What it is
The northern end of the Serengeti ecosystem: about 1,500 sq km of national reserve, ringed by private conservancies on Maasai land. Rolling grass, scattered acacia, and the Mara and Talek rivers cutting through it.
Why go
Lions are resident and findable, and the ground is open enough that you watch a hunt instead of a tail vanishing into scrub. Cheetah and spotted hyena are routine. From roughly July to October the wildebeest herds are up from the Serengeti and river crossings happen, though nobody can tell you which day.
When to go
July to October for the herds and the crossings. January and February are quieter and the cats have not gone anywhere. Skip April and May, when the tracks break down and some camps shut. If crowded riverbanks would spoil it for you, stay in a conservancy rather than the reserve: they cap vehicle numbers and allow night drives and walking.
Most people stay 3-4 nights.
