Maasai Mara National Reserve
Masai Mara National Reserve is the most famous and most visited reserve in Kenya. Covering an area of 1510 km2, the Masai Mara reserve is in fact the extension in Kenyan territory of the vast Serengeti Park in Tanzania. Together, they constitute a huge ecosystem in which animals move freely. All large African animals are present.
Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles, impala, Kirk’s dik-dik, bushbuck, topi, buffalo, ellipsen waterbuck, eland and giraffe, all are there. Famous for its rich wildlife, the Masai Mara is home to not only the “Big 5” (elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino and leopard) but also many birds (over 500 species of birds have been recorded).
Along the rivers, crocodiles and hippos lie in wait. Composed of vast rolling plains and hills, the Masai Mara is dotted with umbrella thorn acacias and thorny thickets. In the Maa language, Mara means “spotted” and may refer to the colorful landscapes
Lake Nakuru National Park
Lake Nakuru is a soda lake whose waters are often covered by a living carpet of thousands of flamingos and plains that are home to the lion, rhino’s leopards and large herds of waterbuck. Created in 1961 to protect the alkaline lake of the same name, the park offers typical plains vegetation. Located 156 kilometers northwest of Nairobi, Lake Nakuru derives its name from the Masai word “enakuro” which means cloud of dust.
It is home to many herbivores including Rothschild’s giraffe, buffalo, hippo, gazelle and nearly 55 mammals including lions, leopards, spotted hyenas, rock hyraxes and reedbuck. Lake Nakuru National Park is famous for hosting both white and black rhinoceros, reintroduced after many years of absence. Further renowned for the dwarf flamingos that congregate by the thousands on the shores of the lake, the park also hosts over 400 species of birds: herons, ospreys, cormorant, and many are migratory birds from the northern hemisphere.
Amboseli National Park
Located about 250 kilometers from Nairobi and along the Tanzanian border, the park derives its name from the Masai word "empusel", meaning salty, dusty place. Declared a national park in 1974 to protect its unique and fragile ecosystem, the Amboseli National Park offers landscapes of remarkable contrasts: arid zones alongside the lush oases of the swamps. This compact park is abundant with wildlife and allows for excellent game viewing. Its vegetation consists of a combination of sprawling grasslands, swampy springs, and dry dusty earth.
Amboseli is most famous for its large elephant populations, with the bulls having some of the biggest tusks in the world. From Observation Hill you will have a view of the entire park and especially the swamp areas where buffalo, elephants, hippos and a diversity of water birds come to cool off and refresh themselves. Look out for the shy porcupine who only dares to emerge at sunset.
The ecosystem of this low rainfall region depends on water from Mount Kilimanjaro (5895 meters). A particular feature of Amboseli is the possibility to take picture postcard photos of elephants against the backdrop of Kilimanjaro. Covering an area of 392 km2 the park is, in addition to elephants, home to numerous animals (giraffe, wildebeest, antelope, buffalo, lion, cheetah, leopard and hyena) as well as 400 species of birds (pelicans, kingfishers, crakes, hamerkop and 47 types of raptor) who live alongside the Masai villages.
