THE MAASAI MARA

Topi standing sentinel in front of the Oloololo Escarpment

THE MAASAI MARA The Mara Reserve & Conservancies Nowhere in Kenya has captured the world’s imagination quite like the Maasai Mara. On the short-grass savannahs of the Mara River basin, between the Loita Hills in the east and the Oloololo Escarpment in the west, hundreds of big-maned lions and other predators, some 1,500 elephants, tens of thousands of antelope, gazelle and giraffe, and hundreds of thousands of migratory zebras and wildebeest make the region a magnet for safaris of every stripe.

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I am a late-comer to Kenya and I now regret all those missed opportunities. I have visited many countries to see wildlife and the Maasai Mara ranks number one as far as I am concerned.

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Mr & Mrs D, West Yorkshire, June 2015

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Every year, between mid-June and early August, the wildebeest start to arrive in search of pasture from the dry plains of the Serengeti in Tanzania. In chaotic and unpredictable spurts, they pour into the reserve and wade or swim across the rivers where crocodiles and other predators lurk in waiting. This Great Migration – now billed as one of the natural wonders of the world – is in reality one phase in a continual cycle of nomadic pasture-seeking, mating, calving and more pasture-seeking, that sees the majority of the herds ever on the move, according to the onset of the seasonal rains, the rise and fall of the river waters and the growth of the rich oat grass and other pastures across the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem.

It’s true that the migration is an awesome experience, and you shouldn’t be in any doubt that, as a consequence, the Maasai Mara tends to be very busy, with well over 100 camps and lodges. The migration season, from July to October, can see some camps booked solid and vehicles jostling for position at key wildebeest crossing points. For this reason, we recommend you don’t focus exclusively on the migration: there are always ways to avoid feeling too crowded and a visit to the Mara is rewarding at any time of year. We’ve seen the vast majority of the region’s camps and we’ve used that experience to choose the best across a range of prices. We’ll help you work out an itinerary that will make the most of your time in this fabled part of Africa.

The Maasai Mara is just one part of the Serengeti-Mara eco-system (or Greater Serengeti eco-system) that stretches from the Mau Escarpment above Kenya’s Rift Valley to the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania. In Kenya, the Maasai Mara National Reserve itself is split into three areas, divided by the Mara and Talek rivers: the Mara Triangle, between the Oloololo Escarpment and the Mara River; the Musiara sector, between the Mara and Talek rivers; and the Sekenani sector, south-east of the Talek and Mara. Outside the reserve, many of the former Maasai grazing areas have been converted into wildlife conservancies, where safari camp operators pay rent and bed-night fees to their partners, the Maasai landowners. Sometimes the Maasai retain limited livestock grazing rights in these areas. Most conservancies are exclusive to their guests and here the camps can organise bush walks and night drives, while still enabling their guests to visit the national reserve if they wish (indeed most conservancy camps automatically include a full-day visit to the reserve with every three-night stay during the migration season). Conversely, visitors staying in the reserve don’t usually have the option of visiting the conservancies, or of enjoying walks or night drives. Remember that none of these areas are fenced. The area’s few fences are used to keep people and livestock safe rather than to enclose the wildlife, which continues to roam freely.

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Most of the 1,500km² area of the Maasai Mara National Reserve consists of rolling, short-grass plains, cut through by the meandering Mara and Talek rivers, which effectively divide the reserve into three main ‘sectors’. The Mara has only two bridges, and the Talek River just a few points where vehicles can cross, meaning that morning and evening game drives are usually conducted in one sector or another. Many camps organise all-day game drives with a picnic lunch to explore a different sector, especially during the annual migration. Finding a pride of lion from some of the 200 to 300 lions resident in the reserve is normally relatively easy – and high on many visitors’ must-sees. Leopards are also seen increasingly often, and good sightings of cheetahs can be expected. Spotting any of the reserve’s carefully monitored black rhinos, however, is a much tougher prospect. Musiara

Mara River, Governors’ Camp is also one of the biggest, with 37 tents. Perennially popular and nearly always busy, there’s no question that its location in one of the richest corners of the reserve is superb, with outstanding game viewing around the Musiara marsh. If you’re comfortable with a bigger camp, and meal service and game drives that run to a daily plan, then we think Governors’ is well worth considering, and families with younger children will find the family tents ideal.

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SERENA AIRSTRIP M USIARA AIRSTRIP OL KIOM BO AIRSTRIP M ARA NORTH AIRSTRIP KEEKOROK AIRSTRIP OLARE OROK AIRSTRIP COTTAR’S AIRSTRIP NABOISHO (OL SEKI) AIRSTRIP SIANA AIRSTRIP

Most camps in the Maasai Mara are accessed by light plane

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game drives with in the Triangle are other guests from Mara Serena. Rekero, a traditionally styled, tented camp, sits on the north bank of the Talek River in a prime central location. During the migration season the plains around the camp are thick with wildebeest, and it’s close to some of the biggest wildebeest crossing points across the Talek and Mara rivers. However, this also makes the surrounding plains and bush an attractive target for game-viewing vehicles from other camps, and the area can be very busy. Nevertheless, Rekero is run by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable team and we have been impressed by the quality of the guiding and the attention shown by the staff.

Balloons often fly low over the Mara

Balloon Flights Taking a ‘balloon safari’ is a treat that many people have on their wishlists and it’s certainly a memorable experience. The hotair balloons, launched at dawn after a noisy and spectacular inflation process, carry a dozen or more passengers for about an hour in a southerly direction across the reserve, at a height that varies from a few metres above the ground to several hundred metres over the plains. The best flights follow the course of the Mara or Talek rivers, allowing you to peer down into the forest, skim past vultures’ nests and watch the monkeys’ early-morning routine. Photography can be tricky, however, and very much depends on the light conditions. By 7.30am, the balloons are dropping down onto the plain for a bush breakfast and sparkling wine, followed by a game drive back to camp. Flights are best booked in advance and the price starts from around £325/$500 per person.

Set on a wooded bend of the Mara, Governors’ Il Moran Camp is designed as a more exclusive version of the original formula, with much larger tents. Like the main camp, location is all: the wooded setting is superb, and just sitting on the lawn soaking up the environment with its rich birdlife and crocs wallowing in the river is a real pleasure. On the fringes of a marsh frequented by elephants, Little Governors’ Camp lies on the west side of the river (accessed by transfer from the main Governor’s Camp, a cute little ferry and two flights of 50 steps), and is one of only two places to stay in the Mara Triangle sector of the reserve – though its game drives are usually conducted in the Musiara sector. With its terrific location and wonderful marsh views, this is our favourite of the three Governors’ camps. First-time safari-goers usually adore it. Many come back year after year, and wouldn’t change a thing. The other base in the Mara Triangle is Mara Serena Lodge, a large, very professionally run and long-established bush hotel in a fabulous high position overlooking the Mara River. Rooms here are quite small, but the lodge infrastructure is very reliable and the only other visitors you’re likely to share

well appointed but remain quite traditional with dark green canvas, wooden furniture and rustic brass fittings. They also have a larger honeymoon tent, which can accommodate extra beds for family stays. Mara Ngenche Safari Camp, on the confluence of the Mara and Talek rivers, just downstream from Rekero and Serian Nkorombo, is built to disturb as little of the surrounding bush as possible. Each of the ten tents has its own plunge pool. Ngenche is a small tented camp, but not hosted, making it rather unusual for the Mara. Coupled with the old-fashioned style of the tents, this makes it suitable if you want a bit more autonomy without staying at a large camp.

Set on a bend on the east bank of the Mara river, deep inside the Musiara sector of the reserve, Serian Nkorombo is a small bush camp in an excellent spot for experiencing the migration. Great vehicles (every party is guaranteed their own), top guiding and high-quality meals make this a very good choice.

Tipilikwani Mara Camp is a good-value property on the outside edge of Maasai Mara National Reserve, overlooking the Talek River. It has 20 spacious and recently refurbished tents and a good pool, and although having its back to degraded goat lands outside the reserve, it still has direct access to the park via a private footbridge.

Not far away, Naibor, located in an area of dense woodland on the south bank of the Talek, is a smart, luxurious tented camp with lovely views of the river. Watching the hippos from a hammock slung between the trees makes for a great siesta. This is a camp that’s perfect for exploring the rolling plains south of the Talek River.

Pioneering eco-camp Basecamp Maasai Mara is also technically outside the reserve, being on the north bank of the Talek River, but it also has access to the reserve via a private footbridge and their game-drive vehicles pick up guests from a point on the other side. You might not expect to find an example of environmental best practice in an area that is not the most pristine in the Mara eco-system, but it is clearly much loved and proudly cared-for by the staff (they hosted Barack Obama in 2006), and its affordability and environmental credentials are big pluses.

Naibor Wilderness is a simpler and slightly less expensive version of the main camp, located just downstream. Although often booked out by groups, each of its three tents, complete with wrought-iron beds and furnished verandas, can also be taken by individuals. A relatively recent addition is Mara Toto, an intimate and luxurious camp located on the edge of the national reserve by the Ntiakatek stream. Sister camp to Mara Plains (see page 251), Mara Toto has just five, traditional, cream-coloured safari tents. Floods in November 2015 damaged the camp and its new location is yet to be decided. Please ask us for the latest news. Sala's Camp is a semi-permanent camp in the far south of the Mara eco-system, almost on the Tanzanian border. Its location away from other camps makes it relatively exclusive and you won’t see that many vehicles in the immediate area. It also means it is one of the first camps to see the migrating herds arriving in their thousands. Its seven tents are very comfortable and

Karen Blixen Camp, Mara North Conservancy

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MARA NABOISHO CONSERVANCY North of the national reserve, Mara Naboisho is one of the newest conservancies in the region. With more than 200km² of largely wild bush and savannah, it hosts big populations of elephants and giraffes, several prides of lions and good numbers of most of the other plains game. The innovative Koiyaki Guiding School, where most of the local guides trained, is located in the Naboisho Conservancy and is well worth a visit. Appealing both to safari purists and those seeking a little luxury, Naboisho Camp is the most upmarket of the camps in this conservancy. Surrounded by untouched savannah and dense thicket, it is located in a game-rich area where guests are frequently witness to spectacular wildlife events around the camp. Incorporating stone and wood, the camp also has more permanent structures than most of its neighbours. Very well run and smoothly hosted by an experienced South African couple, Naboisho Camp is hard to fault: the guiding, including fascinating bush walks, is superb, and the standards of service and food are both excellent.

Ol Seki Hemingways Mara, a designer tented lodge with stunning 270° views, is owned by the Hemingways Collection hotel group. The name Ol Seki – ‘sandpaper tree’ – says it all: this is a peaceful retreat where the stresses of a busy life can be smoothed away by a combination of the inspiring location and good service, and where you have a chance to connect with a more elemental environment. The six tents at Kicheche Valley Camp are set on platforms above a secluded valley that attracts plentiful wildlife. A high-end safari camp, embodying chic rusticity, Kicheche Valley could be ideal for returning Mara enthusiasts who want to relax rather than cram their days with activity. The wildlife here is excellent, however, and a wide array of activities, with guiding by an all-silver team, gives plenty of reasons to get up early. Encounter Mara is a low-impact camp, but a more luxurious set-up, tucked in a shady forest of orange-leaf croton and Euclea trees on the edge of a vast open plain. We loved the tasty food, the location (which still feels much like a tract of wild bush where the property has temporarily settled) and unusual touches like having lunch in the

croton thicket and walking along paths made of dried elephant dung. It is now owned by one of East Africa’s top safari camp companies, Asilia, and is therefore a sister camp to Naboisho (see above) and Rekero. Operated by an environmental organisation – the Basecamp Foundation – Basecamp Eagle View is located in a stunning spot overlooking a natural waterhole with arguably the best views in the conservancy. Formerly the Koiyaki Guiding School’s camp, it has nine stylish tented suites which are well equipped and spaced out to ensure privacy. A visit to the guiding school is a must; the enthusiastic staff who work there will be more than happy to explain the importance of the school in supporting and improving the lives of the local communities. Nearby, Wilderness Camp, on the site of the Dorobo Bush Camp, has five newly installed secluded and spacious en-suite tents with private terraces, set in a peaceful valley. When it operated as a fly camp, we loved the back-to-nature simplicity of the minimal-footprint infrastructure here: we look forward to revisiting the refurbished, permanent camp.

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Conflict between lions and hyenas is common in the Maasai Mara

Kenya’s safari guides Since the late 1990s, the Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association has led the way in setting benchmarks for safariguiding in Kenya, with regular exams. While there are well over 1000 bronze guides, there are not much more than 200 silverlevel guides and only 21 who have reached gold – a level that demands years of dedicated study. There are also still plenty of unqualified old-timers working at camps and lodges. In many cases what they lack on the Latin names front they more than make up for in terms of their instinctive spotting gifts, and their insights into animal behavior that are often relayed with humour and panache.

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Planning your trip

MARA NORTH CONSERVANCY

The Expert Africa brochure you’re reading describes the range of choices available for your Africa trip, but the best way to start planning is to call us. As we discuss your ideas and answer your questions, you’ll find a copy of The Directory an invaluable aid. The Directory is our manual of itinerary suggestions, or 'trip ideas’; including guideline prices, flight routings and all the tools you need to arrange a trip with us. Order a printed copy, or download it from expertafrica.com/orderdirectory

The Mara North Conservancy is a 320km² sweep of classic savannah country, the land broken into ridges by bush-choked luggas, and with high densities of game. The wildlife includes several much-studied lion prides, such as the Acacia pride and the Gorge pride, named after the iconic Leopard Gorge, 5km north-east of Musiara Gate. The local Maasai and their herds still have some grazing rights here, so you will see the occasional herder out with his cattle.

Young giraffe with the Oloololo Escarpment in the background

Serian is one of the Mara eco-system’s most distinctive camps, with six tents on the east bank of the Mara River. Each of these is set on a wooden platform and is spacious and bright. The polished floors, cream canvas, and four-poster beds are very elegant. As with its sister Serian camps, a private vehicle and guide are guaranteed for every group of guests, no matter how small the number. The main areas are comfortable and relaxed but retain an air of quality – and have great views of the river. A peaceful camp with a great reputation among serious wildlife photgrahers for its all-silver-qualified guides, Kicheche Mara Camp is elegant but unfussy – a tricky balance to achieve. The tents are very spacious and all look out over the picturesque valley of the Olare Orok stream. The large cedar beds and crisp linen are high-quality and the deck chairs on the private verandas are great for watching game in front of camp. Two of the tents are

larger, accommodating three or four people, making them perfect for families. The lounge and dining area are in two separate tents, but as many meals as possible are taken al fresco. Ngare Serian is accessed from the main Serian camp just across the river via a pedestrian suspension bridge – if you have a fear of heights you should probably avoid this camp! The four tents are larger than the main camp’s, and very stylish, and the central area is intimate and beautifully furnished. Central areas have solarpowered electricity, whereas the tents are lit by 24-hour solar power and kerosene. It’s a great example of how a beautiful high-end camp can also be eco-friendly. A short walk upstream from Ngare Serian, The Nest Treehouse is a simple tree platform, looking across the river, accessed by a steep ladder about 5 metres above the bush. It is set up by the Serian team for an overnight stay on request, and is particularly popular with honeymooners. Elephant Pepper Camp, sitting in a dense grove of elephant pepper trees, offers a very high level of service and excellent guides. The eight tents pitched in two wings either side of the central area – plus two honeymoon/family tents (which also serve as extra-large family tents) – have been upgraded with spacious new tancoloured tents, featuring plumbed-in showers rather than safari showers. The camp’s main central area has recently been refurbished and has some lovely antique-

style travel furniture. The camp is entirely solar-powered and uses a non-permanent construction (no cement) for minimal impact, although it feels quite established. Romantic and secluded, Saruni Mara is located in the northern reaches of the conservancy in spectacular, hilly bush. Its five spacious, secluded, open-plan cottages, plus one family villa and one private villa are scattered across the wooded hillside and beautifully furnished. There are wonderful decks for relaxing and real attention has been paid to the details, from the sumptuous beds to the stylish, plumbed-in bathrooms. Saruni seems to have got everything right: top guiding, firstclass food and complete avoidance of the crowds. Located 10km from the main Saruni Mara, Saruni Wild lies in a remote valley . With only three tents and no electricity, it is a simple bush camp with lovely views of the Yaile hills. This area has resident elephant, giraffe, buffalo and impala. It is also good for leopard, and is one of the very few parts of the Mara where wild dog can occasionally be seen. With its brightly furnished central areas, Offbeat Mara is a very nice, boutique tented camp and something of a hidden jewel. The four double or twin and two family tents (all recently renewed) are surrounded by untramelled bush, keeping them quite private and giving each one a slightly different view. Charming hosts, outstanding staff, silver-qualified guides, and very good food and wine make this one of our favourite camps, with lovely views over the plains on one side and across the Olare Orok stream on the other. The local Offbeat pride makes lionwatching here a joy. Overlooking a broad bend on the eastern bank of the Mara River, not far from the reserve, Karen Blixen Camp has 22 large, comfortable tents and was one of the earliest members of the Mara North Conservancy (a strong responsible tourism thread runs through the camp). The tents are relatively close together, but they do have great views of the river – views often filled with dozens of snorting hippos. Dining here is at individual tables and game drives are conducted in six-seater, open-sided Land Cruisers. The camp’s location, the small swimming pool for whiling away the hot hours of the day, and 24-hour solarpowered sockets and hot water make it a really attractive safari base.

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OLARE MOTOROGI CONSERVANCY Unusual for its highly focused conservation work and the success of its community integration, the 133km² Olare Motorogi Conservancy has set the benchmarks for sustainable Mara tourism by proposing a limit in the conservancies of 12 tents per camp and a minimum of 3km² of gameviewing land per tent. On the boundary of the national reserve, Olare Motorogi has exceptional wildlife-viewing, with all the predators present and some of the best lion-watching in the Mara eco-system. In 2012, the original Olare Orok joined with Motorogi Conservancy, to the north, to form a single tourism and conservation area, managed by the same warden and rangers. Mara Plains Camp is the most luxurious option in Olare Motorogi by quite a way. Tucked into woodland on the banks of the Ntiakatek stream, and surrounded by open savannah, there are just seven, very large and beautifully finished tented rooms. Each guest has complimentary use of the camp’s Canon camera equipment for the duration of their stay and the whole of the Olare Motorogi Conservancy to use it in. Richard Branson’s Mahali Mzuri camp is part of his Virgin Limited Edition range, and the camp has gone much further than any other camp in the Mara in the use of concrete, steel cables and German synthetic membranes in place of canvas. It won’t be to everyone’s taste – indeed for safari purists it would be anathema – but it has enlarged the conservancy areas, bringing income into a poor area of the Mara eco-system.

ten, very spacious, airy tents and is perfectly suited to ardent conservationists and environmentalists, keeping its environmental footprint as low as possible and employing an excellent team of local guides.

OL DERIKESI CONSERVANCY The remote Ol Derikesi Conservancy has only one, spectacular, camp. The district is teeming with wildlife (including some huge lions), especially since the camp negotiated an agreement with the Maasai stakeholders in the area to create a strict cattle-free zone around the camp in exchange for the community charges levied from visitors. Cottar's 1920s Camp is a very well-known, camp with a finely tuned colonial atmosphere. The décor here features real antiques and oriental carpets, while beyond the ten huge, sumptuous tents you’ll find organic kitchen gardens and a beautiful swimming pool. To focus on the decadent luxury, however, would be to miss the point. This is one of the best wildlife camps in Kenya, and employs three of Kenya’s 21 gold-level guides – the highest level of guiding from the Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association.

Kicheche Bush Camp is a very popular tented camp offering six luxurious tents, with huge bedrooms, built-in safari showers, and large, very private verandas – all furnished in a fresh, minimalist way that doesn’t divorce you from your surroundings. Avid photographers appreciate the beanbags in the open-sided Land Cruisers, and the ability of the allsilver-qualified guides to offer you just the right angle every time. One of this camp’s strongest suits is the sociable, inclusive atmosphere created by the very engaging managers and their friendly team.

Nearby, Cottar’s Private House is very different. Rather than colonial, this brandnew five-bedroom residence is contemporary in style, and is booked on a fully staffed, exclusive basis, so it has huge appeal for families, enhanced further by its own 25-metre lap pool.

Porini Lion Camp is a fine eco-camp, in a brilliant game-viewing area renowned for big cats. Managed in collaboration with the local Maasai community, and responsibly run to minimise its impact, the camp has

Many camps organise bush walks

The Maasai The Mara region is one of the heartlands of Maasai culture in Kenya. Traditional cattle-herders, who settled in this region in the 18th century, the Maasai rarely hunted, living in relative harmony with the wildlife for generations and ranging far and wide throughout south-western Kenya with their herds. With population and land pressure and the advent of safari tourism, they have had to reinvent their economy and many have become expert safari guides and camp managers. You’re bound to have plenty of chance to interact with Maasai guides and staff, and village and school visits are usually an optional activity, perhaps as an alternative to an afternoon game drive. Most of the camps we feature have positive relationships with their local communities and most fees paid for such visits go direct to the elders or village council.

Mara lions typically have big manes

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Trip ideas – and prices

OL KINYEI CONSERVANCY

In previous years, this Expert Africa brochure has always included 'Trip Ideas' with prices. These are suggested itineraries, costed for different times of the year, to help you figure out the style and cost of the trip you want us to create for you. We’ve now moved this nuts-and-bolts information into a separate manual: The Directory, full of up-to-the-minute trip ideas, prices and flight information. Order a printed copy, or download it from expertafrica.com/orderdirectory

Created as recently as 2005, with just one main camp from which the local community benefits substantially, the 75km² Ol Kinyei Conservancy was the Mara region’s first community-owned conservancy. It demonstrated that Maasai landowners could make a living from tourism, and the model has since been replicated all over the greater Mara region. This is an area in which guided walks and a good degree of cultural immersion are the norm. There are at least 20 lions in the conservancy, plus other cats and plenty of plains game.

Rhinos are rare in the Mara, and amorous couples a very unusual sight

The first tented camp in the Mara region to be run with support from the local community, Porini Mara Camp is an ecocamp of just six tents nestling around the banks of the Ole Laetoli stream and, like the other pioneering Porini camps, appeals to keen wildlife enthusiasts who are environmentally aware and enjoy close cultural contacts with the local community. Porini Mara isn’t fancy, but it’s very nicely established in a beautiful, quiet corner of a conservancy that is exclusive to its guests. Run separately, but using the same support infrastructure as Porini Mara, the simple Ol Kinyei Adventure Camp offers basic dome tents, and limited comforts for safari travellers looking for excellent guiding and game drive vehicles on a much more modest budget. On most evening game drives you'll stop for a sundowner, sometimes the highlight of the day

SIANA GROUP RANCH Siana Group Ranch covers the area from Sekenani Gate to Ololaimutiek Gate and contains a great range of habitats, from shelving plains to forested hills. The area is home to good quantities of wildlife, including particularly large numbers of elephants and giraffes. Although not yet a fully-functioning conservancy, the local community and camp operators were about to sign a formal agreement as this brochure went to press. Mara Bushtops is an exclusive, hotel-style, tented lodge a few kilometres outside the national reserve’s busiest gate. Based around the former home of Mara legend Glen Cottar, it features personal butlers and a well-stocked wine cellar. We appreciated the professionalism of the staff, the oldhouse dining room and the beautiful pool. Located on the wooded banks of the Ropile River, Leleshwa is in a relatively remote area of mixed herding and wildlife, which has dense concentrations of plains game,

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including elephant and giraffe and big cats. Personably hosted, with just seven tents (two of them larger suites), and oozing with bush atmosphere, this is a camp for safarilovers who really want to get away from it all. Leleshwa also has very good relations with the local Purko Maasai community and is a driving force in the creation of the Siana Conservancy. Entumoto is a permanent tented camp in a tranquil dell swathed in bush, with a view above the trees to the west. The name means ‘meeting place’ and it’s quite an appropriate name for a very civilised camp, with high standards of service and particularly good food (they have a vegetable garden). With its paved paths, tent platforms (which include family rooms with two bedrooms and a lounge) and a good swimming pool, the camp feels like an area that has been to some extent tamed. We think it has high appeal for comfort-seeking, first-time safari-goers, families and honeymooners.

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