Maasai Mara, Kenya

The Maasai Mara is the Kenyan part of the same ecosystem as the Serengeti. The herds and predators are the same; only an international border, which the animals ignore, separates them. The Mara is the northernmost point of the migration, and the herds usually arrive from about August to September, crossing the Mara River from Tanzania in search of fresh grass.

That crossing is one of the most photographed moments in African wildlife. Thousands of wildebeest mass on the bank, sometimes for hours, before plunging into water where crocodiles lie in wait.

Even outside the crossing season, the Mara is one of Kenya's best year-round safari areas. Lions, cheetahs and leopards are seen regularly, and because the reserve is compact, game drives are full of sightings without long, empty stretches.

Many travelers combine the Mara with the Serengeti in one cross-border trip and follow the herds wherever they are. If the crossings are your main goal, timing matters more than anything, so talk to us and we will plan around the crossing window.