Safari in the Maasai Mara, Kenya

The Maasai Mara is the jewel of the East African safari — a vast Kenyan game reserve of rolling, golden plains named for the Maasai people and the Maa word "mara," meaning "spotted," for the way distant trees, shrubs and cloud shadows dapple the savanna.

Why the Mara is special

• Exceptional big cats. The open grasslands make the Mara one of the best places on Earth to see lion, cheetah and leopard.
• The Great Migration. From roughly July to October, more than a million wildebeest and zebra cross into the Mara from the Serengeti, braving the Mara River's crocodiles in one of nature's greatest spectacles.
• Guides and trackers. Camps assign expert guide-and-tracker teams who follow the game throughout your stay.
• Maasai culture. Community conservancies bordering the reserve combine superb wildlife with authentic cultural encounters and fewer vehicles.

Plan your Mara safari

Swain Destinations arranges private, tailor-made Kenya safaris in the Mara and its conservancies, timed to the migration and paired with the finest camps.