Size: 1,672 sq kms
Province: Rift Valley
District: Narok District
Geographical Location: South - Western Kenya bordering Serengeti National Park, on the Tanzania border.
Altitude: 1,500-2,170m above sea level
Fauna: In the dry season (July-October) the reserve is a major concentration area of migratory herbivores including approximately 250,000 zebra and 1.3 million wildebeest. There are also gazelle, elephant, topi, buffalo, lion (Kenya's largest population), black rhino, hippo, hyena, giraffe, leopard, and cheetah.
Vegetation: Open grasslands with patches of acacia woodland, thickets, and riverine forests. Rolling plains.
Bird Life: Prolific, including 53 birds of prey.
Visitor Facilities: Several luxury and budget safari lodges and campsites

The Masai Mara Game Reserve is one of the best known and most admired reserves in the whole of Africa. 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. Seasoned safari travellers, travel writers, documentary makers and researchers often admit that the Masai Mara is one of their preferred places. The reason is perhaps it is because of its 'big skies', the open savannahs, the romance of films like 'Out of Africa' and certainly because of the yearly wildebeest migration, the concentration of game, the diversity of birdlife and the excellent opportunity of taking a hot air balloon ride!

The main route into the Masai Mara Game Reserve is via Narok, on the main B3 road which leaves the old Nairobi - Naivasha road at Maai-mahiu. At Ewaso Ngiro, 15 kms beyond Narok, are a crossroads where the left branch forms the C12 to Keekorok via Sekenani Gate, tarred for a further 40 kms.The right branch forms the B3/C13 to Kichwa Tembo Lodge and Oloololo Gate. At Aitong, another track (the E177) branches off towards Keekorok via Talek Gate.

It is also possible to approach the park from Migori (on the main A1 Kisii - Tanzania road) via Lolgorien. The last section of this route is very steep and the road is seldom used. When driving in the park remember that only two bridges cross the Mara River which effectively divides the park into two: the northern Mara River bridge is near Kichwa Tembo lodge; the southern Mara bridge is on the E176 main park track between Oloololo Gate and Keekorok.

In terms of public transport, buses from Nairobi go as far as Narok, and private transport from there will have to be arranged. Arriving from the west, there are occasional buses to Lolgorien from Migori or Kisii.

A non-exhaustive list of the campsites in and around the reserve include: Crocodile Camp, a private campsite just outside the reserve; the Oloololo Gate Campsite near the gate of the same name; the Mara Serena Lodge Campsite, located west of the Mara River near the lodge; the Talek River Campsites (10 of them), near the Talek River just outside of the Reserve boundary; the Mara River Campsites (4 of them), in a Masaai concession outside the Reserve; the Musiara Gate Campsite, next to the gate of the same name; the Talek Gate Campsite on the nort bank of the Talek River; the Sekenani Gate Campsites (4), about 0.5 kms before the Gate; the Naunerri Campsite, 3 kms from Sand River Gate; the Sand River Gate Campsite; and the Fig Tree Campsite, west of the Talek Gate Campsite. More new campsites continue to come up in Masai Mara Game Reserve.