Maasai Mara, Kenya
Why You Should Visit Masai Mara
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Witness the spectacular river crossings of the wildebeest at migration time; crocodile lie in wait on in the Talek and Mara rivers
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Meet the local herdsmen of the Masai tribes who live with the wildlife and mange to maintain their culture despite various pressures
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The Masai Mara represents what most people consider to be the ultimate safari destination, visit the real 'Out of Africa'
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The Big Cat Diaries are filmed on the Mara plains due to well established communities of lions, cheetah and leopards
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Small intimate camps and one of the best wildlife destinations in the world creates the ultimate safari destination
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A short flight from London, no jetlag, leave Heathrow in the evening and be game viewing after lunch the next day
Our Specialists 'Must Do'
Illona, one of our Africa specialists has spent many a lovely evening at a den with hyena watching the den come to life as the sun sets without a single other vehicle in site. Her advice is to venture away from the crowds and gain an exclusive experience the Mara.
A little more about the Masai Mara
Situated in the south west of Kenya, the Masai Mara can be misunderstood, with some people fearing the idea of masses of minivans clustered around one hassled lion. In some areas of the Masai Mara this is sadly the case, however the greater park boundaries have been extended in recent years by the creation of Masai Mara conservancies. Here camp owners and Masai communities have come together to create wildlife land from cattle grazing land. The communities have agreed to move cattle into further reaches of their land and to dedicate the rest to allow wildlife to make use of it.
These concessions are running as viable safari concerns, with the communities benefiting directly from tourism, as the wildlife transcends the official boundaries of the national park and spreads and breeds into the concession lands. If you stay in the concessions you often don’t see the tourist masses found within the park boundaries, unless you choose to go there.
An extraordinary area that offers the possibility of seeing almost every animal indigenous to the region. The vast grassland plains are scattered with herds of zebra, giraffe, gazelle & topi as well as lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant & buffalo amongst others.
When to go
The best time to visit is in August, September and October when the wildebeest and Zebra Migration is in the Mara, during the rest of the year it is on the move in other areas. The famous river crossings only occur in the Masai Mara in these months. The promise of rain and fresh life giving grass in the north brings more than 1.3 million Wildebeest together into a single massive herd. They pour across the border into the Mara, making a spectacular entrance in a surging column of life that stretches from horizon to horizon. The wildebeest bring new life to the Mara, not just through their cycle of regeneration of the grasslands, but for the predators that follow the herds.
It is dry and hot, the mornings are cool and the nights can be cold. It is the most popular time to travel to Kenya but don’t be put off, we are able help you avoid the masses by selecting small camps, often in concession areas with expert guides who are sensitive to your needs. Kenya experiences its rainiest months from April to July and in the month of November. The Masai Mara has good resident game so you don’t have to wait for the Migration to see good wildlife sightings, travel during December to April can still be a great time to visit.
For more information on the Masai Mara, or for advice on your holiday to Kenya, please contact Illona our Kenyan specialist on 01285 650 011.