The Masai Mara Migration is one of Nature’s most spectacular events, and as the northern extension of the Serengeti plains, the Mara is the frenetic start and finish point of the annual migration.
Several million hooves treat the Masai Mara as an inter-country pitstop. Arriving exhausted by their desperate passage, they refuel, enjoy three or so months (roughly mid-August to early November) of grazing and relaxing on the Mara, and then set off once again for the freshly rained-on southern Serengeti plains.
On a Masai Mara Migration Safari the sight of millions of wildebeest and hundreds of thousands of zebra, eland and gazelle grazing, crossing rivers, arriving and leaving, is quite simply mind-blowing. The migration is said to have been in existence hundred of thousands of years ago and the cycle plays out year after year.
Visitors should bear in mind that even though the migration is one of Africa’s most remarkable displays, the Masai Mara is one of Africa’s best wildlife destinations year round.
Even if your visit falls outside of the peak migration times, it doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy what the Mara is renowned for: an incredible amount of wildlife and diversity that ranges from lions and leopards to grazing Maasai cattle.
Note that the Masai Mara is a reserve about a third of the size of the Serengeti National Park which also makes it a more manageable area for game viewing.