Masai Mara Safari

“You will see plenty of Big cats which are the highlights of Masai Mara tours – it’s one of the reason the BBC filmed ‘Big Cat Diary’ in Masai Mara Park. Sightings are by no means guaranteed, but healthy populations of lions mean you’d be very unlucky not to see a pride or two. Further, the long sightlines of the endless grasslands are ideal for spotting cheetah, while the tree-lined rivers that snake through the reserve are perfect leopard habitat.

There’s also elephant, buffalo, giraffe, wildebeest, hippo, crocodile, jackal, all manner of gazelle, spotted hyena, Rhino is elusive, but is nonetheless often seen in the Mara Triangle in the early morning or late afternoon. It’s why you’d need Masai Mara on your itinerary when planning your Kenya tour.”

“Please take note that : no one knows the exact moment when the herds of wildebeest and zebra, more than 2 million strong, will cross the border from Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park into Kenya and the Masai Mara. And nor can anyone predict with certainty the precise weeks when the wildebeest will funnel down the banks of and across the crocodile-infested Mara River.

But there are some reasonably reliable parameters to help when choosing the time to visit in order to maximize your chances of witnessing one of the greatest wildlife spectacles on the planet.
In most years, the herds arrive in the Mara around late July or into August. This is when the massed crossings of the Mara River usually occur. In September and October, the herds usually remain in the Mara, a moving mass of wildlife that is quite extraordinary to see. By late October and almost certainly by November the herds leave Kenya and return to Tanzania.”

“The easiest way to avoid the crowds is to plan a private Masai Mara safari. If that’s not an option, it is almost impossible to shake off the convoys of safari vehicles that surround the Mara River crossings – you might just have to grin and bear it if that’s why you’re here. That said, while all of those vehicles line up along the riverbank, much of the rest of the reserve can be surprisingly quiet.

Another option is to stay inside the reserve on one of the private or community conservancies that surround the Masai Mara National Reserve to the north and east. Some of these – Mara North, Naboisho, Olare Orok and Olderikesi in particular – have some of Africa’s highest population densities for big cats and, though expensive, are only accessible for those staying in the conservancies’ small lodges or tented camps. And if you’re staying in one of the conservancies, you can always enter the Masai Mara National Reserve at an extra fee to see the migration, and then return to the relative quiet of the conservancy when you’ve had enough.”

“There are too many to choose from! When selecting where to stay on Masai Mara tours, remember that the Masai Mara is huge and, if time permits, it may well be worth planning to sleep in a couple of locations in the reserve itself to enable you to enjoy different sectors of the park, plus a couple of the private conservancies. This is the best option for those who wish to experience all that Masai Mara safari packages have to offer – stirring scenery, abundant wildlife, Maasai culture – without the crowds.