The great migration typically starts July and prices and crowds greatly increase in the Masai Mara. I booked our trip for the end of June in the hope that we would catch the beginning of the migration while taking advantage of low season prices and crowds. We got super lucky since for the first time in over 10 years the migration started a month early. We got to see the bulk of the migration before the crowds arrived at cheap rates! Here is an amazing overlook of wildebeest and zebra crossing the Mara river with crocodiles in the water. Hippos are basking on the shore. Across the river one can see the plains dotted with wildebeest, zebra and even a few elephants!

It was amazing to see the crossing in person after watching it so many times on nature shows.

Even the babies must cross and are good swimmers. Due to dry conditions the river was running low making it easier to cross and crocodiles couldn't attack. Crocodiles need to drown the wildebeest and need enough water depth to make that happen.

It was spectacular to witness a sea of wildebeest as far as the eye can see! Eight year old Aditya captured the best picture of wildebeest dotting the plains with this panorama.

We often drove through enormous herds and it soon became clear why we witnessed lion, leopard, hyena jackal and cheetah eating wildebeest. A big advantage of visiting during migration is one has a much better chance of seeing behavior of the predators.

Sunrise over the plains was a spectacular site.

After visiting in 2000, I really regretted not have good camera equipment and taking advantage of panoramas. I was ready in 2017.

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