Maasai Mara

The Maasai Mara National Reserve is the reason many travellers choose Kenya, and it earns the reputation. Vast open grassland stretches in every direction, broken only by acacia trees and the winding Mara River, and the concentration of wildlife is extraordinary. Lion, cheetah and leopard are all regularly seen, alongside elephant, buffalo, giraffe and more than five hundred recorded bird species.

Between July and October the reserve becomes the northern terminus of the Great Migration, when more than a million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebra cross the Mara River from the Serengeti. The crossings are unpredictable by nature, which is why we recommend at least four nights here during migration season.

Beyond the national reserve lie the private conservancies, Mara North, Olare Motorogi, Naboisho and others, where visitor numbers are capped, off-road driving is permitted and walking safaris and night drives are possible. For many guests these conservancies offer the better safari: the same wildlife, a fraction of the vehicles, and the freedom to follow a sighting properly.

We place guests in both, depending on season, budget and appetite for solitude. In peak migration months a conservancy camp paired with a few nights in the reserve gives the best of both worlds.