There is simply no place better than the Maasai Mara when it comes to wildlife observations and photography. After all of my years on safari across the African continent, nothing beats a sunrise game drive here. The thrill of lions and hyenas fighting over a kill right next to the car, the tenderness of a cheetah mum grooming the morning dew from her cubs’ fur, or the peaceful sounds of chewing and tummy grumbles as elephants graze along the grassy tracks. The chorus of birdlife provides the idyllic backdrop for all of this as well as the giraffe, zebra, eland, and gazelles that are so often in view. The Mara is a year-round paradise, with something always happening. While the annual wildebeest migration is a highlight between June and October, the carnivores are all here year-round and there are thousands and thousands of resident animals to enjoy.

I think one of the benefits of traveling on safari with me is the ability to quickly get in sync with daily rituals that most suit your interests. While I can use my experience and offer recommendations, everything is still tailored around you. Working together, from the initial planning stage to actually being out on safari, we have the most fulfilling days and get the best results, whether you want ideal photographic opportunities or just feel like relaxing amidst it all. Regardless, we always feel like we need more time in the Mara, to soak it all up and then to share our experiences back in camp by the fire each night.

Enjoy our new short video on the essence of the private guided safari experience in Africa. The Original Ker & Downey Safaris has been in operation for more than 70 years, and I am so proud to be a partner and director of the company that outfits my safaris.

We recently took a break from our northern Mara home and spent a little bit of time down in the Masai Mara National Reserve, right on the border with Tanzania. We were fortunate to take over the Ker & Downey seasonal camp with a few friends for three days, and the location couldn’t have been better. We had wildebeest and zebra crossing the Sand River in and near camp, lions roaring nearby each night, newborn topi babies learning how to run, and spectacular sunsets.

It has certainly been strange for me to not be out on safari with my guests in June, July, and August for the first time in more than 20 years. But I have loved being able to spend so much time with the kids both at home and on a few little family safaris here in Kenya. Hopefully we will be back out there next year. Until then, enjoy a few highlights from the Mara:

Every time I explore the vast Mara-Serengeti ecosystem I’m reminded that it truly does hold the greatest wildlife viewings on Earth. We’ve preserved some really fun and memorable moments of this magical place during a recent safari. Depending on the time of year, the Mara or the Serengeti is an absolute must for any inaugural safari, and perhaps even for a second or third safari as well! A few days under canvas in the heart of this region will be rewarded with outstanding big cat viewing, and always the chance of witnessing their mesmerizing predatory behavior.

Last week, several fellow partners of Ker & Downey and I visited the eastern boundary region of Tanzania’s famed Serengeti National Park. We camped in an area that has been closed to visitors for more than a decade, and enjoyed truly exclusive access to spectacular wildlife.

In five days we saw more than 100 different individual lions, 22 cheetahs, 5 leopards, 2 honey badgers, and an incredible number of herbivores. As this new camp is so distant from all other lodging in the Serengeti, we virtually had the area all to ourselves! Between December and May of each year, these short grass plains are saturated with the great herds of wildebeest and zebra that make up the celebrated migration. And it is here that several hundred thousand wildebeest calves are born each January/February, offering a windfall to the many resident carnivores that call this land home.

Surrounded by the quintessential safari landscape of endless plains dotted with acacia trees and granite kopjes, my time there reminded me of why it was the favored private camp destination of my company through the 1980s and ’90s. I am thrilled to now be able to take my guests to this secret corner of the Serengeti. We are privileged to be a part of the gentle reopening of this remote area to low-use tourism, and the next few years offer a special opportunity to join me on safari in a place I would describe as one of the final frontiers of East African wilderness.

The essence of our time in the Serengeti.

Watched as we are watching.

A stunning view of leopards out in the open.

A pair of very fit cheetahs.

A perfect place to rest and scout for the next meal.

A strong leader for a healthy pride.

These new cubs are doing very well.

The birds of prey are also fantastic in this region.

We had a rare sighting of two honey badgers.

King of the kopje.

Classic Serengeti in black and white.

Partner guides of The Original Ker & Downey Safaris.