A Dazzling Spectacle: The Great Migration during Peak Season

The Masai Mara National Reserve borders Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park, creating one contiguous ecosystem of riverine forests and expansive savanna.

Between July and October vast herds of wildebeests and zebras surge up from the Serengeti plains in search of sustenance, creating the annual spectacle known as “The Great Migration”.

Prepare for epic river crossings and intense scenes between predators and prey. Big cats come out for a great hunt and crocodiles lurk in the rivers, ready to ambush. A great deal of action invites a great deal of travelers hoping to catch a glimpse of this epic phenomenon. Traveling to the Masai Mara during the high season requires planning about a year out.

However, wildlife viewing is excellent year-round, with resident populations of lions, cheetahs, elephants, rhinos, Cape buffaloes, wildebeests, giraffes, zebras, and many other species. Following the ‘short rains’ of November and December, the Mara springs to life with baby animals, as many plains game species synchronize their births to coincide with this time of plenty. 

As the little ones trail behind their mothers, predators are never far behind and you may observe lions in big coalitions. This ‘green season’ is prized by photographers for lush vegetation, a lack of crowds, and plentiful predator action.