Ultra Luxury Journeys in Eastern & Central Africa
Wildebeest Migration and River Crossings
- Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Best Wildebeest Migration Luxury Safari Guide
River Crossings During the Migration...
When people say they’ve come to see the migration, they really mean they have come to see the river crossings. Watching the wildebeest hurl themselves into the water from some jaw-dropping steep riverbanks, one after the other, in a flurry of panic, sends a surge of adrenalin through the most seasoned guests.
Many guests have only watched at the river crossings scenes on Planet Earth – the chaotic clamber of wildebeests, zebras and a few antelope species across turbulent crocodile-infested waters of the Mara River. For the successful ones, the hyenas, lions and leopards lurk amongst the riverine bushes to ambush unsuspecting victims of which a good number succumb to these abled cats.
The Great Migration of wildebeest face many obstacles, from ambushing lions to opportunistic hyenas. Yet the greatest obstacle that the animals face in the entire migration is crossing the river. It is undoubtedly the most jaw-dropping spectacle of the Great Migration too.
This is when hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebra cross the Mara River during their endless journey between Kenya and Tanzania.
What’s so Spectacular About Seeing a River Crossing?
The river is the greatest obstacle that the animals face in the entire migration. It’s a exhilarating and adrenaline raising wildlife experience to watch the herds gather at the edge of the Mara River, and then get ready before taking a deep plunge down on the riverbanks into crocodile-infested brown waters beneath, hoping to swim successfully across the river.
In spite of the many successful river crossings, many wildebeest don’t make it across the Mara river. Drowned or swept away carcasses by strong currents while others perish in the merciless jaws of the Nile Crocodiles. During the river crossings, many wildebeests get trapped and are unable to escape due to broken legs or totally disoriented and for these reason, they’re pushed further into the river as the stranded animals continue to block the escape roots.
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Experience Spectacular Wildebeest River Crossings on a Custom Luxury Safari with Oluokos Signature
In Maasai Mara, the river crossings on the Mara River can happen at any time during the dry season – it all depends on rainfall. As a golden rule, this will mean from June to July as the animals head northwards into Kenya from Tanzania’s vast Serengeti National Park. They follow the same trend as they head back from September to October when they make their way back to Tanzania.
Due to change in weather patterns that result into unpredicted wildlife movements, the river crossings can start even earlier and end late, around mid-November. As luxury safari experts, we would like to advise you that there are never any guarantees with wildlife sightings, and river crossings at any given time during the wildebeest migration.
We strongly recommend that you consider optimizing your holiday arrangements so that its duration coincides with the major happenings of the wildebeest migration and thus giving yourself the best chance to see a crossing. Our best tip on this is in the middle of those times: between July and September.
The Annual Migration Calendar - Where and When...
For Your Information...
The negative, of course, is that this is the busiest and most expensive time to travel. Camps will be full, and there will be lots of other vehicles out there with you. But that’s the price you have to pay if you want to witness one of the world’s greatest wildlife spectacles! We politely ask for your patience and you will reap the rewards of great sightings and fantastic photos when everyone else has given up and gone elsewhere.
To be honest, during the migration period, both the Maasai Mara National Reserve and Serengeti National Park experience high number of guests and vehicle numbers are equally high. In Kenya, the peak or high season is June to October.
The best way to avoid the crowds is to consider having a stay in the privately owned nature conservancies that adjoin the Maasai Mara. They come at a premium cost and in return, they offer exclusivity, uncompromised level of luxury accommodation and excellently unlimited wildlife viewing in the exclusive-use areas. They also offer activities not permitted in the main reserve, such as night drives, bush walks and much more.
For the Serengeti sector, there are camps tucked a little further away from the migration hot spots. This guarantees you to capture all the action with very little disturbance and allow you to have some tranquil nights and very productive days.
More Nights, Work Best...
If you’re hoping to see river crossings in northern Tanzania, give yourself five or six nights at least. As part of a 10-14 night Northern Tanzania safari, also taking in Ngorongoro Crater, Tarangire National Park and Lake Manyara, famous for its flamingos, tree-climbing lions and the soda-ash lake in the center, this would be a truly spectacular way to see some of Tanzania’s most glorious sites.
If you’re leaning towards seeing the river crossings from Kenya’s Maasai Mara, you can easily allow four to six nights and combine it with Lake Naivasha, Laikipia or Amboseli to see more of the Big Five.
Apart from more nights, viewing the wildebeest migration exclusively when you are having the well-experienced safari guide who has the great migration and the best idea on how wildlife viewing is best done. Good guiding can make your safari the great one with the unforgettable safari memories, as they keep you off the beaten track such that you can have the exclusive sighting.
Tips To Know About the Wildebeest Migration
The Africa’s ecosystems of the Maasai Mara and Serengeti National Park on a rotational basis are home to huge herds of wildebeest and zebras migrating in a continuous search for pasture and water respectively. The migration isn’t new to science as the journey is well known to follow a similar annual route, but the exact timing still baffles many wildlife biologists due to the changing rain patterns. Please, read more about the Great Wildebeest Migration in Kenya and Tanzania
Why Book Your Wildebeest Migration Luxury Safari
With Oluokos,
Our guests tend to ask what the perfect Wildebeest Migration Luxury Safari itinerary looks like and to be honest, we don’t have a straight-forward answer.
To answer you in brief, each guest has a unique taste when it comes to enquiring about the wildebeest migration safari and this could be based on personality that’s strongly influenced by expectations. We have given a few good to check itineraries to serve as wildlife migration inspirations.
We don’t offer Wildebeest Migration Safari as a bucket list destination, but a rich wildlife safari experience with diversity, meaningful purpose to travel, cultural mosaic and of course, unmatched habitats that have given room to wildlife migration.
To many, The Great Wildebeest Migration is a living testimony about nature’s resilience, majesty and sustainability. This annual journey, undertaken by over two million wildebeest, zebras, and antelope across the vast plains of Kenya and Tanzania, is a spectacle that captivates guests from all walks of lives. Let Oluokos Signature bring you closer to the ever-unfolding natural spectacle with an exclusive, front-row seat to one of nature’s greatest shows on Earth.
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Top 10 Best Wildebeest Migration Luxury Safaris By Oluokos
At Oluokos Signature, we recognise that each guest is unique. That’s why our Great Wildebeest Migration Luxury Safari itineraries are carefully tailored to meet your wide taste of an African custom luxury safari.
We factor in the timing of your safari, highlights you wish to see, level of luxury safari adventure you’re comfortable with, and kind of accommodation that suits your preferance.
Whether you’re eager to capture the dramatic river crossings on camera or wish to witness the spectacle from a hot air balloon, Oluokos African custom luxury travel experts will help craft the perfect itinerary for you and your loved ones.
At Oluokos, creating effortless African holiday experiences is our cup of coffee! In Africa, our luxury safaris are packed with transformative moments that resonate deeply with you, fulfilling your holiday dreams and ideals.
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