Nairobi

The same wildebeest herds that cross the Serengeti spend July through October in Kenya's Masai Mara, having crossed the Mara River from Tanzania in the preceding weeks. August and September are the peak months for river crossings on the Kenyan side, with the highest concentration of predators following the herds. By late October–November, the wildebeest begin moving back south into Tanzania as the short rains arrive, and the Mara empties out considerably.

Kenya sits on the equator, so Nairobi and the Mara have mild, fairly stable temperatures year-round rather than a dramatic hot/cold split — the real planning variable is rain and wildlife concentration, not comfort. The long rains (March–May) are the quietest and cheapest months but can make Mara roads difficult. The short rains (November) are brief and don't disrupt much. June–October is dry, cooler in the early mornings on game drives, and by far the busiest and priciest period.

As with the Serengeti, the guide matters more than the lodge's thread count. Kenyan safari guides are certified through a rigorous national system (KPSGA), and asking whether your guide holds a Silver or Gold badge is a legitimate, useful question. Camps inside the Masai Mara National Reserve itself follow stricter rules (no off-road driving, no night drives); camps in the private conservancies bordering it cost more but offer a materially different, less crowded experience.

Within Nairobi, use Uber or Bolt rather than street taxis — both are widely used, metered fairly, and considerably safer. Traffic is a genuine problem at rush hour; budget extra time for any CBD trip on a weekday morning or evening. Getting to the Mara is either a 45-minute scheduled bush flight from Wilson Airport (the norm for most safari packages) or a 5–6 hour drive, which some budget travellers choose to save money but which is long and rough on unpaved sections.

Nairobi's food scene has genuinely modernised — Westlands and Karen have a strong run of contemporary Kenyan, Ethiopian, and international restaurants, and the Java House chain (a Kenyan Starbucks-equivalent) is everywhere and reliable for coffee and breakfast. Nyama choma (grilled meat, usually goat or beef) eaten with ugali and kachumbari salad is the essential local meal — Carnivore Restaurant is the famous, slightly touristy version, but smaller nyama choma joints in Kilimani do it better and cheaper.