The Masai Mara: where the crossings happen

Why the Mara

The Masai Mara is the northern end of the Serengeti ecosystem, separated from Tanzania only by a line on a map that the wildebeest ignore. For three or four months each year the migration herds are here, and when they gather at the Mara River to cross, with crocodiles waiting below the banks, you are watching the most dramatic wildlife event that can be planned for.

But the Mara is not only the migration. Its open grassland makes it the easiest place in Africa to watch predators hunt. Lion prides are large and habituated, cheetah use the termite mounds as lookouts, and leopard are seen along the rivers. The resident game, topi, eland, giraffe, elephant, buffalo, is abundant all year. Out of migration season the Mara is still one of the top three parks on the continent, at half the price.

The problem is popularity. In August the reserve's crossing points can have forty vehicles. The answer is the conservancies on the reserve's northern and eastern borders: Maasai-owned land leased to a few camps, with strict vehicle limits, night drives and walking, where the wildlife is the same and the experience is much better. Stay in a conservancy and drive into the reserve for the crossings.

What you will see

Lion, almost guaranteed; the Mara has some of the largest prides in Africa. Cheetah, more reliably than anywhere else. Leopard, with patience, along the Talek and Mara rivers. Elephant, buffalo, giraffe, hippo, crocodile, topi, eland and spotted hyena daily. Black rhino survive in small numbers in the Mara Triangle. From July to October, wildebeest and zebra in the hundreds of thousands.

Where in the Mara

• The Mara Triangle (west of the river): managed by a conservancy with well-kept roads and fewer vehicles. The main crossing points are on its river.
• The eastern reserve (Talek, Sekenani): most of the camps and most of the vehicles. Superb cats.
• The conservancies (Mara North, Olare Motorogi, Naboisho, Ol Kinyei, Lemek): private, low-density, with the best overall experience. Most are an hour or less from the reserve.

When to go

• July to October: the herds are in the Mara, crossings peak from late July to September, the weather is dry. Peak prices and demand; book a year ahead.
• November to December: short rains, herds heading south, green grass, good cats, fewer people.
• January to February: dry, hot, clear, and quiet. Excellent predator viewing.
• March to May: long rains. Some camps close in April and May; the rest cut their rates. Wet roads, superb skies.

How to do it

Fly-in. Scheduled light aircraft from Nairobi Wilson to a dozen Mara airstrips take about 45 minutes. Your camp collects you and your game drives are in their open 4x4s with a guide. This is the standard for conservancy camps.

Drive-in with a driver-guide. Five to six hours from Nairobi, the last stretch rough. Cheaper, and your driver stays with you as guide for the whole safari in a closed 4x4 or minibus. The usual choice for budget and mid-range trips.

Self-drive: allowed but uncommon; the reserve's roads are confusing and the wildlife is better found with a guide.

Where to stay

• Conservancy tented camps: the recommendation. Small, all-inclusive, with night drives and walks, and conservancy fees that go to Maasai landowners.
• Camps and lodges inside the reserve: closest to the river, some large and long-established, with a wide price range.
• Budget camps outside the gates: around Sekenani and Talek, with day entry into the reserve. Cheap, and you pay park fees per day.

Tips

• A crossing cannot be scheduled. Give yourself at least three nights in migration season and be prepared to wait for hours by the river.
• Check whether your camp's rate includes park and conservancy fees; at US$200 a day they matter.
• Book the balloon flight before you go; it sells out.
• Ask your guide to spend time with one sighting rather than racing to the next.
• Pack a warm layer for dawn drives, and a dust-proof bag for cameras.