If you want to have a true African safari experience, these three are the best places to go. The Masai Mara National Reserve, Serengeti National Park, and Kruger National Park are three of Africa’s top national parks, offering a variety of experiences and adventures for all types of travelers, from honeymooners and lone explorers to families and friends.
But how do you decide between these three great destinations? Serengeti versus Masai Mara? Kruger National Park or Serengeti? Which is the greatest option for a safari? Because we’ve been visiting these beautiful wildernesses since 1998, we’ve simplified this complex subject to assist you find the best spot for your trip needs.

Location and Landscape

Let’s start with the most obvious distinction: the Kruger National Park is located in South Africa, whilst the Serengeti is in Tanzania and the Masai Mara is in Kenya.
Tanzania and Kenya share a border; in reality, the Masai Mara and Serengeti have an unfenced border for wildlife but not people. They compose the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, which is one of the world’s largest (nearly twice the area of New Jersey) and best-protected. This huge wilderness area serves as the backdrop for one of nature’s most spectacular displays, the Wildebeest Migration.

Where is Masai Mara?

The Masai Mara National Reserve is a protected wilderness area in south-western Kenya, bordering Tanzania. The Masai Mara environment is characterised by large undulating plains, solitary thorn trees, and distant purple highlands. This is the stuff of Out of Africa, and the sunsets are among the most evocative you’ll see. Elephants have knocked down many of the trees over the decades, leaving few.
Getting to the Masai Mara is simple. You’ll travel into Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, before boarding a light aircraft to one of the Masai Mara’s airstrips.

Where’s the Serengeti?

The Serengeti National Park is located in northern Tanzania and covers 14,763 square kilometers (5,700 square miles). It borders the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (which includes the famous Ngorongoro Crater) and the Masai Mara National Reserve. The Serengeti consists of stunning wide savannah, dense woodland, and scrubby hill areas. ‘Serengeti’ translates to ‘the land that moves forever’ or ‘the place that goes on forever’.
To get here, fly into Kilimanjaro International Airport and spend the night in Arusha, the vibrant entrance to Tanzania’s famous Northern Safari Circuit.

Where is Kruger National Park?

The Kruger National Park is located in the northeast of South Africa. It is one of the world’s largest national parks, covering an area of 19 485 square kilometers (7 523 square miles), nearly the size of Israel.
Don’t expect wide-open savannahs like the Masai Mara or Serengeti; the flora here is thicker than in East Africa, and much of the environment is open woodland or denser acacia scrub. It is lovely and dotted with gigantic trees (ideal for leopards to hang out in) and rocky hills known as koppies, which are frequently home to klipspringers: small, monogamous antelope who mate for life.
Fly into Johannesburg, Africa’s most prosperous city, and then be driven or flown to one of Kruger National Park’s numerous airstrips on a short-haul flight. The park shares boundaries with private game reserves like as Sabi Sands, Thornybush, and Timbavati, all of which are fantastic sites for personal safari experiences.

Which Animals Will You See in the Masai Mara, Serengeti, and Kruger National Parks?

Enjoy front-row seats to one of Africa’s most stunning wildlife spectacles, the Great Migration.
Each destination’s wildlife is internationally recognized. The Kruger National Park provides traditional heavyweight game viewing, but if you are visiting Africa to see the Big Five, there is no better location to go. You’ll frequently encounter lions, elephants, rhinos, leopards, and buffalo all in the same day. The Great Wildebeest Migration, on the other hand, takes place in both the Masai Mara and the Serengeti.

Maasai Mara

Lions, elephants, and buffalo are very easy to spot in the Masai Mara, but leopards and rhinos are more challenging. The lack of trees and thickets requires more effort (rhinos sense the cold and want to go to dense brush at night to remain warm) for a nice sighting.
The Mara is home to numerous and diverse fauna throughout the year, making it ideal for large herds and their predators. Aside from enormous lion prides, it is one of Africa’s greatest spots to watch cheetahs. These swift felines require broad and flat areas to hunt; seeing a cheetah chase down its prey is an exciting experience. Its vast plains also lend itself well to lion hunting. There are also plenty of spotted hyenas, giraffes, and Thomson’s gazelles.
Visit the Masai Mara from August to October to view the Wildebeest Migration’s mega-herds. The national reserve is small and can become quite crowded when the wildebeest arrive, so it’s always a good idea to stay in one of the nearby private conservancies. You’ll have a more relaxing safari experience while remaining close to the Migration’s key places.

Serengeti

Like the Masai Mara, you’ll see plenty of lions, buffalo, and elephants, as well as leopards if you stay in the Serengeti’s mountainous sections and along the Serenora River. However, rhinos are becoming increasingly rare. Lion prides especially enjoy the Serengeti’s vast terrain.
The Serengeti is ideal for general game viewing at any time of year, and it has a similar reputation for big cats as the Masai Mara. With around 500 distinct bird species, it is also one of the world’s top birding attractions.
The Serengeti receives the lion’s share of the Wildebeest Migration from November to July. Our handy guide provides a month-by-month summary of the Great Migration.

Kruger National Park

The Kruger’s private reserves, including as Sabi Sands, Timbavati, and Thornybush, provide Africa’s best Big 5 sightings, particularly of the most elusive member of the group, the leopard. The area’s hillocks, rocky outcrops, and many trees are ideal leopard habitat. This is also the easiest spot to see rhinos, and it is said to have the densest elephant population among the three.
Expect superb general game viewing all year, as well as sightings of rare and endangered creatures including African wild dogs, cheetahs, and sables. It’s also one of Africa’s top birding sites. The diversified topography provides habitat for a variety of kingfisher species (pied, malachite, gigantic, and others), lilac-breasted rollers, carmine bee-eaters, raptors such as eagles, vultures, and owls, and waterfowl along its dams and rivers. Remember that birdwatching is always more impressive during the Green Season (about November to April), when all migrating species are there and there is plenty of food available.

What Safari Activities Can You Expect in the Masai Mara, Serengeti, and Kruger National Parks?

The principal activity in these destinations is morning and afternoon drives in game-drive vehicles. A trained guide sits behind the wheel and will identify and explain everything you see. Other activities are also available, depending on where you go: as a general rule, private reserves have more activities than public-access parks. Family-friendly accommodations offer a variety of enjoyable activities and educational programmes for youngsters.
If you stay in a private safari villa or an exclusive lodge, you may have access to activities such as archery, tennis, interactive cooking classes with a private chef, wildlife lectures from experts, photography workshops, guided nature walks, mountain biking, and junior ranger programs for children.

When is the best time to visit Masai Mara, Serengeti, and Kruger National Parks?

It is critical to determine when to visit the Serengeti, Masai Mara, or Kruger National Park. The ‘ideal’ time to visit is often regarded as the dry season, simply because the animals are simpler to locate. Furthermore, the climate is at its most pleasant (the intense heat of summer has passed), the malaria danger is quite low, and game viewing is usually easier because foliage is thinnest (particularly in the Kruger) and animals are concentrated near water sources.
Timing will also have an impact on cost; a safari in the hot season will be more expensive than in the low season. And if you want to see the Wildebeest Migration (particularly the most dramatic events, such as the mid-year river crossings), you’ll have to pay a little more and arrange your safari up to a year in advance.
The more economical low or Green Season has its own distinct beauty, with green, bird-filled landscapes and plenty of creatures to observe, many of whom are babies. Green Season is also ideal for avoiding crowds and capturing amazing shots, since the lush vegetation, brilliant light, and lack of dust produce crisp, thrilling results. Read our short guide to find out more about a Green Season safari.
Slow down on safari to experience Africa’s magnificent animals up close.

Maasai Mara

The Mara is an ideal year-round safari destination due to its wealth of wildlife and mild environment. There are two rainy seasons to keep track of:
• The’short’ rains in November and December are often dramatic but brief afternoon showers.
• Heavy rains in April and May can cause black cotton soil to become impassable for cars, leading to camp closures.
The greatest time to witness the wildebeest migration in the Masai Mara is from August to October. August is typically regarded as the finest time to see the dramatic river crossings from the Serengeti into the Mara, where they will graze until the short rains in November force them back into the Serengeti.
The Masai Mara may get quite crowded during peak season (June to October), particularly around river crossings, so book up to a year in advance if you want a front-row seat. To avoid the crowds during this time of year, consider staying in one of the Mara’s private conservancies.
Expert tip: The Masai Mara is best between January and the end of March. The weather is often pleasant and dry, and the majority of safari crowds are missing.

Serengeti

The Serengeti, like the Masai Mara, is an excellent year-round safari destination with two wet seasons:’short’ and ‘long’. The Serengeti’s vast animal diversity and warm climate make it accessible at any time of year. Remember that when it rains, the crowds leave, not the animals, so you may have spectacular sightings all to yourself!
Between November and July, the Migration travels through the Serengeti, crossing crocodile-infested rivers into the Masai Mara around August. The greatest time to watch ferocious predator action is during the Migration’s calving or birthing season (February to March), when over 8,000 wildebeest babies are born every day. Fearsome predators swoop down on easy prey in the southern Serengeti. It’s a sorrowful ballad about the circle of life, played out in live action.

Kruger National Park

The Kruger’s dry season runs from May to October. Seeing and following wildlife is simple at this time since the region’s vegetation is low and sparse, and animals do not travel far from the dry season’s final remaining water sources.
It is also a particularly ideal time of year to visit the Kruger National Park because there are few mosquitos, little to no rain, and temperatures are pleasantly warm during the day and refreshingly cold at night.
Keep in mind that the Kruger National Park can get very popular between June and August, which coincides with local school holidays. It’s always a good idea to go on a safari in one of the Kruger’s private game reserves; these calm, exclusive-use zones are next to the national park and provide additional activities such as walking safaris and night game drives. In our handy guide, you can learn more about the differences between safaris in public parks and private game reserves.
The summer rains come around November and last until about April. These brief afternoon thundershowers change the Kruger into a stunning, rich green environment perfect for photography. Game viewership remains good during the ‘Green Season’. Many animals give birth, resulting in significant levels of predator activity! It’s also the greatest time to visit Kruger National Park for bird watching and combine your safari with a Cape Town beach vacation.

What Does a Safari Cost in the Masai Mara, Serengeti, and Kruger National Parks?

No matter whatever option you choose, an African safari will always be a major expenditure, so it’s critical to match the proper destination, hotel style, and experience with your expectations.
The basic guideline is that the more you can afford, the more exclusive and private your safari will be, as well as the quality of your wildlife watching. This is because exclusivity requires fewer trucks to track the animals. Because national parks enable guests to drive their own vehicles, leopard and lion sightings draw a large crowd. In more private locations, the number of game-drive vehicles is strictly limited in response to animal sightings; typically, just two are permitted at any given time.