary.

I visited Masai Mara during May first week, along with my photographer friends. It was our first time into the beautiful grasslands of Masai Mara. It is every wildlife photographer’s dream, to visit Masai Mara at least once. Excitement was at peak to see Big 5 and if possible Big Nine of Masai Mara.

About Masai Mara

The Masai Mara is a large game reserve in southwestern Kenya, contiguous with the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.

It covers approximately 1510 square kilometres and is known for its stunning scenery, diverse wildlife, and as the stage for the Great Migration.

This landscape in eastern African region is one of the most sought-after wildlife tourism destinations across the world where a few hundred thousand tourists visit each year. Hence it is extremely important to know the place really well and plan your visits well in advance to avoid last minute disappointments.

Geography and Location

Located in the Great Rift Valley, the Masai Mara is characterised by open grasslands, acacia woodlands, and riverine forests. The reserve is bordered by the Serengeti to the south, the Siria Escarpment to the west and the Masai pastoral lands to the north and east.

The Big Five – Lion, Elephant, Buffalo, Leopard and Rhinoceros are among the most iconic and sought-after wildlife species in Africa. The term was originally coined by Hunters to describe the most challenging animals to track and hunt on foot due to their strength, speed and unpredictability. Today the Big Five have become a symbol of African wildlife. We were lucky to see and photograph the Big Five in first two safaris only.

The best time to visit the Masai Marais during the great migration, from July to October, when millions of wilder beast, Zebras and Gazelles move through the area.

Masai Mara is famous for its spectacular grassland surrounded by the mountains. The landscape with added beauty of Thompson Gazelles and Zebras grazing the grass.

Masai Mara will never disappoints the tourists. You will surely see the Lion Prides and other wildlife in their natural habitat. In the below picture, you see a Lion family consisting of 3 lioness, cubs and Lion king. It is fun to see the playful cubs entertaining the whole family.

Another attraction for the photographers is, Giraffe. On the beautiful background of clear sky this tall animal looks graceful.

Cheetah is the speed king and runs fastest in all the wild hunters. See the Cheetah sisters clicked in Masai Mara. Cheetah sisters after a hunt of Thompson Gazelle.

Every moment is the Life and Death struggle for preys in Masai Mara.

The elephants enjoying in the grassland.

You can also see various Bird species in Masai Mara. Grey Crowned Crane and Kori Bustard are seen in the below picture.

In the below photos, you see Topi ( African Antelope ) and Common Eland ( Grassland Antelope )

We also saw Warthog ( Wild Boar ) and Serval Cat seen in below pics.