Red Grass, Big Cats and the Plains Before the Migration
Kenya
May reveals the Masai Mara at its most beautiful and unhurried. Still within the long rainy season, the showers become gentler and more predictable, arriving in the late afternoon or evening and giving way to warm, clear days – perfect for extended game drives. At Governors’ Camp, this is a time to head out with packed breakfasts or lunches, spending long, rewarding hours as the Mara slowly reveals itself.
The red oat grass is coming into seed, casting a reddish tinge across the plains and signalling something significant: the wildebeest migration is beginning to build just beyond the horizon. For guests who love the Big Cats, May tends to offer some of the best cheetah sightings of the year.
May sits at the tail end of the long rains, warm, green and beginning to dry.
The temperature range in May is wide, with cool mornings and warm mid-afternoons. Pack light layers for morning drives and lighter clothes for afternoons.
The plains in May are fantastically long, with red oat grass coming into seed and a warm, reddish tinge spreading across the savannah. It’s a visual signal that the great wildebeest migration is gathering pace, somewhere to the south.
For those who have spent years guiding in the Mara, May carries a distinct character – unhurried, intimate, and full of quiet surprises. It’s a time for long, meandering game drives with picnics, exploring the full breadth of the Reserve. With fewer visitors around, the wildlife appears more at ease, and sightings tend to be longer, calmer, and beautifully natural.
Giraffes move through the woodlands between camps, often with calves. Warthogs seem to be everywhere, with males clashing tusks and females trotting with piglets in tow. The Mara feels alive and self-contained before the great seasonal drama of the migration begins.
May is one of the finest months for Big Cat sightings in the Masai Mara.
Cheetah: Excellent sightings up on the short grass plains, where Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelles concentrate. With the long grass in the reserve, the plains provide the visibility cheetahs need to hunt effectively.
Lions: The Marsh Pride lionesses often have young cubs in May. With prey more dispersed through the long grass, they join forces with the famous “Topi Boys” to take down larger animals, such as hippos, eland, and buffalo. Some of these males range further, patrolling the outer boundaries towards Paradise Plains.
Elephants: Large herds spread across the Musiara Marsh and Bila Shaka grasslands, with family groups including many young calves. Impressive bulls – some in musth – move alongside the breeding herds, and mating activity is often observed.
Other game: Good herds of eland, 10 to 40 individuals with calves, can be seen out on the plains. Topis with six-month-old calves spread out on the savannah while the large resident buffalo herd grazes on Rhino Ridge. Spotted hyenas on Topi Plains have young cubs and compete directly with lions for kills.
Giraffe, waterbuck, impala, bushbuck, and baboons frequently visit Governors’ Camp and Il Moran, sometimes literally walking through them.
May offers wonderful birding, with several resident species actively breeding and feeding their young, and some migrants are still present before their long journey north.
Hundreds of open-billed storks gather (inter-African migrants), alongside small flocks of white storks, preparing to fly back to Europe. Woolly-necked storks and green shanks work the banks of the Mara River.
Within the long grasses of the Musiara Marsh, Jackson’s widowbirds put on their remarkable displays, springing repeatedly above the tussocks to attract a mate. Red-collared, white-winged and fan-tailed widowbirds, along with yellow bishops, are all easily seen among the marsh grasses.
Blue flycatchers return to the campgrounds. Striped swallows will nest around the camps if the rains run late. Less common sightings in May include Levaillant’s cuckoo, martial eagle, dark chanting goshawk and grey-headed bushshrike. Double-toothed barbets breed during this month, too. Grey kestrels perch on termite mounds, picking off termites.
Butterflies are abundant at this time, with swallowtails drifting through the Mara River woodlands and African monarchs fluttering across the grasslands.
Guests at Governors’ Camp and Governors’ Il Moran Camp in May enjoy:
Staying in May reveals a peaceful side of the Masai Mara, perfect for those seeking space, comfort, and uninterrupted wildlife encounters.
May is genuinely one of our favourite times at Governors’ Camp or Il Moran. The reserve feels calm and unhurried, while the landscape is at its most generous – lush, vibrant, and alive with a quiet sense of anticipation as the migration begins to gather just beyond the horizon.
Our two Mara camps sit adjacent to the iconic Musiara Marsh, placing this abundance of wildlife right on your doorstep: Days are spent on long, leisurely drives with picnic stops in the bush, followed by sundowners on the plains, and evenings accompanied by fireflies and the distant sounds of hippos along the Mara River.
A May safari at Governors’ Camp offers the rare opportunity to experience the Masai Mara before the peak season begins. Contact us to start planning your Kenya safari in May, or
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