Why is Mara North one of the best places to go on safari in Kenya?

Mara North, safari

Heather
Heather
Travel Writer
Published on
22 Jan 2018
Updated on
25 Apr 2025
Sunrise Over The Plains In Mara North

Mara North, located in the Masai Mara, is we believe, one of the best places to go on a Kenyan safari holiday... and here's why.

We knew they were out there, somewhere in the darkness. The panting was coming closer, and the tell-tale crunch of dry grass beneath huge padded feet suddenly seemed very loud. As a roar shattered the night I discreetly shuffled away from the edge of the open-sided safari vehicle, wondering if my blankets would protect me from the pride of lions running alongside us. They were out hunting for breakfast, and I hoped we weren’t on the menu. Our Maasai guide, Lemeria chuckled quietly and reassured me that we were completely safe. So long as we didn’t alight from the jeep. I made a mental note not to take a walk until we were back at the lodge.

Night Drive Lion
Night drive lion

It was one of the most terrifying yet exhilarating moments of my life. Of course the fear was all in my head, mainly because I could hear but not see the lions, yet the adrenaline and excitement was real. It’s something that has stayed with me ever since, and I feel so grateful to have had this experience.

Lion In Mara North
Lion in the Mara North

So why is Mara North such a good safari location?

Abundance of Animals

If you’re going on your first safari, or are keen to tick lots of species off your list, then Mara North is an ideal location. We visited in January during the short dry season, which meant there was lots of activity at watering holes, and down at the river.

One Of The Busy Watering Holes
One of the busy watering holes

In some places we were almost tripping over animals, they were everywhere, and we just couldn’t believe how easy it was to find them. Our particular favourites were the hippos cooling off down in the Mara River.

Variety of Wildlife

Safari-goers always have something at the top of their sightings list. Perhaps a rare nocturnal animal, maybe a lion in action, or even a vulture to see if they really are as intimidating as those in Ice Age (spoiler alert, they are!). I didn’t have a list, but I was desperate to see a hyena. Sure, they’re some of the nastiest beasts on earth, but I’d never seen one before and hoped that by the end of our 4-day stay at Saruni Mara I might have a chance of an encounter.

Hyena
Hyena

As soon as we stepped off the tiny bush plane onto the dirt airstrip my wish came true. There were two of them, playing chase and sprinting through the bush without a care in the world. Our guides laughed as I scrabbled for my camera, and suggested we’d be seeing plenty more. Indeed, on our way to the lodge we spotted no less than 40 hyenas, most of them basking the shade of lone trees to escape the mid-day heat. Just minutes into our trip my mission was well and truly accomplished!

On Safar In Mara North
On the safari in Mara North

High chances of seeing elusive animals

Quite content with my lions, hyenas and hippos I wasn’t expecting our game drives to really top what we’d already seen. Yet they just kept on giving. Towards the end of our second day we spotted a cheetah (or rather Lemeria did, we’d never have noticed it hidden away in the grass!) having a stand-off with a lion.

Cheetah
Cheetah

The cheetah had accidently walked into the territory of a lioness and we watched them for 10 minutes, hardly daring to breathe. You see, lions and cheetahs don’t mix. The former sometimes kills the latter and they are rarely seen together. Even Lemeria was trying not to jump up and down in excitement. This wasn’t something many people ever witness, even locals!

The Stand Off Between The Lion And The Cheetah
The stand off between the lion and the cheetah
Lion Chasing A Cheetah
Lion chasing a cheetah

We also managed to see week old lion cubs (ahhh), eagles, and finally a leopard on the way to the air strip after our stay. It emerged from a woodland and stalked right in front of our vehicle, not even giving us a second glance. What a perfect send-off!

The Leopard Walked Right In Front Of Our Vehicle
The leopard walked right in front of our vehicle

Best bush breakfasts ever?

We’ve enjoyed some good breakfasts during our travels, but I’m not sure any can beat eating sausages and pancakes on a riverbank whilst watching hippos.

Setting Up Bush Breakfast By The Mara River
Setting up our bush breakfast by the mara river

Or munching fresh fruit whilst a family of elephants trundled by in the distance, closely followed by several giraffes. Magical.

Bush Breakfast Out On The Plains
Bush breakfast out on the plains

Far less crowded than the Masai Mara

Everyone makes a bee-line for the Masai Mara for safari, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, it’s one of the best places in the world to go on safari. Yet if like us you prefer a little more peace and exclusivity, then head to one of the conservancies, like Mara North. Here you won’t be competing with dozens of other safari vehicles for the best sightings, or get fed up of seeing more jeeps than giraffes. We occasionally saw other groups out on the horizon, but most of the time it was just us and the wilderness. Which is just how it should be.

Ostriches In The Vast Wilderness
Ostriches in the vast wilderness

A safari in Mara North is about so much more than just ticking animal sightings off a list, although that is something you can do very easily here. It’s about moments like our night drive with the lions, which I didn’t want to end even though my hair was standing on end and my knuckles ached from holding on so tightly to the seat in front. It’s about experiencing something unique and far removed from your everyday life, something that your friends and colleagues back home won’t be able to even begin to relate to. It’s about discovering that safaris are indeed as exciting as you always believed, because in the Mara, anything is possible.

For more inspiration, take a look at our 26 favourite safari holidays, our best African honeymoon ideas or our top family safari holidays.

If you'd like to arrange a safari holiday to Africa, call our friendly team on 01768 603 715.

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Shirley Newman

What can I say….my son and myself had the most wonderful time in Kenya thanks to the first-class itinerary that Ben and Louise put together for us. We spoke with Ben many times to ensure he ‘got it right’. This was our 2nd visit to Kenya, and it certainly lived up to our expectations and memories. We stayed in four locations, firstly at the wonderful El Karama Lodge, Laikipia Wildlife Conservancy, where we even had a visit from Ruth from Far and Wild! Then, for a return visit, to Saruni Samburu, which is absolutely stunning and still one of our favourite places in the world. Next came Basecamp Mara Camp, where we saw our first Cheetah, the only animal we didn’t see on our first visit. After that, onto the wonderful Leopards Hill in the Naiboisho Conservancy, what a way to spend the last four days of this trip. Here we finally spent many hours with a beautiful leopard. Throughout our time in Kenya, we saw many lions, giraffes, elephants, ostriches, hyenas, cheetahs, and leopards, to name just a few. Nothing was too much trouble for all the staff; we cannot have been looked after any better. Since our return again Ben phoned to see how it went in addition to emails. I would highly recommend Far and Wild; they are so knowledgeable and have personally visited the lodges and areas. We are already planning another visit, and we cannot wait.

16 Aug 2025
Elizabeth Spells

I have just returned from the most amazing trip to Tanzania, booked with Far & Wild. Everything went so smoothly from the first time I spoke with them. The planning was great, the itinerary was perfect for us, and the lodges were amazing. We spent 10 nights with an amazing guide, travelling through Northern Tanzania and even got to see the migration, which was a lifetime ambition of mine. This wasn't our first safari, so we were nervous as to how it would compare, but it was spot on. We're particularly grateful that she suggested a private 'bush lunch' in the Ngorongoro Crater as the public picnic spot was very busy! I will certainly be using them again to book our next trip....we're thinking of a relaxing beach stay next time to get over the excitement of safari!

17 Sept 2025
Orla Rhodes

Just back from another amazing F&W organised trip to Namibia with the family (8 adults). Having been there before, Alistair tailored our trip to include our favourite locations and added a new one for us, Okonjima Plains camp, which we loved.The quality of accommodation and guiding, activities, food and drinks was exceptional throughout. Although not inexpensive I felt it was good value for the level of luxury we had. Kwessi Dunes, Shipwreck lodge, Ongava, Okonjima with pit stops Windhoek (city tour recommended ), Swakopmund (Sandwich Harbour and Walvis Bay tour) and Grootberg lodge (best sundowner drive )

31 Jul 2024
Arnhild Schia

We had a wonderful trip to São Tomé and Príncipe - a small island nation in the Gulf of Guinea with paradise (almost empty) beaches and jungle forest. It was all well organised by Far and Wild and we stayed at Omali lodge at Sao Tome, then on Roca Sundy, and Sunday Praia at Principe - a great combination of different types of resorts/hotels. Omali is close to Sao Tome town with its colonial buildings, markets, hustle and bustle. Roca Sunday gives an old plantation experience and Sundy Praia a luxury beach experience. Very friendly (from time to time a bit slow) service, great fresh food, specifically if you like fish/seafood, vegetables and fruits (almost all sourced locally). Nice temperature between 23 and 30 degrees Celsius, nice swimming conditions. We really recommend this for those who want to experience a pristine destination with few other tourists and friendly and welcoming people. The islands also feel (and I believe are) very safe. At Principe, there are no dangerous animals, snakes or whatever, and it was great to be able to hike in the jungle without being very conscious of where to put your hands and feet. Go before everyone else does!

3 Jul 2024
Henri Papenfus

Back home again, basking in the joys of a superb safari. Every aspect you arranged for us, including linking up with Mack Air and Wild Horizons locally to transport us. The choice of camps, Camp Hwange in Zimbabwe and Muchenenje Safari Lodge in Botswana, was spot on and exactly what we had hoped for - ideally situated, comfortable, in good surroundings, and with excellent wildlife on the doorstep and throughout the wider country. The service staff in each looked after us very well, catering was excellent, and the game guides were professional, knowledgeable and helpful. The weather was, as usual for that part of the world, also good at the time of our visit. Blue skies and stunning sunsets. Warm but not too hot during the day, although quite cold at sunrise when viewing game. The viewing started. You made us happy, and we recommend you to similar safari enthusiasts with confidence.

28 Jun 2024
AC

Far and Wild went above and beyond to make sure my trip to Zambia was special. I would definitely recommend them and their services to anyone wanting to travel to Africa.

5 Jun 2024
Tiny

Lovely holiday at the amazing Almanara on Galu beach, a beach like no other. Far and Wild excelled themselves from beginning to end of our holiday in beautiful Kenya.... What a country!,

5 Jun 2024
Stodge

Wow! These guys are amazing. Can’t recommend them highly enough. Friendly AND efficient! Sorted out our trip (last minute and lots of different family member needs, sorry!) in record time and everything worked like clockwork. Trip of a lifetime to the Masai Mara. Will be back (and use F&W again!)!

5 Jun 2024
Fiona C

It was a dreamy holiday on the Kenyan Coast - Far and Wild, their efficiency and professionalism allowed us to relax and be the happiest family alive !! We cannot fault them, their care and understanding of what we wanted from a holiday ensured we had the most memorable trip. We will be booking with them again for sure!

5 Jun 2024