Maasai Mara National Reserve

The Maasai Mara is the northern continuation of the Serengeti ecosystem, and it behaves like it: rolling grassland broken by riverine forest along the Mara and Talek rivers, with escarpments rising to the west. It is comparatively small for the amount of wildlife it holds, which is why sightings come quickly and why it has such a strong reputation for predators. Lion prides here are large and habituated to vehicles, cheetah hunt on the open plains where they can use their speed, and the fig and croton thickets along the rivers are among the more reliable places in Africa to find leopard. From roughly July to October the wildebeest and zebra herds of the Great Migration move up from Tanzania, and the river crossings that follow are the single most photographed wildlife event on the continent.

Why visit Maasai Mara

• Exceptional predator density, with large lion prides, resident leopard along the river courses and cheetah on the open grassland.
• The July-to-October migration season brings enormous herds and the possibility of witnessing a Mara or Talek river crossing.
• The terrain is open and gently rolling, so sightings are visible at distance and photography is unusually rewarding.
• Surrounding community conservancies allow night drives, guided walks and off-road following that the national reserve itself does not permit.

Wildlife

Resident wildlife is present year-round and does not depend on the migration. Lion are the headline species and several prides are well known to guides. Leopard favour the riverine forest, cheetah the open plains. Elephant, buffalo, topi, Maasai giraffe, eland, impala and Thomson's gazelle are all common, and hippo and large Nile crocodile hold the deeper river pools. Black rhino are present but scarce and sightings should not be expected.

• Large, well-studied lion prides
• Leopard in the riverine forest along the Mara and Talek
• Cheetah hunting on open grassland
• Wildebeest and zebra in vast numbers from roughly July to October
• Hippo pods and large crocodile at the river crossing points

Best time to visit

July to October is migration season and the busiest time of year, with the highest chance of river crossings and the highest rates. The short dry spell from late December to February is excellent: grass is short, predators are easy to see, and there are far fewer vehicles. April, May and November are green, quiet and inexpensive, with a real chance of rain and some tracks becoming difficult.

July–October for the migration; late December–February for big cats with fewer vehicles.

Things to do

Game drives

Early-morning and late-afternoon drives, when predators are most active and the light is best.

Balloon safari

A dawn flight over the plains, always arranged as a separately paid optional extra.

Maasai village visit

Arranged with communities that welcome visitors, and always as an optional, separately paid activity.

Conservancy night drives

Available in the private conservancies bordering the reserve, not inside the national reserve itself.

How long to stay

Two nights is the practical minimum and gives you two full game-viewing sessions plus a morning. Three nights is markedly better, particularly in migration season when finding a crossing takes patience. Four nights suits photographers and anyone combining the reserve with a conservancy.

What it combines with

The Mara pairs naturally with Lake Nakuru for rhino and flamingo, and with Lake Naivasha for a boat trip and a change of pace. Longer Kenyan routes add Amboseli for elephants and Kilimanjaro views, or run north to Samburu and Ol Pejeta. Cross-border itineraries continue into the Serengeti, which is the same ecosystem.