Camping in Masai Mara (Luxury, Public, Private Camps, Tents)

Camping in Masai Mara National Reserve: Luxury, Public, and Private Camps. Explore all camps in Masai Mara National Reserve and Masai Mara conservancies, for a luxury safari experience.

One of the top safari destinations in the world is Kenya’s Masai Mara, so called because it was originally home to the Maasai people and because the name “Mara” (meaning “spotted” in Maa) describes the country’s outcrops of acacia trees, depressions, and craters when seen from a distance.

From around July to November, tourists can see the Wildebeest Migration, one of nature’s biggest spectacles, and engage in genuine cultural exchanges with the Maasai people. When you consider that the Masai Mara is home to some of the best game watching in Africa at any time of year and that there is a vast array of accommodations suitable for families, couples, and honeymooners, it becomes clear why this flagship conservation area of Kenya is a popular safari destination.

Camps in Masai Mara

Porini Lion Camp

Amazing Experience at the Porini Lion Camp, Maasai Mara

From this luxurious Masai Mara lodge in the exclusive Olare Motogori Conservancy, you may embark on game drives three times a day, and the area is famous for its excellent big cat sightings. Just in time to have a refreshing beverage while listening to the rumbling hippos in the neighboring Ntiakatiak River, make your way back to the real Porini Lion Camp.

Highlights:

• Intimate and eco-friendly Masai Mara lodging
• Situated in exclusive and private Olare Motogori Conservancy
• Excellent game viewing and guides
• Notable big cat sightings of lions and leopards
• Optional hot-air balloon safaris

Best Suited For:

• Couples and honeymooners
• Families
• Small groups

Sand River Masai Mara

Sand River Masai Mara

Get out of a comfortable four-poster bed gently as you listen to the birdsong of an African forest. As you casually stroll over the polished hardwood flooring of your roomy tent, you’ll come to a private veranda that overlooks the Sand River and its undulating flood plains, offering a breathtaking view of the sunrise.

Highlights:

• Private riverside setting
• Eco-friendly Masai Mara lodging with glamorous 1920s aesthetic
• Private butler service
• Superb Big 5 viewing year-round
• Well-sited for the Wildebeest Migration

Best Suited For:

• Couples and honeymooners
• Families

Mara Bush House

MARA BUSH CAMP SAFARI

Sit back in a plush armchair on the balcony outside your room and watch the giraffes and elephants saunter by. Alternatively, relax under the shade of an acacia tree on the verdant lawns of our five-star Masai Mara lodge while sipping a drink and reading a nice book. Before your next tasty meal, be sure to discuss it with your chef.

Highlights:

• Private farmhouse bordering the Masai Mara National Reserve
• Personal chef, house manager and wildlife guide
• You decide your own schedule – dining and safari activities tailor-made around your wishes
• Mara-inspired East African cuisine
• Stone’s throw away from annual Wildebeest Migration route
• Visit the Koiyaki Guiding School for young Maasai men and women

Best Suited For:

• Families
• Groups

Saruni Mara

Saruni Mara, Masai Mara

In a secluded valley surrounded by olive and cedar trees lies the community-focused Saruni Mara. A huge cedarwood bed, Persian carpets, and antiques abound in this opulent abode. After a guided bush walk across the neighboring hills with authentic Maasai warriors, unwind with a spa treatment in the serene Maasai Wellbeing Space. For the most discriminating guests, this Masai Mara lodge is among the finest.

Highlights

• One of only ten Masai Mara lodges in a 74 000-acre private conservancy
• Great base for a Wildebeest Migration safari
• Game drives to exclusive, sole-use areas
• Walking safaris guided by Maasai warriors
• Spa treatments at the Maasai Wellbeing Space

Best Suited For:

• Families
• Couples and honeymooners

Sala’s Camp

Sala’s Camp

Located in the very center of the northern corridor of the Mara, Sala’s is among the first Masai Mara lodges to offer a view of the Wildebeest Migration as they make their way from the Serengeti into the area. As the dark-haired gnus pass your tent on their way to the watering hole near the mouth of the Sand and Keekorok Rivers, be sure to keep an eye on them.

Highlights:

• Watch wildebeest herds pass your tent
• Excellent wildlife sightings on game drives and guided nature walks
• Romantic hot-air balloon safaris
• Babysitting service for children of all ages
• All tents have private plunge pools overlooking the Sand River and northern Serengeti

Best Suited For:

• Families
• Couples and honeymooners

Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp

Classical Kenyan Safari Redefined | Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp | Kenya

One of the most popular safari lodges in the Masai Mara is Kichwa Tembo. Amazing hosts, knowledgeable guides, and a prime vantage point for the August–November Wildebeest Migration make this an ideal vacation spot.

Highlights:

• Beautiful location in a private Mara Concession
• Directly in the path of the Wildebeest Migration
• Day and night game drives
• Guided walks and bush picnics
• Sensational swimming pool with a view

Best Suited For:

• Couples
• Families

Mara Intrepids Camp

Kenya Masai Mara Intrepids Camp, Tent Tour

A fenced-in Masai Mara lodge situated on the shaded banks of the Talek River, Mara Intrepids is an ideal getaway for families traveling with young children. Game drives in the morning, mid-morning, and late afternoon are available at this safe camp, providing a one-of-a-kind opportunity to watch wildlife.

Highlights:

• Romantic and old-charm safari experience
• Fenced camp – children can walk about safely
• Thrice-daily game drives (early morning, mid-morning and late afternoon)
• Educational family outings with the Adventurers’ Club
• Cultural tours to neighboring Maasai villages

Best Suited For:

• Families
• Groups

Angama Mara

ANGAMA MARA | Kenya Luxury Safari Lodge

One of the top Masai Mara lodges is located on the picturesque Mara Triangle escarpment highlands. Robert Redford and Meryl Streep’s romantic picnic scene in the movie Out of Africa was shot at the secluded Angama Mara. This lodge in the Masai Mara radiates sophistication in every way.

Highlights:

• Exquisite and romantic setting high above the Mara
• Luxurious lodge with outstanding décor
• 20 minutes from a Wildebeest Migration river crossing hotspot
• ‘Garden-to-table’ dining experience in the shamba (garden)
• Photography studio
• Exclusive-use safari vehicles for outstanding game viewing

Best Suited For:

• Couples and honeymooners

Cottar’s 1920s Camp

Cottar’s 1920s Camp

Step into a bygone era of safari luxury at a Masai Mara inn reminiscent of Hemingway’s famous safari journal. At Cottar’s Camp, guests can enjoy unbridled adventure and romance in an authentically restored 1920s wood-paneled truck, all while immersed in an authentic vintage style.

Highlights

• Exclusive setting in a private concession bordering the Serengeti
• Perfectly placed to witness the Migration between about May and October
• Authentic and historic décor that emanates a golden era of safari
• Private butler
• Game drives in a vintage wood-panelled 1920s car
• Fantastic year-round game viewing, especially of predators like lion, leopard and cheetah

Best Suited For:

• Couples and honeymooners
• Families

Rekero Camp

Rekero Camp | Masai Mara Safari

The best way to see wildlife like lions, cheetahs, leopards, elephants, and hippos is on a professionally guided game drive. Witness the exhilarating Wildebeest Migration as the herds bravely cross waterways teeming with crocodiles. After a day of exploration, unwind with a sundowner cocktail at this Masai Mara hotel while gazing out over the Talek River.

Highlights:

• Intimate eco-camp overlooking the well-frequented Talek River
• Three regular wildebeest river crossing points in the area during the Migration between about June and October
• Excellent game drives accompanied by some of the Mara’s best guides
• Visit to the Maasai cattle market

Best Suited For:

• Couples and honeymooners

Naboisho Camp

Naboisho Camp is located in a private reserve that restricts the number of cars allowed; it is a traditional and intimate Masai Mara accommodation that was originally set up as a community project. Daytime game drives are a thrilling way to see Africa’s most famous creatures and, from July through November, the Wildebeest Migration. Being in a private conservancy gives you the opportunity to go on night drives in search of the Mara’s elusive nighttime animals.

Highlights:

• Located in a protected and private conservancy
• Excellent game viewing
• Guided bush walks
• Night drives in search of big cats and nocturnal animals
• Fly-camping for the more adventurous

Best Suited For:

• Families
• Couples and honeymooners

Elephant Pepper Camp

Elephant Pepper Camp | Masai Mara, Kenya

At Elephant Pepper Camp, you’ll find large canvas tents with features like private pit fireplaces for stargazing dinners and en suite toilets and dressing rooms. You can also anticipate a few extras, such as hammocks, bottles for hot water, and exquisite brass fixtures imported from India. Play a play of croquet or sip a cocktail by the fire before savoring an authentic Italian supper.

Highlights:

• Traditional northern Italian-inspired cuisine
• Spacious tents with views of the Mara plains and the wildlife that ambles past
• Set away from other Masai Mara lodges in a private conservancy
• Game drives in the greater Mara and exclusive areas

Best Suited For:

• Families
• Couples and honeymooners

Sanctuary Olonana

Sanctuary Olonana

Situated in a forest on a private stretch of the Mara River, Sanctuary Olonana is one of the top Masai Mara hotels and a perfect place for a romantic getaway. It provides first-class accommodations that are suitable for families as well as couples. You may witness the Wildebeest Migration’s perilous river crossings from a grandstand vantage point from approximately July to October.

Highlights:

• Located on the famed Mara River – front-row seats to the Wildebeest Migration
• Incredible and intimate animal sightings year-round
• Cultural tours to Maasai villages
• Hot-air balloon safaris
• Treatments and therapies in the mini-spa

Best Suited For:

• Families
• Couples and honeymooners

Little Governors’ Camp

Take a boat across the world-famous Mara River and then walk through a beautiful riverine woodland to reach a Masai Mara safari lodge tucked away in the underbrush by a waterhole. To see the Masai Mara at its most breathtaking, go out on a game drive or hot air balloon trip first thing in the morning.

Highlights:

• Intimate and remote location, only accessible by boat
• Tents overlook a waterhole where resident elephants and warthogs drink
• Bush dinners in the wilderness
• Game drives and guided walks in the Mara
• Early morning hot-air balloon rides

Best Suited For:

• Couples and honeymooners

Governors’ Il Moran Camp

Honeymooners will love the rustic forest setting of Il Moran, which is rumored to be one of the top Masai Mara safari lodges. Under the shade of the evergreen trees that line the Mara River, eleven plush tents are scattered. Super king-sized beds, exquisitely crafted from fallen olive trees, await you inside. All of the bathrooms are located on the same floor and feature classic Victorian bathtubs, double vanities, and showers.

Highlights:

• Romantic setting in a forest beside the Mara River
• Intimate and private Masai Mara lodging with only 10 tents
• Game drives and walking safaris in an excellent game viewing area
• Terrifically skilled guides
• Romantic candlelit dinners in the wilderness
• Early morning hot-air balloon safaris

Best Suited For:

• Couples and honeymooners

More Masai Mara Lodges

Although we have highlighted many of our favorite safari lodges and camps above, there are still many more wonderful options for lodging in and around this magnificent reserve. The Mara is a rather large area, almost the size of London.

Find a wide variety of accommodations in the Masai Mara, including hotels, lodges, traditional tented camps, and even mobile camps—here for more ideas.

Ready to Plan Your Masai Mara Safari

Talk to someone who has been through it all. For assistance in selecting an appropriate Masai Mara resort, please contact one of our Africa Safari Experts: