Masai Mara, Nature reserve in Narok County, Kenya

Masai Mara is a national game reserve in Narok County, southwestern Kenya, covering 1,510 km2 of open grassland with seasonal riverlets and clumps of acacia in the southeast. The Mara River and its Sand and Talek tributaries drain the reserve, and the Esoit (Siria) Escarpment of the East African Rift forms its western border.

The Kenyan government established the reserve in 1961 to preserve wildlife and their migration routes in the Narok region. The name combines the Maasai people with their word for spotted, referring to the scattered trees across the plain.

Maasai herders move through parts of the reserve with their cattle, still wearing red robes and carrying traditional sticks. Visitors often see small bomas built from mud and thorn branches at the edge of the protected zone, where families live and keep goats.

The period from July through September offers the best chance to see large herds on the move, while dry conditions make the terrain easier to cross. Small planes connect Nairobi with several airstrips inside the zone, shortening travel time.

Over one million wildebeest, zebras, and gazelles cross the Mara River each year between this area and Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. The crossing draws crocodiles that wait in the murky water for the passing herds.