Best Luxury Camps and Lodges in Masai Mara

The award-winning Cottar’s 1920s Camp is situated in the 7608-acre private Olderkesi Conservancy bordering the famous ‘seventh’ natural wonder of the world, the Maasai Mara in Kenya and the Tanzania Serengeti game reserve. Owned and managed by the oldest established and continuing safari family in Africa it extends an era of luxury and quality and returns to the original spirit and essence of safari, reminiscent of a golden era – an era of romance, professional guiding, adventure and elegance..  The camp’s 11 spacious tents are sumptuously furnished with safari antiques, four-poster beds, dressing rooms, ensuite bathrooms, outdoor verandahs and the diligent attention of private butlers. Also set within the camp is the Cottar’s Bush Villa, the only private luxury home in the Maasai Mara. Rented only on an exclusive basis, the Bush Villa comes with a dedicated staff of eight, a large living room, a dining room, a magnificent viewing deck, five ensuite bedrooms, a private swimming pool and a dedicated game drive vehicle and guide. Situated in the Masai Mara, in an untouched exclusive concession bordering the Serengeti and Loliondo reserves, the area guarantees privacy and an abundance of wildlife. The camp accommodates up to 22 guests in authentic white canvas tents, which are spacious and luxuriously furnished with original safari antiques from the 1920s. An abundance of wildlife, a guarantee of privacy, and the highest standards of professional guiding, in a luxurious and authentic safari environment. Architecture of Cottar's 1920s Safari Camp The camp has eleven tents in total (two unique honeymoon tents, five double tents and four family tents), all with en suite bathrooms. The family tents are open-plan and have living rooms with fireplaces. The entire camp is situated to ensure that tents are private and quiet whether for honeymooners or families with young children. The camp has two main mess tent areas for fine dining, drinking, reading and relaxing, and an amazing pool and spa where guests can relax after a game drive. Guests can also enjoy a traditional canvas safari bath, a genuinely unique way of bathing specifically set up on the tent’s verandah, with views out over the plains. The location of the camp provides easy access for day and night wildlife drives in the Maasai Mara National Reserve and the Olderkesi Conservancy, wildlife walks, and cultural interactions with the Maasai community. The main central area is a very large, open-fronted mess and lounge tent, set in front of a manicured lawn. The comfortable lounge area is densely furnished with armchairs, coffee tables and sofas. Old sepia photos hang from the walls and brass lanterns from the ceiling - it does feel like stepping back in time. At the other end is a large dining table where communal meals take place. Other shared areas include a sparkling blue swimming pool with lovely views and plenty of sun loungers to relax on. This is at the far northwestern end of the camp, meaning it can take about 10 minutes to walk there from certain tents. There's another mess tent near the pool too, where meals can be served on special occasions. read more read less

Angama Mara is a luxury safari lodge in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, on the edge of the Oloololo escarpment, enjoying spectacular views over the savannah. ‘Angama’ is Swahili, meaning ‘to be suspended in mid-air’. The lodge’s remarkable setting overlooks what many safari travellers deem the finest game reserve on the continent, Kenya’s Maasai Mara—impeccably designed to make the most of its enviable location, high on the escarpment overlooking the Masai Mara. Here you'll experience the thrill of having nothing but canvas between you, the Mara, and year-round abundant wildlife right on your doorstep. The Maasai Mara never fails to deliver extraordinary wildlife sightings: pride of lion, solitary leopards, the shy black rhino, and abundant herds of elephant and buffalo are all found here in and amongst bountiful plains game. Experience a genuinely classic safari in many ways at Angama Mara. Guests will find a lodge where everything is as it should be: two intimate camps of just fifteen tented suites each, a private airfield and access to the Mara below, tailor-made safari days and a famously warm Kenyan welcome. The lodge is perfectly complemented by Angama Safari Camp, an exclusive-use mobile tented camp sited deep in the Mara Triangle, and amidst the mega herds during the Great Migration. Tented Suites Perched right on the edge of the escarpment, each of Angama Mara’s spacious 100 sqm Tented Suites has floor-to-ceiling glass spanning all along the front to make the most of the dramatic views. The interiors are uncluttered, classic and above all, comfortable with splashes of Maasai Red, French Khaki, copper and brass.   read more read less

The drama of the beautiful wilderness and exciting Wildlife at all times of the year, is the experience you get during Maasai Mara Game Drives. We welcome you to explore some of the most legendary settings in Kenya through the lens of this captivating adventure. Marvelling at magnificent landscapes and wildlife, savouring the finest in ethnic cuisine and, above all, immersing yourself in the surroundings on a truly personal level, is the experience you get at Mahali Mzuri. There is a spa and a pool so you can really pamper yourself in between game drives. Mahali Mzuri is Sir Richard Branson’s 12-tented luxury safari camp in the Kenyan Bush. At Mahali Mzuri you’ll have a front row seat, not just to the migration, but also to the abundant game you can see all year round. read more read less

Serian was the first of Alex’s camps, and it perfectly captures the essence of its name: meaning ‘peaceful, calm, serene’ in the Masai language, it was designed to be a retreat from the bustle of contemporary life, and a chance to experience untamed Africa in traditional tented splendour. It lies in the private Mara North Conservancy, and the beauty of this location is that only 10 other camps have access to it – so the feeling of having your own personal piece of Africa is a luxury that we have in spades. read more read less

Kichwa Tembo is a modern, luxurious and elegant tented camp set on a private concession with abundant iconic wildlife and panoramic Masai Mara views, dazzling with its contemporary safari feel. Kichwa Tembo Camp, like its sister Bateleur Camp, lies in the western Mara in a private concession leased from its Maasai landlords. Fewer visitors come to this region, and although the landscape is filled with wild animals all year, you are assured of more private viewings. The property lies directly on the path of the annual Great Wildebeest Migration. During the migration season, you are likely to get the best sightings of the stampeding animals crossing the Mara River, the stuff of documentaries worldwide. With timeless interiors that are simple yet sophisticated and stylish, the Camp enhances guests’ sense of privacy and enjoyment. 12 Classic tents, 20 Superior tents and eight Superior View tents are laid out on immaculate grounds, with leisurely groups of warthogs feeding right outside the tent doors. Maasai-inspired interiors firmly entrench &BEYOND Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp as the unrivalled luxury tented camp of its size in the more outstanding Mara. At first glance, Kichwa Tembo feels more like a hotel you might find in Palm Springs than a safari lodge, with its sexy lounge area, open-air restaurant, and luxurious swimming pool—save for the warthogs that roam the property and expansive views of the Mara plains. Going on safari is the ultimate celebration of the senses. Taste, touch, sight, sound... ideally, your safari should be appealing at every level. The &Beyond Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp takes huge strides to tick all your boxes.  read more read less

Olare Mara Kempinski Masai Mara is an authentic African-style tented camp, located in Olare Orok Conservancy, Masai Mara. Explore the Masai Mara from the privacy of the exclusive five-star luxury tented camp.  The 12 tents, all with teak decks, sit on the curve of a small river where hippos and wildebeests make their home and monkeys trail through the trees. The property was the last one allowed to open on the private Olare Motorogi Conservancy, a 35,000-acre tract leased from the Masai and overseen by a nonprofit company that has nursed it back to health after decades of overgrazing and poaching. No more than three vehicles at a time are permitted at any wildlife sighting. The camp itself is solar-powered, it uses produce from its organic garden, and it offers programs that allow guests to plant trees and visit schools, villages, and (soon) local bee-keeping cooperatives. The Olare Mara Kempinski Masai Mara delivers the ultimate fusion of untamed wilderness and sophisticated elegance. The private deck area is also equipped with a selection of books and a telescope for animal sightings. read more read less

An eco-friendly luxury camp on the banks of the Mara River, Karen Blixen Camp is where romance, family time and adventure merge to create one unique space where everyone feels at home. Located in one of the densest and most private wildlife conservancies in the Mara North Conservancy, Karen Blixen Camp has a varied landscape with undisturbed views across the river and open bush plains. At the Karen Blixen Camp, excitement and relaxation are in high supply. Reminiscent of the 1920s, Karen Blixen Camp is beautiful, comfortable and a throwback to yesteryears. The home of the traditional African safari, Karen Blixen Camp welcomes elephants, giraffes, zebras and impalas who come to find water and refreshments. You may also spot hippos and other animals who pass Karen Blixen Camp to enjoy a well-deserved rest in the adjacent river. Karen Blixen Camp encompasses 22 large luxury canvas tents – each set on a beautiful wooden platform with a spacious verandah. On the cushion daybed one can enjoy an afternoon siesta, taking in the wonderful surroundings. Each tent is en-suite and furnished with a large comfortable bed, Persian rugs and a cosy armchair giving you the ultimate camping luxury. The private bathroom has a flush toilet, twin washes hand basins and a romantic outside shower with an amazing view of the sky. KAREN BLIXEN CAMP IN MASAI MARA HAS BEEN AWARDED GOLD ECO RATING CERTIFICATION BY ECO TOURISM KENYA. This is the highest and most prestigious rating one can ever achieve due to measurable eco-tourism practices in the areas of sustainable utilization of the environment, energy savings, community benefits and conservation.   read more read less

Set in the 210 km² private Mara Naboisho Conservancy, Naboisho Camp offers spectacular game viewing, from the herds of antelope that dot the plains of this wilderness corridor throughout the year to the high concentrations of predators, including lion and cheetah. But the real magic of Naboisho is its sheer exclusivity - you'll experience a level of safari solitude and serenity simply unheard of in the busy Serengeti and Maasai Mara reserves. With just nine spacious tented suites, Naboisho is an intimate and elegant safari camp that balances your wilderness experience with discreet creature comforts. Even better, it is one of just two Asilia camps where you have the option of fly camping. If you have a truly adventurous spirit, don't miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse yourself in the magic of the African bush. read more read less

Deep within Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve, Rekero offers a spectacular location from which to watch the Great Migration as the wildebeest thunder across the river just outside the camp. This traditional East African camp evokes the romance of safaris from a bygone era. The elegant tents form a tranquil oasis perched strategically above the mighty Talek River. The sweeping views from the camp take in the surrounding plains, which support some of the greatest concentrations and diversity of wildlife in Africa. The cherry on top is the warm hospitality of our team and our world-renowned game-viewing guides with years of expertise - in such good hands you are ensured an incomparable Maasai Mara safari experience.   read more read less