Photo: Hobbyfotowiki · CC0
Masai Mara
Big cats, vast skies, and the migration's northern stage.
Getting there
Kenya
Suggested length
3–4 nights, often with the Kenyan coast or Tanzania
From
USD 450
Ideal for
Big-cat enthusiasts and photographers
The Mara is big-cat country. Its open grasslands and easy game-viewing make it one of the most reliable places in Africa to watch lions hunt, cheetahs sprint and leopards drape themselves over fig-tree branches — often within a short drive of camp.
From roughly July to October the wildebeest migration spills north out of the Serengeti, and the Mara River crossings — all dust, panic and crocodiles — are the season's headline act. Outside those months the resident wildlife is superb in its own right.
We favour the private conservancies bordering the reserve: fewer vehicles, off-road access, night drives and walks, and a model that channels tourism income directly to Maasai landowners.
Highlights
- Exceptional lion, cheetah and leopard viewing
- Mara River crossings (Jul–Oct)
- Private conservancies with off-road and night drives
- Authentic Maasai cultural encounters
- Hot-air balloon safaris over the plains
When to go
Migration
Jul – OctThe herds and the river crossings; the Mara's busiest and most dramatic season.
Green season
Nov – JunResident big cats, newborns and migratory birds at lower rates, with short rains around November and April.
Getting there
Fly via Johannesburg or a direct route to Nairobi (NBO), then a short light-aircraft flight to the Mara airstrips. We arrange the connection and the conservancy of best fit.
Good to know
More in Across Africa
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