Let’s Talk About the Mara

Last week, I returned from Kenya, where I spent some time in the Maasai Mara.  Along with Parks and Recreation and Linkin, it must be one of the world’s most famous parks.

For years now, I’ve only recommended that clients stay on a private conservancy in the Mara. After this latest trip, I’m more convinced than ever.  The reason?  The Mara is a goddamn zoo.  And you may well think: oh great, I’m there to see animals.  No, I mean a human zoo.

I used to believe every safari lodge had to be on a private concession. National parks were busy, full of minibuses, restrictions and generally as glamorous as going to the New York subway to stare at rats.  It was somewhere to avoid if you wanted a proper safari, one where you could actually sit with wildlife instead of taking part the “Ferrari safari”: charging around at 40mph trying to complete the Big Five before Judge Judy repeats start.  Sounds totally shit to me, cos the joy isn’t finding the animal, it’s spending time with it.

The more Africa I’ve travelled, the more I’ve realised that opinion was only half right.  Not all national parks are created equal.  Mana Pools, Ruaha, Moremi Game Reserve – just a few that don’t make you wanna rip your eyes out of your skull. They are all places where if you wanted to just get your thrill on and hunt a human, you’d be in for a really shitty surprise, cos they won’t be anywhere to be seen.  Ruaha receives barely 30,000 visitors a year. The Mara probably manages that over a decent bank holiday.

The problem isn’t national parks.  The problem is the Mara.  And the irony is that luxury accommodation in the Mara has never been better.

Sustainable tourism

Part of my job is helping people realise that Africa is still magical without a river crossing. The job is to show how amazing other parts of Africa are, so that not everyone is rushing to see the same thing at the same time.  I’ve stayed at well over 100 safari lodges and have witnessed exactly two river crossings.  Are they cool?  You bet they are, if you ignore the other 249 vehicles sat with you.  However, it will account for a very small percentage of your trip, and there’s a good chance you will see one and never want to go again, cos it’s that chaotic.  From all my many, many favourite safari memories, the vast majority are not during the migration.  Yet there’s no way I’m being a hypocrite and saying don’t go, just to understand the pros and cons of going there.

I’m not about to tell people not to visit the Mara. If everyone did that, the entire local economy would collapse, which ain’t much of a win. Although, interestingly enough, when I was trying to find visitor statistics, several sources suggested visitor numbers have actually significantly fallen over the past couple of years, even if it certainly didn’t feel that way when I was there.  They did double the park fees last year, but everyone I spoke to said it made no impact.  Who ya gonna believe these days?

But other numbers don’t make for great reading, like how the number of days the wildebeest spend in the Mara has been decreasing.  And you don’t need spreadsheets to see something isn’t right. Like the understandable backlash surrounding the Ritz-Carlton development. Our suppliers won’t sell it, and not because they’re snobby like me and hate Ritz-Carlton, but because of the corruption that allowed it to exist on a migration route and deeply disturb it.  Why is that so bad, you may say?  Well, if the wildebeest stop going into Kenya, an entire economy can fall with it.  Look at what’s happened in South Africa with the great white sharks.

One of the best ideas I heard after last year’s absolute shitshow at the river crossings was to borrow Rwanda’s high-cost, gorilla model. Build a handful of hides overlooking the main crossing points. Charge $1,000 per person, per day. If you witness a crossing, congratulations. If you don’t, that’s (wild)life. Photographers would still book years in advance, local communities would earn more money, vehicle numbers would plummet, and, the wildlife might get a mandatory drinks break.

The ultra luxury offerings of the Mara

The Mara has, from a luxury perspective, been the ugly duckling’s hideous step-sister to the Serengeti, where Singita rules supreme. And Singita has managed to keep getting better, with major refurbs and new villa openings, like Milele and Kilima.

But, in just the last few years, ultra-luxury, exclusive use properties have appeared in the Mara. Wild Hill started the trend and set the standard back in ’24, when I was amongst the first guests to visit. I love that property. The design, style, service, etc etc. And that it’s on a private concession, so it opens up lots of activities beyond game drives. But, I’m always making it clear to prospective clients that it sits right on the edge of the Mara, and those wanting to be amongst the herds and see river crossings need to head out on either helicopters or full day trips. Not that this should be the entire reason for going there, but I get that for a lot of people it is.

Last week, I got back from Loirien Mara, which is a neighbour of Angama Mara. It was originally a private home, and subsequently commercialised (like so many of these properties are) with two new “villas” added. Basically, the new villas are two bedroom options, so villa feels a tad too grand.

And now, in just a few weeks, perhaps the highest end of them all, Zamara Private, a six-bedroom, exclusive use villa by Great Plains, will be opening at $32,500/n

But, this is where the Mara is still tricky. Cos whilst Singita offers you and only you access to their concession, the Mara likes to engage in foreplay and then tell you to fuck off right before the action begins. Still with me? Good. Point is: in my not-so-humble opinion, the Mara Triangle or Mara Reserve suck. They are extremely busy, queues everywhere, cars charging in, and they’ve even had to implement speed cameras. For me, as a photographer, I hate (but understand why they’ve done it) that they prevent off-roading, meaning, at times, you may as well just look at pictures of animals on your phone as you’ll have a better chance than seeing whatever is in the nearby bush. Loirien is in the Mara Triangle; Zamara is in the Main Reserve.

Loirien is on its own private concession, as part of their rhino re-introduction programme (which is a super cool experience), but you will still spend most of your time in the Triangle. And Zamara, hopefully, has some way of overcoming the nightmare of the Reserve. But for now, Singita is still sitting pretty.

This was about my tenth visit to the Mara, and each time it somehow finds a way of becoming worse. It’s like the Fast and Furious of movies, where you wonder how they even got to that number, and why you’re still watching it. For years, I have not been able to bring myself to suggest anywhere that is not on a private concession in the Mara, and only found that opinion enforced more from this trip.