If you can only fit one Kenyan safari destination into your trip, the honest answer depends on what you actually want out of it.
Amboseli: shorter, Kilimanjaro views, elephants
Amboseli is a two-to-three hour drive from Nairobi, making it realistic for even a short trip. It's famous for enormous elephant herds set against Kilimanjaro's backdrop on a clear morning — genuinely one of the best photography backdrops in East Africa.
Maasai Mara: bigger reserve, denser wildlife, more time needed
The Mara is a full day's drive or a short flight, and it rewards more time — three to four days minimum to actually see the reserve properly. Wildlife density is higher, and if your dates line up with the migration, nothing else compares.
Our honest take
Amboseli first if you have four days or less. Maasai Mara first if you have five or more and this is likely your only Kenya trip for a while.
