Experience the Masai Mara at its Best
Kenya
January is one of the best times to enjoy a Kenya safari, with warm weather, excellent wildlife viewing, and fewer visitors across the Masai Mara. It’s the perfect month because:
A safari in January offers incredible opportunities to see predators such as lions, cheetahs and leopards, as well as large herds of elephants, giraffes and plains game across the savannah. Many travellers choose an African safari in January because the weather is generally warm and dry, making it ideal for game drives and photography.
Our luxury camps in the Masai Mara in January provide front-row access to some of Africa’s most spectacular wildlife experiences.
Over on Paradise Plains, the short grass is perfect for the resident grazers as it is nutrient-rich, and predators are much more visible. Mocker and Green banded swallowtail butterflies flit through the forests, and there is a large presence of raucous black and white hornbills. The Warburgia trees are fruiting, drawing in brown parrots that sit in the high branches and eat only the seeds inside the fruit; they drop the flesh and skins below for baboons, who happily feast on the leftovers.
The new generation of plains game is thriving on the new lush grass brought on by the rains. Elephants are regular visitors to the Governors’ family of camps; they move through the Musiara Marsh feeding on the sedge grasses and into the forests around our camps, where they feed on the new growth of Teclea and Warburgia fruits. Elephant bulls in ‘musth’ often follow the breeding herds looking for females in oestrus, and amongst the family groups, there are often small calves. Bull elephants like to rock large Warburgia trees, shaking them so that the fruit falls down. We have had comical sights of baboons peacefully feeding in the canopy of a Warburgia tree, only to shriek with panic as a determined bull elephant shakes the tree. On occasion, baboons fall to the ground, and one January, we watched as a powerful elephant shook four baboons right out of a Warburgia tree!
Mara River levels drop, and hippos get squeezed into the last remaining deep pools; all this close living results in tension and fights breaking out amongst the males. Females whose young are around 4 to 8 weeks old tend to keep their distance from larger pods for safety.
The Marsh Pride of lions and the famous coalition of “Topi Boys” spend more time apart as the game becomes sparse and they cover further distances to hunt. They come together occasionally for a meal to share or when they need to bond socially. As the Mara River levels drop, the Paradise Pride will cross regularly, spending their time hunting hippos.
Cheetahs also have to travel further in search of prey; they frequent the short-grass plains, regularly hunting antelope and feeding quickly before hyenas move in.
Leopards encounter baboons more frequently in January, and we hear the calls of both taunting one another in the forest surrounding our camps. Servals seem to jump up at every turn; their camouflage is less effective in the short grass, so we have better sightings of them in January.
We see some amazing migratory birds like the Steppe eagle (which comes all the way from the Russian Steppes), as well as violet-backed starlings that migrate around Kenya following the fruiting trees. European bee-eaters, Eurasian rollers, pallid harriers, common kestrels and a few white storks are also common. We also see huge flocks of swallows, swifts, and martins flying ahead of the rainstorms, picking up insects startled into flight.
The weather during January in the Masai Mara is typically warm, sunny and comfortable for game drives.
Average conditions include:
These conditions make a Kenya safari in January ideal for wildlife viewing and photography.
Many travellers choose an African safari in January for several reasons:
A January safari offers a unique perspective on the Masai Mara, with quieter game viewing and abundant wildlife.
Governors’ Camp Collection offers two of the most iconic safari camps in the Masai Mara, providing exceptional year-round access to wildlife. Guests staying with us on a Kenya safari in January can enjoy:
Our camps offer the perfect base for experiencing the Masai Mara in January.
If you are considering a Kenya safari in January, the Masai Mara offers some of the most rewarding wildlife experiences in Africa.
From spectacular predator sightings to beautiful landscapes and luxury camps, a January safari is an unforgettable way to start the year. Contact us to start planning your African safari in January.
BOOK NOW
