The wildebeest migration season has begun to unfold, and tourists are already rushing to the Masai Mara to watch the wonderful spectacle.

According to officials at the Mara Conservancy, the first crossing of wildebeests across the Mara River was recorded last week - signalling the onset of the Great Wildebeest Migration that is categorised as one of several Wonders of the World.

The Great Wildebeest Migration is an annual mass movement of over 2 million ungulates (hoofed animals) from Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to the Masai Mara National Park in Kenya in search of pasture and water, and then back to Serengeti by the promise of rains.

The Maasai Mara Game Reserve is one of Africa’s greatest wildlife destination, covering 1,510 sq km. Masai Mara is located along the Great Rift Valley, approximately 300 km southwest of Nairobi. “Mara” in the language of the Maasai people, who are native to the region, means mottled- an allusion to the patchy landscape. Rolling hills, open savannah grass plains and woodlands define the area.

The Maasai are a pastoral tribes-people who live in southern Kenya and north-central Tanzania, along the Great Rift Valley plains. They are a fearless, proud, and freedom loving people, who live in the open wild, sharing their habitat with wildlife. The tall, dark and slender Maasai have for long remained contemptuous of modern lifestyles. They have always infatuated romantic westerners, since the appearance of explorer Joseph Thomson’s book “Through Maasailand” in 1885.

The Maasai are not hunters, an aspect that greatly contributes to their harmonious co-existence with wildlife. The only conflict arises when wild game attacks their beloved livestock.

Wildlife in the Mara is plentiful and the big five – elephant, lion, buffalo, leopard and rhino- are easy to spot. The predator population here is abundant and witnessing a lion or cheetah on the hunt is not just an idle dream. The reserve is not only a leading Kenya safaris destination but it is also an excellent birding destination, being host to over 450 species of birdlife, including the vulture, marabou stork, secretary bird, hornbill, crowned crane, ostrich, long-crested eagle, and pygmy falcon.

The Mara being a game reserve, the Maasai peoples are allowed to co-exist with the wildlife, unlike in national parks, where no human residents are allowed. The Mara is a northern extension of Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park.

The Mara’s savannah provides a magnificent backdrop for wildlife photography and movies. It is in fact the location of numerous wildlife documentaries and movies, among the most celebrated being the popular BBC documentary series “Big Cat Diary” and Sydney Pollack’s Academy Award winning movie “Out of Africa”.

Visitors are drawn to the Mara by its plentiful resident wildlife, and by the prospects of witnessing the annual wildebeest migration. Those coming between July and October are likely to witness part of the action. Besides its pomp and glamour, the Mara has some outstanding research facilities; among them Africa’s leading spotted hyena research centre.

The Serengeti National Park, which was established in 1951, is found to the north of Tanzania. It is the country’s oldest and most famous wildlife sanctuary, and has been selected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Serengeti occupies a massive 14,763 sq km, and lies 335 km from Arusha. Extending southwards from the Kenyan border at the Mara, it is made up of grassy plains, open savannah, acacia woodlands and scattered riverine forests.

Serengeti is derived from a Maasai word for “endless plains”. To the south of the park, the endless savannah is punctuated by a series of granite Kopjes -rocky outcrops, some of which feature ancient African rock paintings. The Seronera region in central Serengeti is the most accessible, and predictably the most popular. The Grumeti River to the west is one of the migration river crossings, and is an excellent location to witness the wildebeest hordes in motion. Lobo near the Kenyan border has plenty of wildlife during the dry season. Serengeti is a popular Tanzania safari destination.

The Mara and Serengeti are well serviced with a wide range of accommodation- ranging from luxury bush lodges and tented camps, to camping grounds for the thrifty and adventurous. Out there in the bush, you will be pleasantly surprised that there is a variety of Kenya safari lodges and Tanzania safari lodges having all the trimmings of 5-star luxury.

You can view game while walking, horse riding and even aloft a hot air balloon. Taking a safari is best done on an escorted Kenya and Tanzania safari that includes- transport, guides, park fees and accommodation. The guides are usually well versed about the animals, where to find them and how to get there, and have other such useful local knowledge. But if you have a lot of time and need more freedom as you get around, then taking a rental car in Nairobi or Arusha (Tanzania) is a viable option.

On safari, wear light cottons and linen. Warmer clothing is needed for the evenings and for your early morning game drive. Some rainwear is advisable between March and June, and October and December. You should bring along a decent pair of sunglasses. The glare you experience in bright tropical light is a new and uncomfortable experience for most. It is also a good idea to carry a pair of binoculars. They are very useful for spotting animals and will earn you the envy of your less informed fellow travellers.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, July 7th, 2009 at 8:09 am and is filed under Africa. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.