A Masai Mara safari delivers the quintessential East African experience. Its tented camps overlook sprawling plains studded with acacia trees and grazing antelope. Red-robed Maasai herdsmen tend their cattle on the savannah, co-existing with the wildlife and celebrating their passage into manhood with the famous ‘jumping dance’. And from June to November the biggest show on earth arrives: the migration – over a million wildebeest returning to the Masai Mara from the Serengeti. Forced across the crocodile-filled rivers that stand in their way, the herds provide a thrilling spectacle of nature at its rawest. Back in the Masai Mara, the wildebeest face the attention of more predators – big cats, spotted hyenas and wild dogs – making it one of Africa’s must-see destinations for safari travellers.
You don’t have to visit the Masai Mara in migration season to guarantee a memorable safari. Its abundant resident wildlife provides year-round game viewing while out-of-migration-season travellers enjoy the advantage of fewer other visitors, lower accommodation prices and a lush and green landscape.
The Masai Mara is a safari destination with broad appeal. Activities range from game drives and cultural tours to hot-air balloon safaris. Honeymooners and couples will love the Mara’s more intimate and exclusive camps; parents will be pleased to find camps with babyminders, activities for children, and 4-sleeper family suites.
During the migration months, when visitor numbers are highest, we recommend beating the crowds by staying at a Masai Mara concession. The privately-run reserves are home to excellent accommodation and offer everything the Masai Mara delivers plus night drives, nature walks and exclusive, off-road wildlife sightings.
Talk to Safari Online about a Masai Mara safari. We’ll recommend the best tour or accommodation for your requirements. We can also tailor-make an itinerary for you including Tanzania’s Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater or experiences such as gorilla trekking and beach holidays.
A diverse geography means a varied regional climate but Kenya is generally regarded as a year-round holiday destination. However, if you’re looking for a specific experience – the wildebeest migration, the best beach weather or swimming with whale sharks – then you’ll need to plan according to season.
Low, shoulder & peak season: Kenya’s January to March peak safari season delivers in terms of comfort and game viewing. It’s warm and mostly dry and sunny with many animals concentrated around water. Visitor numbers are high – especially in popular parks – so it’s worth thinking about an ‘out-of-season’ safari if you want to avoid the crowds. Kenya’s safari destinations turn green and leafy during the ‘long rains’ of late March to June and the ‘short rains’ of October to December. It makes for great photography and you’ll also enjoy low season accommodation and tour rates.
The Great Migration: By late July the wildebeest are arriving in the Masai Mara and it’s the best time to see the herds crossing crocodile-infested rivers. It is however a very popular time to travel so book well in advance! The wildebeest and zebra herds stay in the Masai Mara until the short rains send them south into Tanzania’s Serengeti but the Mara is worth visiting any time of year thanks to its diverse and abundant wildlife.
Beach break: Visitors to Kenya’s Indian Ocean coast and islands can expect hot and humid conditions all year round. Rain can fall at any time but is heaviest between mid-March and late May. The best conditions for diving and snorkelling is between October and January (especially November). Divers keen to swim with whale sharks should visit Kenya between October and April when these gentle giants migrate along the Kenyan coast.
Our selection of Masai Mara lodges ranges from deluxe to delightful. There are classic ‘Out of Africa’ tented camps as well as thatched lodges with a swimming pool and spa. Some lodges specialise in discreet romance, others welcome families with children. There are larger budget-friendly lodges too, balanced by camps in sole-use concessions, offering exclusive, crowd-free safaris. All camps and lodges have one thing in common: prime position on the path of the migration. The famous wildebeest migration is a seasonal affair so you’ll need to check your timing if you want to see it. On the other hand, the game viewing is excellent all year round and an out-of-season Masai Mara lodge is more affordable with fewer other visitors.
Browse our recommended Masai Mara camps and lodges below. Each has a wide range of activities from game drives and guided walks to hot-air balloon safaris and visits to the local Maasai community. If you’d like more advice on the most suitable accommodation for your needs, simply contact us.
A small boutique camp, Elephant Pepper Camp's spacious canvas tents are stylishly furnished with Indian “Raj campaign furniture”, feature en-suite bathrooms.
Porini Lion Camp is located in the exclusive 33,000 acre Olare Motorogi Conservancy. With 10 luxury guest tents the camp is very exclusive and giving you a real in the bush experience.
Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp offers a quintessential game viewing experience, with sweeping vistas of the Masai Mara or the Sabaringo River.
An age-old crossing point on the Talek River is just 150 metres away from our dining area, and the Mara River is an easy drive from camp. It is these mighty rivers that are the greatest obstacles for the hundreds of thousands of wildebeest on their journey north.
Set among forests on the very edge of the Masai Mara, the intimate Bateleur Camp reflects the ambiance of Kenyan explorers of old. Here, amidst the reserve’s astounding year-round concentration of animals, including the Great Wildebeest Migration, guests can experience an unsurpassed wildlife experience.
A Masai Mara safari can be considered a stand-alone destination. Itineraries begin in Nairobi where you’ll fly in. You may need to spend a night in the capital; there is good accommodation set in the quiet suburbs. Most of our tours then fly from Nairobi to a private airstrip in the Masai Mara, maximising your safari experience. It’s also simple to add a beach holiday onto your Masai Mara safari: Kenya’s glittering Indian Ocean coast sits a short flight away from the Mara plains.
But the Masai Mara’s close proximity to Kenya’s other top safari destinations such as Amboseli and the Mount Kenya region means rewarding combination safaris. And with Tanzania’s fabled Serengeti lying across the Masai Mara’s southern border, a Masai Mara and Serengeti safari guarantees you the wildebeest migration as well as superb game viewing. Add on the Ngorongoro Crater and you have the very best of East Africa in a single itinerary. Browse our recommended tours below or simply contact us for more advice and information. We can easily tailor-make a Masai Mara safari to suit your needs ad budget; let us show you how.
Our team of destination experts will design a holiday to meet your budget and interests. Let’s start planning your tailor-made African safari today!
Such is the scale of the Masai Mara’s wildlife that it can stand-alone as a single destination but it is usually combined with other safari destinations in East Africa. Kenya’s other parks such as Amboseli, Lake Nakuru and the Samburu Reserve are among the most popular but with Tanzania lying next door, many travellers add the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater to the mix. It’s easy to finish off with a beach holiday too: Kenya’s mainland and Indian Ocean island beaches are a short flight away – ask us how.
