Kenya Attractions
Everything You Need to Know About Hell's Gate National Park
Known for its landscape more than the wildlife it is home to, Hell's Gate National Park is an adventurer's playground boasting excellent hiking and cycling trails as well as the opportunity to really get the adrenaline pumping with abseiling or rock climbing. Once a prehistoric lake, the Hell's Gate National Park is now remarkable for its unique landscape and the diverse wildlife that calls this small park home. Also of note within the park's boundaries is the Olkaria Geothermal Station, the first of its kind in Africa. Hell's Gate Fact FileEverything You Need to Know About Lake Nakuru National Park
The name of both a large soda lake and the national park that surrounds it, Lake Nakuru has become synonymous with vast flocks of brightly coloured flamingos with thousands and sometimes millions of the iconic birds calling the lake's shores home. The park is also famous for its rhinoceros sanctuary, in which 70 white rhinoceros and 25 critically endangered black rhinoceros can be seen. This concentration is one of the largest in Kenya, and makes the park the ideal place to visit if you are eager to see these beautiful creatures in the wild. Lake Nakuru is often combined with visits to its neighbouring lakes, Lake Bogoria and Lake Naivasha. While not within the park boundaries, both lakes offer distinct experiences that are worth considering.Everything You Need to Know About Amboseli National Park
Chances are you've seen a photo taken in Amboseli National Park before. If you've seen a picture with African wildlife against the backdrop of Mt. Kilimanjaro, you're looking at a picture of Amboseli. Despite "Kili" being located in Tanzania and Amboseli being proudly Kenyan, the park offers the best views of Africa's highest mountain. Second only to the Masai Mara in terms of popularity, Amboseli is a photographer's dream and offers great year-round game viewing. The park is home to four of the Big Five, with only the rhinoceros absent.Everything You Need to Know About the Masai Mara
One of the most famous reserves in the world, the Masai Mara is connected to the Serengeti and takes its name from the Masai people who call it home. The park is perhaps most famous for the role it plays in the annual Great Wildebeest Migration, which sees millions of wildebeest and zebras make the trip from Tanzania to the Masai Mara between July and October. Also home to large numbers of elephants, lions, leopards, cheetahs, zebra, gazelle, and wildebeest throughout the year - the park is well-regarded for offering excellent game-viewing conditions year round. Interestingly, the Masai Mara Reserve that many visitors know of is just a small part of the greater Mara ecosystem, with private reserves such as Koiyaki, Lemek, Ol Chorro Oirowua, Okinyei, Siana, Maji Moto, Naikara, Ol Derkesi, Kerinkani, Oloirien, and Kimintet making up the remainder. While it is possible to visit some of these reserves as a guest, the majority of game drives are conducted in the Masai Mara Reserve.Kenya Fact File
The Republic of Kenya, or just Kenya as it is more commonly known, is a country located in Eastern Africa that straddles the equator. It is bordered to the south by Tanzania, to the west by Uganda, and to South Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia in its north. The nation takes its name from Mt. Kenya, its highest mountain and the second highest mountain in Africa after Tanzania's Mt. Kilimanjaro. The capital of Kenya is Nairobi, a cosmopolitan and thriving city that has the largest GDP in all of East & Central Africa.Great Migration In Masai Mara
Undoubtedly Masai Mara, located in the South West of Kenya is one of the best holiday destinations in the World. A true Kenyan safari is not complete without a visit to the Masai Mara Game Reserve, which is an adventure like no other. It is home to the Big 5 and thousands of bird species and other wildlife.
But what makes Masai Mara more adventurous is the spectacular wildebeest Migration between July and October every year, an event that already dubbed as the 8th Wonder of the World.
Millions of wildebeests accompanied by zebras and other types of antelopes migrate from Serengeti National Park in Tanzania to Masai Mara in Kenya, crossing the Mara River, which is inhabited by some of the largest world’s crocodiles. Why do the animals migrate? It is purely in search of water and pastures when supplies of pastures dwindle in the Serengeti.
The migration follows a cycle calendar every year BUT timings may vary. In between January and March, it is the calving season in the Serengeti in the short grass. There are plenty of pastures and all expectant mothers congregate to give birth. The calves are born in labor duration of 30 minutes and a few minutes after birth they are ready to walk and join their mothers. They have to feed properly in anticipation of journey before them.
After this, the wildebeest migration starts when the rains are over in the Serenegeti because it is dry. As the Serenegeti is drying up the Masai Mara side is flourishing. Since the wildebeest herds are in millions they quickly deplete grazing pastures very fasts whereas their water needs are great. They have to keep on moving and in fact the whole reason for wildebeest migration. The migration journey to Masai Mara is a hard one. Many animals collapse and die on the way as they are weak due to lack of enough food and water, while others fall to predators.
By around June and July climaxing in August and September the great phenomenon takes place in Masai Mara . Millions of the wildebeests have already arrived in Mara a plain where there is much lush grass pastures. The wildebeests try to close the Mara River to access the plains that have plenty of pastures. At this time the Mara River is swollen because of heavy rains on the Mau Escarpments and crossing becomes a dangerous affair for the weak wildebeests and they end up drowning and also because of the great stampede resulting from crossing at one point.
But what makes the Migration drama more thrilling is the presence of predators. From the Mara River crocodiles that pounce on the wildebeests in the waters to lions and hyenas that take advantage of the drowning and injured animals on the shores, it is a feast carnival for the predators. This drama makes the crossing a spectacular event. Just what the cameras have been waiting for.
Animals feed in Mara plains in October and start heading back to Serengeti in November for another calving season. During migration over 200,000 animals perish under the harsh conditions. But as soon as they get back to Serengeti, there are approximately 500,000 new births and ready to start the cycle again.
This cycle repeats itself every year BUT being a natural occurrence there is no precise timing and directions because of conditions influencing grass growth.
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