So you are itching to see the world again after Covid. Thankfully, travel restrictions have lifted and as long as you are vaccinated, you are finally free to visit most places with a visa and a passport. You've dreamt about a safari in Africa many times over the years and heard about the "Big Five" and the "Great Migration." Well, there's never been a better time to travel to Kenya. And more specifically, the Maasai Mara: a 580 square mile region with one of the densest populations of wild animals in the world.
Maasai Mara is best known as the seat of the Great Migration, an awe inspiring spectacle of millions of wildebeest and zebras descending cliffs and crossing rivers to make their way from Tanzania in a clockwise circle every July-October. But any time of the year is special here. No day in Mara is ever the same--full of surprises around every turn, there are over 95 species of mammals and 570 recorded species of birds, making this place a literal heaven on earth.
Kenya is one of the most advanced countries on the African continent and coupled with its prolific wildlife and temperate climate, travel here never disappoints. From Europe you can get to Kenya's Nairobi International Airport (NBO) in one hop. Coming from the USA's East Coast will take you 2 hops. Then it's a short 45 minute plane ride to the Maasai Mara and its seemingly endless plains, unblemished by signs of the modern world.
With many lodges offering socially responsible, eco-travel experiences, you can vacation in Kenya with a heart, and leave a positive, lasting impact on a community in the Mara. Preserving the rich culture of the Maasai, protecting the pristine environment, and wildlife conservation are paramount to camps in the
Mara. Some even offer opportunities for hands-on community projects like upgrading a local school or installing a water purification system in the bush. As for lodging, whether your budget is backpacker minimal or top shelf luxury, Kenya's Maasai Mara has what you are looking for.
Photo by Keith Marsh