The “migration season” in Masai Mara is one of the best times to visit. Each year, the timings and routes that the Wildebeest take are slightly different, depending on the rains and the availability of grass. At the end of June or the beginning of July, the golden green plains of the Mara begin to fill up with the ever-moving dark mass of a million grunting gnus. They work their way up from the Serengeti in Tanzania in long, dark columns, fanning out from the Sand River gate, in the South East of the Mara, all the way up to the Aitong plains in the far North West. They take over the vast savannah along with half a million zebras and 250,000 gazelles and other plains-game.
In Mara Naboisho Conservancy specifically, the mammalian swarm comes over the high plains to the south, pouring into the lower plains and valleys, taking advantage of the long grass from the recent rains and the fresh water in the Enisikiria river. The natural salt lick in front of Encounter Mara Camp is a great focal point for the wildebeest, and the camp is often completely surrounded by these animals throughout the day and the night. Wherever there is food, there will be something to eat it, and this is no different for the predators of the Mara. The lions and cheetahs that may have spread out in leaner times come together for the feast at hand. Wildebeest are taken down by adept feline claws, engorging already well-fed bellies. Following close behind is the savannah clean-up squad, with Spotted Hyenas, Black Backed Jackals, Tawny Eagles and 5 different species of vultures devouring the left-overs.
One of the great attractions of coming to the Mara to see the wildebeest migration is heading down to the Mara river to watch hundreds, sometimes thousands, of wildebeest taking the plunge and crossing the river all at once for greener pastures on the other side. Encounter Mara offers full-day trips down into the reserve to observe this spectacle. Carrying a packed lunch from camp you’ll be prepared for a full-on wildlife experience. The wildebeest are constantly moving in both directions across the river. There are some days, however, when crossings do not happen, but the constant hum of wildlife in all directions, as far as the ear can hear, will keep the day filled with great sightings and new experiences.
The movement of migrating herds, including crossings, is completely dependent on rains, grazing, and the mood of the beasts, so we can’t promise where they will be or when! That being said, you can be sure that between July and October when the herds are in the Masai Mara ecosystem, they will be within a day-trip’s reach of the camp if they aren’t already streaming past the front of your tent!
Generally, the wildebeest from Serengeti continue moving throughout the Mara ecosystem until early to mid-October. Lesser known to many is the Loita wildebeest migration, originating in the Loita Plains to the North East of Naboisho, an event that brings what many estimate to be well over 100,000 wildebeest into the Mara from their dry homeland in May. They will graze in Naboisho and the surrounding areas until the next big rains hit the Loita Plains, often keeping them here until March the following year! The Loita migration, and a sometimes early Serengeti migration, makes June one of the best time of the year to visit Mara Naboisho Conservancy. The grass is still green, the game is present en-masse, there are hardly any other visitors around, and the prices are low! You get the best of both worlds: low-season prices and tourist numbers, and high-season game-viewing.
See our page on Game Viewing Seasons to find out what to expect for the rest of the year in Masai Mara.
