The Masai Mara reserve is located in southwestern Kenya and is bordered on its southern edge almost entirely by Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park. Together, these form the Mara eco-system that is the stage for the ‘greatest show on Earth’ – the annual Great Migration. This migration sees millions of ungulates move into the plains, generally in July and August as they follow the seasonal rains and sweeter grasses.

The reserved is named after the Maasai people who are the traditional inhabitants of the area and the Mara River which divides it. The reserve is most famous for its enormous game population which includes the Big Five, although lions are by far the most commonly seen.

The Masai Mara covers an area of 1 510 square kilometres, and it located entirely in the Great Rift Valley. The terrain is largely grassland, in the Southeast are clumps of acacias and the western border is the striking Esoit Oloololo Escarpment, which is where the wildlife tends to be most concentrated.