True Tribal Kenya: March with the Maasai

Overview

The interiors are spacious with comfortable beds and each tent enjoys river views from the veranda. The rear of the tent leads to a tented bathroom with a flush toilet, a sink and a safari shower.

A team of safari chefs prepare fresh and tasty home-style meals for guests during their stay. Meals are enjoyed out on game drives, by the water’s edge under the shade of an African Pepper tree or by candlelight in the open mess tent higher up the bank.

The area plays host not only to an extraordinary concentration and diversity of wildlife but also to one of mother nature’s greatest spectacles: the annual migration of millions of wildebeest and zebra across the Serengeti/Mara eco system. Even when the migration is not here, there is plenty of resident game to ensure that even in low season it is still one of the finest wildlife locations in Africa.

Rekero’s bush guides are widely recognised to be among the best in East Africa. They undergo a long period of professional training beyond the learning of guiding skills to fully understand the complexity and demands of delivering quality service at the very highest level. Game drives in the park are all done in the company of these experts who can also share their culture in this extraordinary setting.

Overview

A wonderful, intimate camp set inside the national reserve. The service here is very personal with just five tents each with their own private vehicle and guide.

Situated on a private riverside site in the Maasai Mara Reserve this quaint characterful camp overlooks the rushing Mara River. Accommodation is basic but comfortable in traditional Selous style tents with en-suite bathrooms hosting flush toilets and bucket showers.

In the evenings guests come together for family dining in the stylish mess tent or in the dappled shade of the Orange Croton bushes on the riverbank. The communal lounge tent has snug sofas and Raj-style carpets creating a cosy and homely feeling. The outdoor barbecue regularly does service at dinner time.

This is the camp for those seeking a down to earth, authentic bush experience where you can witness wildlife on the river while relaxing in the comfort of this peaceful riverside site.

Guests at Serian will receive exclusive use of a private safari vehicle and guide at no extra cost.

Overview

Alex Walker has been guiding and organizing expert safaris throughout East Africa for over 25 years and this camp was the first of many, hence, ‘The Original’. Serian, meaning ‘peaceful, calm, serene’ in the Maasai language, perfectly captures the essence of this camp, perched on the edge of Mara River in the Mara North Conservancy

There are five vast marquees atop beautiful hardwood decking, including one family suite. Each is unique and all are furnished with elegant simplicity and homely touches. Beautiful bush bathrooms offer views over the river valley from the bathtub, with an airy feeling blending the divide between indoors and out.

The thatched mess area and its stunning view sit at the camp’s heart. Here you’ll enjoy wonderful dishes created with ingredients from the manager’s own organic garden, and get cosy around the fire as the night cools.

Of course, the main focus is the safari experience and each group has their own custom safari vehicle with a dedicated guide and spotter, giving you the freedom to spend your drives seeking out what you want and more flexibility with times. On night drives, spot animals with red-filtered bulbs before watching active predators on the hunt through special infrared cameras, meaning you are essentially invisible.

Walking here is also a speciality, and you can head out with a guide in to a private no-vehicle zone where you are likely to have close encounters with elephant, buffalo, hippo as well as more rare species like Chandler’s mountain reedbuck, klipspringer and oribi.

Overview

This lovely camp has just twelve luxury tents and one family suite set amid the private Bushtops Conservancy, which border the Maasai Mara.

The camp itself is perched on the side of a hill with a scenic valley falling away to one side. It is just 4.5km away from the main gate to access the National Park and within striking distance of the beautiful Mara River, where the famous crossing of the wildebeest and zebra takes please each year during the migration season.

Each tent has been located to maximise privacy. They are nestled on the side of the hill with an expansive wooden deck, overlooking the Siana Hills. Each tent is 100 square metres of luxury, equipped with all the necessary comforts. Each deck also boasts a sunken hot tub made from local timber to complete your truly amazing experience here.

Overview

One of our favourite camps in Africa. Alex Walker’s Serian in the North Mara Conservancy is beautifully perched on the Mara River. Ngare Camp is made up of just four traditional style but luxurious tents set on wooden decks.

What makes Serian stand out is that you will have a private guide and vehicle for the duration of your stay, this coupled with the quality of the local Masaai guides means that you are set for a truly exclusive experience in the Mara North Conservancy.

Guests are able to take bush walks and night drives in the private area near the camp, allowing for a more ‘involved’ and exciting trip to the Mara.

Alex has been guiding and organising expert safaris throughout East Africa for over 25 years and his keen enthusiasm for this wonderful land is reflected in his camps. Serian Mara’s tents have a comforting colonial feel to them, with furniture that depict that historical time. Spacious and airy with verandas to enjoy the passing wildlife drawn to the river, you have a really lovely area to simply relax in a stunning setting.

Ideally situated in a high density game area, this camp is a luxurious way to spend your time in the Mara. With over 450 bird species that flock here year round, it will be difficult for you to ever be without some sort of wildlife in your immediate sights. Lion, leopard and cheetah are resident even when the migration have moved on, and provide some awesome photographic opportunities. Guests at Serian will receive exclusive use of a private safari vehicle and guide at no extra cost.

Overview

Just north of the Maasai Mara Reserve, in the 30,000 acre private Olare Motorogi Conservancy, this Relais & Châteaux camp offers you outstanding game experiences without the restrictions that the reserve itself imposes on other lodges. Each guest’s stay helps to contribute to various conservation and community projects. This conservancy adds a huge plus factor due to the privacy and minimal vehicle traffic within it. You can easily access the Maasai Mara Reserve, but the game in the conservation area is just as excellent. Leopard are regularly spotted passing through the camp and lions can often be heard in the distance.

Stroll along walkways that wind their way through the forest between the tented suites that are built on high stilts offering you stunning views onto the Ntiakitiak Riverr or across the Mara plains. Each suite has deep canvas canopied ceilings, rough-hewn wood floors and accents of East Africa’s rich safari history. Expect thick Lamu wood doors, deep purples, and brass accents. The raised library looks down onto hippos wallowing in the river, while the wine cellar is the perfect place to unwind and sample a selection of excellent South African and French wines. You can also choose to enjoy a private dining experience here.

A highlight of the camp is the family suite, the Mara Plains Jahazi Suite, which is an exclusive-use, two-bedroom tented villa with its own team of dedicated staff.

The game drive vehicles are all completely open which helps you get some phenomenal photographs. In addition to the game, you mustn’t forget that you also have a community nearby that you can visit and witness a genuine working village. A truly marvellous experience.

Overview

Situated in the Kichwa Tembo Private Concession, which neighbours the Masai Mara, this lovely camp offers world-class accommodation in the African bush. Situated below the location where Out of Africa’s famous final scene was filmed, this romantic and totally private camp reflects the ambiance of Kenyan safaris of the ’20s and ’30s.

Bateleur is split into two intimate camps of nine tented suites each, set among the forests on the edge of the Masai Mara. The tented suites have a classic elegance with polished wooden floors and en suite bathrooms with stone-walled showers. Each tent has its own deck overlooking the vast game-filled plains of the Masai Mara, and a personal butler will ensure every need is catered for.

Beautiful antiques adorn the comfortable sitting and indoor/outdoor dining areas, transporting guests back to the heyday of classic safaris. Delicious Pan African meals are served in memorable settings under the stars, followed by fireside port and cigars. Bush breakfasts and romantic sundowners on the edge of the Great Rift Valley offer an unforgettable African experience.

Overview

Olonana is located on a private section of the Mara River, offering you spectacular views of the animals as they wander down the banks each day. What makes this camp extra special is its relationship with local communities and its efforts to be as environmentally responsible as possible.

Fourteen canvas pavilions are dotted along the river, each one extremely spacious with parquet flooring and four poster beds. With a modern spin this lodge has a library that you can enjoy and it even has a pool for an afternoon dip. And, if you feel like you need some extra pampering, you could wander down to the mini spa for some traditional African treatments with the bush as your soundtrack.

Besides the usual fantastic game drives where you can see the big five and more than 300 bird species, you will also have the chance to enjoy a nature work outside the reserve. These are hugely educational and your guides will point out the most remarkable things, from animal tracks and spoor to sights where lions have marked their territory. As the lands are not only home to game, you can also visit a Maasai village for some cultural insight into the traditional lives that these remarkable people lead.

This is a fabulous camp for families as there is a kids club and a range of special activities. Expert guides will take children out on game drives and accompany them to the nearby Maasai village where they will learn how to make and shoot a traditional bow and arrow, make a fire, build a hut, herding cattle to name a few. Kids will also be able to interact with the local children while playing football together, learn Maasai songs and traditional dances. Other activities include going out on a nature trail where they will learn about animal footprint identification or enjoy a bush treasure hunt followed by planting their own tree.

Overview

Alex Walker has been guiding and organizing expert safaris throughout East Africa for over 25 years and this camp was the first of many, hence, ‘The Original’. Serian, meaning ‘peaceful, calm, serene’ in the Maasai language, perfectly captures the essence of this camp, perched on the edge of Mara River in the Mara North Conservancy

There are five vast marquees atop beautiful hardwood decking, including one family suite. Each is unique and all are furnished with elegant simplicity and homely touches. Beautiful bush bathrooms offer views over the river valley from the bathtub, with an airy feeling blending the divide between indoors and out.

The thatched mess area and its stunning view sit at the camp’s heart. Here you’ll enjoy wonderful dishes created with ingredients from the manager’s own organic garden, and get cosy around the fire as the night cools.

Of course, the main focus is the safari experience and each group has their own custom safari vehicle with a dedicated guide and spotter, giving you the freedom to spend your drives seeking out what you want and more flexibility with times. On night drives, spot animals with red-filtered bulbs before watching active predators on the hunt through special infrared cameras, meaning you are essentially invisible.

Walking here is also a speciality, and you can head out with a guide in to a private no-vehicle zone where you are likely to have close encounters with elephant, buffalo, hippo as well as more rare species like Chandler’s mountain reedbuck, klipspringer and oribi.

Overview

Not within the Maasai Mara Reserve itself, but just north in the North Mara Conservancy, Offbeat Mara offers you the chance to have all the game experience of the popular reserve but with less of the traffic. With 74,000 acres of excellent game sustaining land on your doorstep, you have the relatively exclusive pick of the bunch here.

Not far from camp are spots where wildebeest attempt their often fatal river crossings and you will have front row seats. The wildlife around the lodge include four of the big five, and lions can be heard off in the distance as you enjoy your evening meal in the very spacious main dining area while you recount the day’s viewing.

With only six safari tents to cater for, the staff here have a lot of time and attention to give you, adding detail to your safari that might otherwise go amiss. Furnished in a traditional safari fashion and with a comfort that seems so unlikely in a bush environment, you can fall peacefully into slumber while you are taken care of in all aspects of your safari. When you aren’t making the most of the spectacular game drives, you can visit a rhino sanctuary to tick off the final of the big five or have a cultural experience by visiting a genuine Maasai village.