The Maasai Mara is merely the northernmost extension of the Serengeti ecosystem. Some of what I'd do is determined by when I'd be there - e.g. July / August is often when the migration crosses into the Mara.

Use this interesting variable map to plan, if your primary interest is in the migration.

Best Fourth of July (1986) ever we awoke very early and went to Little Givernors Camp, where our hot air balloon was being inflated. As dawn broke we ascended over rivers and trails, seeing elephants and some hippos yet out of the water as we drifted south toward Tanzania.

Soon we were over the short grass plains, looking down at skeins of interweaving, separating, joining living webs of animals, partucularly wildebeest and zebra. Idling the burner allowed us to silently ride the wind, as we heard the grunts, whinnies, belches and farts of tens of thousands of animals below.

Eventually, we settled down on the ground and enjoyed our fresh cooked breakfast, prepared with those same burners, and enjoyed iced Champagne.After a while, we mounted our Toyota Land Cruisers and began a game drive back to Little Governors that lasted most of the remaining day.

We came upon a pride of lion, obviously on the move following the migrants, but at a sedate pace. It looked as if they'd eaten well last night, and they weren't in much of a hurry. They ambled, stopped periodically, and we were close enough to smell, hear and have our senses be full of them.

We also saw other typical fauna, kongoni / Coke's hartebeest, Thompson's gazelles, Impala, topi, lurking spotted hyenas, etc. etc. and a wealth of birds.

One vignette I'll share:

As we came to an overlook on the Mara River, we looked down and observed several huge (certainly up to 18 feet) Nilotic crocodiles, warming themselves on the large rocks below. Not far away, a mob of skittish, circling Burchell's zebra and western white-bearded gnu / wildebeest. Especially the zebras would approach the bank nervously, head shaking and giving whinnies, making dust in a dance of approach - avoidance, seemingly fighting to resist the inexorable, genetically powered impulse to cross and proceed further north, to nourishing grasses.

Finally, some entered the water, trying to gallop, eyes wide, nostrils flared, now pushed by others joined by some wildebeest, turned into a hysterical mob unable to turn back. At this, the crocodiles came to life, moving with a hitherto unsuspected alacrity, rapidly now closing on the squirming, leaping heaps of increasingly panicked animals.

One canny croc was now within striking distance, head on surface moving back and forth sizing up his prey. A yearling came to near, and was suddenly prized by a vice-like grip of crocodile jaws, and overcome by the weight of the croc succumbed to the muddy waters.

They surfaced just downstream, the zebra in his death throes and eyes mostly white, the crocodile now taking him down in a death spiral, writhing and twisting the final breath from the zebra. Other crocs waited and took prey, but a few were diverted by an easier meal and joined the instigator, ripping great gouts of blood and meat from the young zebra, the first of many sacrifices given by the herd.

Soon, schools of catfish attracted by the blood and bits of flesh boiled sound the rapidly disappearing carcass and a massive hippo, attracted by the commotion, bulled into the middle of the gorging crocodiles.

Our cameras clicking on this natural recurrence of this circle of life and death were shattered by one of our party, binoculars glued to the scene as she called out " omygod! omygod! I can't believe this is happening! This is HORRUBLE! omygod, I can't stand it!" even as she never wavered from the scene.

On the opposite bank, some sated lions waited, not wanting to kill and eat, but as cats are wont to, taking swipes and swats at animals emerging panicked from the river where more of their kind were being taken by an ever larger gathering crowd of crocodiles. Some were injured already, escaping one form of death for another, one that likely came at dark, brought by hyenas and lions.

And now, flocks of vultures, drawn by keen senses of sight and smell, began gathering on the trees, to begin their vigil. Soon, they too would feast, squabbling, avoiding the predators, posturing to put off other vultures and the ever-watching jackals.

That entire day replays in my mind, a veritable kaleidoscope of animals, a pinwheel of zebras and gnus, a celebration of life for many, but a bloody toll paid by some. That evening, as we enjoyed our sundowners, it was pretty quiet, rather than excitedly share what we saw and experienced, we seemingly ruminated and played the wonders encountered over again in our heads.

Dinner, the campfire, the sounds of roaring lions and whooping hyenas - an end to an exciting, long day, with a wished "lala salama, mzee" I went to my tent and slept a deep, cleansing sleep.

Plan, plan some more and prepare to be surprised.

And be aware oneworld is not dominant here. Not to mention, many AA partners do not show on aa.com.

See: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...solidated.html

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...es-2014-a.html