Maasai Mara

The Maasai Mara is safari legend. Its golden plains host the Great Migration of wildebeest and zebras, shadowed by lions, cheetahs, and hyenas. In certain corners of the reserve, elephants are known to gather beneath "elephant pepper trees"—a nickname for the towering Warburgia trees whose bark is both medicine and a favorite for these giants to strip and chew. With its sweeping rivers, acacia-dotted landscapes, and abundant life, the Mara feels like the archetype of Africa itself.