The Masai Mara together with Tanzania’s Serengeti form Africa’s most famous wildlife park. The image of acacia trees on an endless grass plain epitomises Africa for many, and then add a Maasai warrior and some cattle to the picture and the conversation need go no further. The annual wildebeest migration through the Serengeti and the Masai Mara is the largest mass movement of land mammals on the planet – with more than a million animals following the rains. But that is not where the game viewing ends; There are large prides of lions, herds of elephants and on the grasslands you will see giraffes, gazelles, and eland to mention but a few. Aside from traditional vehicle safaris, hot-air ballooning over the Mara plains has become almost essential and you can even do a horseback safari.
Widely regarded as one of East Africa’s most dynamic and cosmopolitan cities, Nairobi sits along the Nairobi River and serves as Kenya’s capital and largest urban centre, acting as a major gateway for safari travel across the country. The city features a growing café culture, active nightlife, and cultural landmarks such as the National Museum of Kenya and the Karen Blixen Museum. Just outside the city centre lies Nairobi National Park, where wildlife, including lions, giraffes, and buffalo, roam against a backdrop of skyscrapers — one of the rare cases in the world where a major national park borders a capital city. Visitors also often stop at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant orphanage for close encounters with rescued calves.
