While the Disney team were in Kenya to film shots for the latest The Lion King, we were there every step of the way. It is with immense pride that we can say we were guides to Disney and their team, showing them the most beautiful locations and scenery that Kenya has to offer during the location filming for The Lion King.
We helped guide their team to shoot a diverse range of iconic locations, including the Aberdares, Lake Magadi, northern Kenya, Mt Kenya, and, of course, the Masai Mara. In this blog post, we’ll take you behind the scenes while the team filmed in the Masai Mara.
The Masai Mara
It has been called the most famous wildlife reserve in the world, and with its breathtakingly beautiful landscapes and unrivalled game viewing all year round, we cannot argue with that! Kenya‘s Masai Mara is well-known for its large sweeping grasslands – it is often referred to as big sky country because of the absolutely mesmerising views it has to offer.
Which Scenes Used Footage From The Masai Mara?
The Masai Mara, in general, is famous for being known as “The Land of Big Cats’’ so it made perfect sense for Disney’s film crew to shoot scenes in the area. It boasts some of the most stunning sunsets and sunrises over the vast open grass plains, unlike any sunrise or sunset you will see. The opening sunrise scene in The Lion King was filmed in an area called ‘’Rhino Ridge’’ close to our camp, Rekero.
Fun Fact About Filming
When the crew nailed the perfect sunrise shot in Rhino Ridge, they played The Lion King’s theme song, “Circle of Life” out loud in the game drive vehicle! This was the only live-action shot that was used in the film.
We’ve also rounded up 7 facts that you may not have known about the latest remake – you can read more about these interesting details here.
If you’re planning on joining us on a Kenya safari in the Masai Mara, we have a number of camps for you to choose from. Rekero is particularly close to Rhino Ridge, the location for the epic sunrise shots used in the film. Naboisho and Encounter Mara are very close to where scenes were shot for the film as well.
