Kenya is home to the seemingly
endless plains of the Masai Mara, where one of the worlds greatest natural
spectacles, the annual migration of some two million wildebeest followed by
their predators can be observed. The Masai Mara also holds some of the largest
concentrations of lion, cheetah and leopard in Africa.
Masai Mara
Masai Mara and Samburu Safaris
Overland Trips passing through the Masai Mara
The Masai Mara is one of
the best known and most popular reserves in the whole of Africa. At times and in
certain places it can get a little overrun with tourist minibuses, but there is
something so special about it that it tempts you back time and again.
Seasoned safari
travellers, travel writers, documentary makers and researchers often admit that
the Masai Mara is one of their favourite places. So why is that? Perhaps it is
because of the 'big skies', the open savannahs, the romance of films like 'Out
of Africa' and certainly because of the annual wildebeest migration, the density
of game, the variety of birdlife and the chance of a hot air balloon
ride.
Also because of the tall
red-robed Masai people whose lifestyle is completely at odds with western
practices, and from whom one learns to question certain western
values.
A combination of all
these things plus something to do with the spirit of the place - which is hard
to put into words - is what attracts people to the Mara over and over.
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.
Here the valley is wide and a towering escarpment can be seen in the hazy
distance. The animals are also at liberty to move outside the park into huge
areas known as 'dispersal areas'. There can be as much wildlife roaming outside
the park as inside. Many Masai villages are located in the 'dispersal areas' and
they have, over centuries, developed a synergetic relationship with the
wildlife.
There are four main types
of topography in the Mara: Ngama Hills to the east with sandy soil and leafy
bushes liked by black rhino; Oloololo Escarpment forming the western boundary
and rising to a magnificent plateau; Mara Triangle bordering the Mara River with
lush grassland and acacia woodlands supporting masses of game especially
migrating wildebeest; Central Plains forming the largest part of the reserve,
with scattered bushes and boulders on rolling grasslands favoured by the plains
game.
In a short stay during
the wildebeest migration you could see thousands of animals, at other times
there are still hundreds. The plains are full of wildebeest, zebra, impala,
topi, giraffe, Thomson's gazelle. Also regularly seen are leopards, lions,
hyenas, cheetah, jackal and bat-eared foxes. Black rhino are a little shy and
hard to spot but are often seen at a distance.
Hippos are abundant in the Mara River as are very large Nile crocodiles,
who lay in wait for a meal as the wildebeest cross on their annual quest to find
new pastures.
Every July (or sometimes
August), the wildebeest travel over 600 miles (960km) from Tanzania's Serengeti
plains, northwards to the Masai Mara and the Mara River is the final obstacle.
In October or November, once they have feasted and the grass has all but gone,
they turn around and go back the other way.
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.
samburu
In
the shadow of Mount Kenya, the national parks and extensive ranch and communal
lands of the Samburu Heartland support some of Africas most impressive wildlife
and wild lands. Northern specialty species like the reticulated giraffe and the
Grevys zebra roam the acacia grassland where lions and wild dogs hunt their
prey.
The
Samburu National Reserve is located on the banks of the Ewaso Ngiro river in
Kenya; on the other side of the river is the Buffalo Springs National Reserve in
Northern Kenya. It is 165 sqkm in size and 350 kilometers from Nairobi.
Geographically, it is located in Samburu District of the Rift Valley
Province.
In
the middle of the reserve, the Ewaso Ngiro flows through doum palm groves and
thick riverine forests that provides water without which the game in the reserve
could not survive in the arid country.
Samburu National Reserve can be entered via the Ngare Mare and Buffalo
Springs gates. Once inside the reserve, there are two mountains visible:
Koitogor and Ololokwe. Samburu National Reserve is very peaceful and attracts
animals because of the Uaso Nyiro River (meaning "brown water" and pronounced
U-aa-so-Nyee-ro) that runs through it and the mixture of acacia, riverine
forest, thorn trees and grassland vegetation. The Uaso Nyiro flows from the
Kenyan highlands and empties into the famous Lorian Swamp. The natural serenity
that is evident here is due to its distance from industry and the
inaccessibility of the reserve for many years.
There is a wide variety of animal and bird life seen at Samburu National
Reserve. Several species are considered unique to the region, including its
unique dry-country animal life: All three big cats, Lion, Cheetah and Leopard,
can be found here, as well as Elephants, Buffalos and
Hippos.
Other mammals frequently seen in the park include Gerenuk, Grant's
Gazelle, Kirk's Dik-dik, Impala, Waterbuck, Grevy's Zebra, Beisa Oryx and
Reticulated Giraffe. Rhinos are no longer present in the park due to heavy
poaching.
There are over 350 species of bird. These include Somali Ostrich,
Grey-Headed Kingfisher, Sunbird, Bee-eater, Marabou Stork, Tawny Eagle,
Bateleur, Vulturine Guineafowl, Lilac-Breasted Roller, Palm Nut Vulture,
Red-Billed Hornbill, Secretary Bird, Verreaux's Eagle, Superb Starling,
Yellow-Billed Hornbill and Vultures. The Uaso Nyiro River contains large numbers
of Nile crocodile.