Mara Enkaji, a home in the wild

Mara Enkaji. [Peter Muiruri]

Maasai Mara is a land of superlatives. It is one of the most written about animal reserves in the world, and although not the biggest (at least in comparison with the neighbouring Serengeti), Mara, as it is known, stands in a class of its own.

Epic big cat chases reel in global filmmakers and tourists alike, turning the local plains into one big wild theatre. The local Maasai community, whose legendary customs and hospitality makes them one of the world's well-recognised people, call Mara and the environs home.