So, what’s the allure of Kenya’s Maasai Mara?

Take a hot air balloon in the Mara North Conservancy to witness one of the greatest spectacles on Earth—the Great Migration in Africa. Image courtesy of Saruni Mara.

If you are dreaming about a safari, what you are likely envisioning is Kenya’s renowned Maasai Mara National Reserve. It is classic savannah: grasslands where animals are plentiful and the landscapes are spectacular. The region is the site of one of the most spectacular animal migrations in the world and home to tremendous concentrations of resident game. Wildebeest, zebra, cheetah, elephant, leopard, black rhino, hippo, several species of gazelle, and over 500 species of birds all call the Mara home. The Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem also has the highest lion density in the world. If that’s not reason enough to take a trip, we’ve tapped into the minds of our safari experts for more info and an in depth guide to some of our favorite places to visit in the Mara.

A cheetah and her cub stand atop a termites nest in the Olare Orok Conservancy in the heart of the Maasai Mara. Image courtesy of Richards River Camp

Should You Visit The Maasai Mara Conservancies or The Maasai Mara National Reserve?

Sundowners at Kicheche Valley camp in Naibosho Conservancy.

When traveling to the Maasai Mara, we advocate staying in one of several privately-owned and managed conservancies which border the park. These increase the area where animals can move safely and form a buffer around the national park and they offer an exclusive and flexible wildlife experience.

While you will still likely spend a full day inside the main reserve, especially during the migration, adding game-drives inside the private conservancy means that you do not need to spend your whole time jockeying for views of lions or elephants with other vehicles. Visitor numbers are well controlled year round and only five vehicles are allowed at a wildlife sighting. In addition, private conservancies offer bush walks, night drives, and off-road driving, activities not allowed in the main Mara Reserve.

Finally, these private conservancies lease the land from Maasai families, meaning that the revenue generated through the fees goes back into the local communities in addition to providing employment and projects funded by the properties. Thanks to these conservancies, the size of the area protected for wildlife has more than doubled in size allowing for more animals to thrive.

Each year, the plains of East Africa host one of the world’s greatest wildlife spectacles: the Great Migration, featuring some 1.4 million wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebras and gazelles. With prey, come predators: lions, hyenas and crocodiles fix a watchful gaze in hopes of catching a cheap dinner. For travelers, viewing the Great Migration is a unique opportunity to appreciate a dizzying scale of wildlife moving in lockstep across an iconic landscape. Scenes of unfiltered wildlife drama unfold along this perilous journey. Some are violent, some are tender, but all are assuredly memorable.

In reality, the plains are vast and the animals are fickle; there is simply no way of knowing where and when the wildebeest will be at the time a traveler makes their booking—often months or years in advance. Any purported safari specialist who assures you otherwise, is one you should run away from. Will you see wildebeest during peak months? It’s likely. Will you observe a dramatic river crossing? It is impossible to know until you’re buckled in and rumbling across the plains. Should you have the good fortune of encountering a crowd of wildebeest assembling upon a riverbank, whether they cross while in your audience is entirely up to them. Spoiler alert: in some cases, they hang about for days before making the leap of faith.

Find out all the insiders tips from our safari specialists on the blog today…

Elephant viewing on a bushwalk with the Maasai in the Naibosho Conservancy.

Itinerary: Safari in Style in Kenya

Perfect views in Lewa. Image courtesy of Lewa Wilderness Lodge.

Ready to splash out on a safari of a lifetime? From practically the minute you arrive in Nairobi for this luxury Kenya safari, you’ll encounter the wildlife that makes this part of the world so memorable.

Spend your first day enveloped by the magical forested estate of Anna Trzebinski’s Eden and meet adorable baby elephants in the afternoon, before being whisked to Lewa Conservancy, famed for its rhino population and rolling hills, and then to the open plains of the exclusive Olare Orok Conservancy in the Masaai Mara. Dine under the stars on world-class cuisine, bed down in a luxurious tent, and avail yourself of off-road game drives, night drives, bush walks, and visits to local villages. You’ll never want to leave.

We love Mara Plains Camp inside the Mara’s Olare Motorogi Conservancy. Image courtesy of Mara Plains Camp

Have questions? Reach out to Amelia, our safari expert via email.

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