“The Migration Tales” – The Interlude Part II

Crossing Instinct

I am often asked, “When is the best time to go on safari in East Africa?” The common answer is Always! Actually, that is because there is something every month so you don’t have to choose but remember to focus on the rain, when game-watching or sightseeing when that is what you want to do.

As a second-generation native of East Africa, I have my personal favorite times to visit, and I make it a point to return every February. However, I have been on safari since the age of 4, pretty much every time of year, and yes, this also includes the rainy months. I even remember a time when we got stuck in the mud near Mt Kenya after a long rain. That was fun!

So, each time we see the season change to a different movement, we will get in touch with guides to have them send a video of what they are seeing from the bush. Countless amateur camera videos and photos allow us to know exactly where the best action is, which camp we should use, whether to use a mobile or stationary camp and in which order to plan the safari. This also allows us to see whether it makes sense to go to Kigali, Entebbe, Victoria Falls, or Ruaha National Park after the safari experience in the vast plains of the Serengeti and Mara ecosystem. By knowing what is happening using first-hand accounts. Over the years, from frontline guides and our own returns to the safari plains, we have seen specific trends and cycles, such as what a heavy rain in November may mean for the movements in June. Or what a dry May may mean for the early part of October.

In this week’s video, we share one such video, taken from the front lines by our guide friends at Bushtops Camps. These are not professional videos, they are raw footage captured at the river, as the herds started crossing in masses across the high water levels of the Mara River. Wildebeest are often underestimated when it comes to intelligence, but the truth is that their inner sense and instincts are among the best in the safari world, whether it’s about crossing rivers or being the first to signal the presence of a predator.

Since the herds have started crossing, we will say what we say every year around this time…