Maasai Mara

The Maasai Mara covers 1,510 square kilometres in southwest Kenya, but the wider Mara ecosystem, including the 15 conservancies that ring the reserve, doubles that. Together they form the northern half of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, which spans over 25,000 square kilometres across two countries, making this one of the most biologically productive landscapes on Earth.

The lion density here is among the highest recorded anywhere in Africa: roughly 850 to 900 lions live on the Kenyan side of the ecosystem, with counts reaching 25 to 30 per 100 square kilometres in the prime viewing areas. The famous Marsh Pride has been studied and filmed continuously since the 1970s, brought to the world through the BBC's Big Cat Diary.

Cheetahs have one of their last great strongholds here too: over 1,000 individuals range across the southwest Kenyan and north Tanzanian grasslands, out of just 7,000 remaining worldwide.

Big Five, year-round: lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and black rhino, the rhino population concentrated mostly in the Mara Triangle. All three big cats are present, with the Mara ecosystem home to over 14% of the world's remaining cheetah population. Fifteen conservancies surround the main reserve, each operated under low-density tourism guidelines that permit night drives, walking safaris and off-road driving, none of which are allowed inside the main reserve itself. Over 450 bird species have been recorded, and the altitude (1,500 to 2,170 metres) keeps temperatures comfortable year-round.

Key areas within the ecosystem: the Maasai Mara National Reserve itself (the core protected area, game drives only); the Mara Triangle (separated by the Mara River, fewer vehicles, managed by a separate trust); the private conservancies (Mara North, Olare Motorogi, Naboisho; night drives and walking safaris permitted); the Oloololo Escarpment (the ridge forming the Triangle's western boundary); and the Musiara sector (prime big-cat territory and home to the Marsh Pride).