MASAI MARA NATIONAL RESERVE

ALTITUDE	4,875-7,052 feet (1,500-2,170 metres) above sea level
AREA	1812sq Km
LOCATION	The Masai Mara lies in the Great Rift Valley, which is a fault line some 3,500 miles (5,600km) long, from Ethiopia's Red Sea through Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and into Mozambique
CLIMATE	Rainy Season: It rains in April and May and again November and this can cause some areas of the Mara to be inaccessible due to the sticky 'black cotton' mud. Dry Season: July to October is dry and the grass is long and lush after the rains. This is a good time to come and see the huge herds of migratory herbivores. Hottest time: The warmest time of year is December and January. Coldest Time: June and July are the coldest months.
WILDLIFE	Wildebeest, topi, zebra and Thomson's gazelle migrate into and occupy the Mara reserve, from the Serengeti plains to the south and Loita plains in the pastoral ranches to the north-east, from July to October or later. Herds of all three species are also resident in the reserve. All members of the "Big Five" (lion, leopard, African elephant, African buffalo, and Black Rhinoceros) are found in the Masai Mara. Hippos and Nile crocodiles are found in large groups in the Mara and Talek rivers, hyenas, cheetahs, jackals, and bat-eared foxes can also be found.
BIRDS	The Mara birds come in every size and colour including common but beautiful ones like the lilac breasted roller and plenty of large species like eagles, vultures and storks. There are 53 different birds of prey.
ACTIVITIES	Game drives. There is no night driving and vehicles must be back at the lodge by 6pm.

The Mara Game Reserve, as it was originally known, was established in 1961. Its southern boundary is contiguous with Tanzania's Serengeti National park, and it is divided into 2 sections. The inner reserve of 518sq Km has been developed on the lines of a National Park, no intrusion if human settlement being allowed, while the outer remains an undeveloped area where local Masai are permitted to pasture their cattle but is otherwise disturbed. The Mara country is world famous for its vast assemblages of plains game together with their associated predators.It is perhaps the only region left in Kenya where the visitor may see animals in the same super abundance as existed a century ago. Mara possesses the largest population of lions to be found in Kenya. It also boasts large herds of Topi and a small population of Roan Antelope, animals not found in many other Kenya National Parks or Reserves. Among the great variety of large beasts are Buffalo, Black Rhino and hippos. The bird life of Mara is as profuse as its mammalian fauna.