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Lodges & partnersKogatende Northern Serengeti (Mara River)

Pure Migration Mara Camp

A seasonal camp in the far north of the Serengeti, pitched from the middle of June to the end of October for the river season.

Tier
Comfort
Location
Kogatende Northern Serengeti (Mara River)

About

About Pure Migration Mara Camp.

Pure Migration Mara Camp stands at the Woga 4 campsite in the northern Serengeti, on the Kogatende side of the Mara River. It is the same camp that spends the calving months at Ndutu. In May it comes down, and by the middle of June it is standing again up here for the river season.

The draw is the crossings. From July into October the herds move back and forth over the Mara, and guides work the known crossing points along the river waiting for the animals to commit. It can take a whole morning or it can happen in ten minutes. Between crossings this is open country with resident lion, cheetah and leopard, elephant along the watercourses, and crocodile and hippo in the river itself. The north also holds game when the herds are elsewhere, so a quiet day is rarely an empty one.

The camp is simple by design. Fourteen standard tents on the grass with proper beds, solar lighting, a verandah and an en suite bathroom with a safari shower, plus one interconnecting family tent. Meals are full board in the mess tent. There is no pool and no spa, because everything here has to be packed onto a truck twice a year.

It suits travellers who want to be in the north for the crossing weeks without paying for a permanent lodge, and photographers who would rather spend the budget on days in the vehicle. Game drives, the vehicle and the park fees are not in the rate and are itemised separately in your trip price.

Nearly everyone flies in. Kogatende is about two hours from Arusha on the scheduled light aircraft, usually with a stop on the way, and camp is a short drive from the airstrip. Driving up from Arusha is possible but it is a two day journey with a night in the central Serengeti.

Signature experiences

Why guests choose it.

  1. A crossing on the Mara

    Guides move between the known crossing points along the river and wait with the herds as they build on the bank. When the animals commit, the whole river fills, with crocodile working below.

  2. The northern plains between crossings

    Long open country with resident lion and cheetah, topi and eland, and kopjes that hold leopard. The north rewards slow days as much as it rewards the river.

  3. Breakfast out on the plains

    On long drive days breakfast can be taken out of the vehicle under a tree rather than back at camp, so you stay out through the best of the morning light.

  4. Hippo and crocodile pools

    Stretches of the Mara hold large hippo pods and old crocodile, and they are worth an hour of their own when the herds are not moving.

Room types

Where you will sleep.

Standard Tent

A canvas tent on the grass with a proper bed, solar lighting, a verandah and an en suite bathroom with a safari shower. Sold as a single, double, twin or triple room.

At a glance

The essentials, in brief.

Amenities

  • Full Board Dining
  • Mess Tent
  • En suite bathroom in every tent
  • Safari Shower
  • Solar Lighting
  • Charging points in the mess tent
  • Drinking Water Refills
  • Laundry on request at a charge
  • Campfire Area
  • Night Security

Best for

  • Great Migration
  • River Crossings
  • Photography
  • Northern Serengeti
  • Seasonal Camps

Wildlife and nature

  • Wildebeest and zebra crossing the Mara River, usually from July into October
  • Crocodile and hippo in the river
  • Resident lion, cheetah and leopard on the northern plains
  • Elephant, giraffe, buffalo and topi through the season
  • Eland and large plains herds when the migration is between crossings
  • Raptors and secretary bird over the open grassland

Best time to visit

When to go.

  • January: not a best month
  • February: not a best month
  • March: not a best month
  • April: not a best month
  • May: not a best month
  • June: not a best month
  • July: best
  • August: best
  • September: best
  • October: best
  • November: not a best month
  • December: not a best month
Best months

Best months: July to October.

Location & access

Getting there.

Location

Kogatende Northern Serengeti (Mara River)

Arriving by air

About an hour by road from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Arusha Airport, then roughly two hours to Kogatende on the scheduled light aircraft, usually with one stop. Camp is a short drive from the airstrip. The transfer is not in the rate.

By road

A very long road journey, best split over two days. About an hour from Kilimanjaro International Airport to Arusha, then west through Karatu and the Ngorongoro highlands into the Serengeti at Naabi Hill, on through Seronera and north to Kogatende. Most guests take a night in the central Serengeti on the way rather than doing it in one push.

On the map

Where it sits.

1.685° S, 34.889° E

What's included

What the rate covers.

Included

  • Full Board, Three Meals Daily
  • Accommodation In A Standard Tent
  • Drinking Water
  • Tea And Coffee
  • Tourism Development Levy
  • 18 Per Cent VAT

Not included

  • Game drives and the vehicle that runs them
  • Transfers to and from the camp
  • All Drinks
  • Laundry
  • Tips And Gratuities
  • Items Of A Personal Nature
  • International And Domestic Flights
  • Compulsory Tanzania inbound travel insurance at 44 USD per adult
  • Serengeti National Park Entry Fees
  • Special campsite fees in the park
  • Concession and camping fees charged by the park authority

Frequently asked

Questions, answered.

When is the camp open?

From 15 June to 31 October. Outside those dates the camp is packed up and moved to Ndutu for the calving season, so no nights are available.

Where exactly is it?

At the Woga 4 campsite in the far north of Serengeti National Park, on the Kogatende side of the Mara River. Park rules and park fees apply.

How many tents are there?

Fourteen standard tents and one interconnecting family tent, confirmed by Pure Camps in writing on 24 October 2026. The family tent carries no published rate, so we do not sell it.

How do guests get there?

Nearly everyone flies. Kogatende is roughly two hours from Arusha on the scheduled light aircraft, usually with a stop on the way, and camp is a short drive from the airstrip. Driving from Arusha is a two day journey with a night in the central Serengeti.

What is the best time to visit?

July into October for the river crossings, with August and September usually the busiest weeks. June is quieter, with the herds moving up through the north before the first crossings.

Will I see a crossing?

Crossings are not on a timetable. The herds move with the grass and the rain, and a crossing can happen in minutes or not at all on a given day. Three nights gives you a reasonable chance of being there for one.

What is included in the rate?

Full board with three meals a day, drinking water, tea and coffee, the Tourism Development Levy and VAT. Game drives, the vehicle, transfers, drinks, laundry and the park and campsite fees are not included and are itemised separately in your trip price.

Are game drives included?

No. Pure Camps sells the camp on a full board basis only, so your game drives come from the operator you choose for the trip and appear as their own line in your price.

Are children welcome?

The camp does accept children, but we are not selling child places here yet because the supplier has printed three different child age bands across its documents and we will not guess at a price. We have asked them to confirm and will open child rates as soon as they do.

What are the tents like?

Standard canvas tents with proper beds, solar lighting, a verandah and an en suite bathroom with a basin and a safari shower, where hot water is brought when you ask for it. Charging is in the mess tent.

Is a night game drive possible?

No. Night driving is not permitted anywhere in Serengeti National Park, including the north.

Do I need travel insurance?

Yes. Tanzania requires inbound travel insurance at 44 USD per adult, which is collected separately from your lodge rate and shows in your trip price as its own line.

What's nearby

Worth the short trip.

  • Mara River crossing points

    The reason for the northern season. Guides move along the river depending on where the herds have gathered that morning.

  • Kogatende

    The airstrip and ranger post for the northern Serengeti, a short drive from camp.

  • Lamai Wedge

    The quieter country north of the Mara River, with open plains and kopjes, reached across the river.

  • Bologonja

    The north eastern corner of the park towards the Kenyan border, with woodland and springs.

Nearby

Other places to stay nearby.

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