Maasai Mara is a national park reserve found in south-western Kenya. The park is named after the people who inhabited the area: the Maasai people. It serves almost like an extension to the north of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, which is a game reserve. Maasai Mara prides itself for being home to a large population of wildebeests and zebras. The area has been established in 1974 and covers 940 square miles. Its nearest city is Nyeri.
Tourists visit Maasai Mara for the plentiful wild beasts that can be seen and photographed. This means that Maasai Mara truly represents the whole of Kenya, which is popular for wildlife safaris. There is a large variety of wildlife in the national park reserve, of which the lions are stille the most popular attractions. The lions found there have actually gotten used to the visitors and have graced many tourists with sightings. Other famous animals found in Maasai Mara are rhinos, buffalos, leopards, and elephants.
You can reach Maasai Mara National Park Reserve through a flight to Nairobi Wilson Airport. From the airport at Nairobi, you can fly to one of Maasai Mara’s airstrips for about half an hour. If you decide to travel by land, prepare for five hours of journey. The rainy season may make things a little slower by extending your trip over land to seven hours. If you have arranged for a safari, you do not have to worry about transportation from Nairobi Wilson Airport to Maasai Mara and even within the park itself. If you want to see more animals, time your visit to the annual wildebeest migration from June to October. You may want to avoid the rainy season from March to May.
If you are from the United States, you need a passport valid for at least six months to enter Kenya. You also need to present necessary travel documents, especially your travel itinerary. If you are coming from a place that has been infected by yellow fever, bring along a vaccination certificate. You also need a visa that corresponds to your purpose of visit.
Nairobi is the capital city of Kenya. Its situated next to its evenly named river in the south of the country. The city has a population of 2.8 million people and is the most populous city in East Africa. The city and its surrounding area also forms the Nairobi Province.
Nairobi doesn’t have the best reputation as a travel destination, its mostly used by travelers as a fly-in hub to arrive at safari parks or beach resorts somewhere in Kenya, yet travelers are missing its thrill and culture not stopping for a day or two in Nairobi. The city is a big cosmopolitan filled with street scenes, local markets, sophisticated cafes, restaurants serving worldwide dishes and a superb bars and nightclubs. Besides the only city on this globe having its very own wildlife resort just outside the city center.
Nairaboi’s National Park is located just outside the city center, its a full 45 square miles wildlife resort where animals like lions, buffaloes and giraffes life in the wild with a skyline of skyscrapers. With the the national park in Nairobi the city’s nickname is well deserved ‘Green City in the City’. The Karen Blixen museum, located inside the house of the former author of the book ‘Out of Africa’ shows how life was in the early centuries.
All nationals worldwide traveling to Nairobi are required a valid passport and visa. The best period to visit are the summer months which are sunny and warm, from December through March. Nairobi is notorious for theft and petty crime, avoid visiting in areas such as Mathare and Kibera. Watch out for unscrupulous children on intersections and highways, never encourage beggars or roll down a window.
