Maasai Mara, Kenya

A tented camp on a quiet bend of the Mara River

Explore beyond. Explore within.

What you will live

The day begins on foot, with the river still in mist

Mara River Camp sits on a quiet bend of the Mara River, at the foot of the Oloololo Escarpment. Elephants, giraffes and monkeys pass through the camp itself, and from July to October the Great Migration gathers at crossing points close by. Maasai guides from the camp read the grass, the tracks and the birds, and share them at walking pace. Evenings end by the open fire, as the stars come out over the river.

a quiet bend of the Mara River
the Oloololo Escarpment
Elephants, giraffes and monkeys
the Great Migration
Maasai guides from the camp

How a day unfolds

A day at the camp

From first light to the fire

Every experience here is led by someone who knows the place by heart. This is how a day can unfold.

Sunrise
Sunrise stillness
The camp is still quiet. On the River Deck, gentle stretching and a few long breaths as the first light comes up over the water.
Family
Wellness · Explore within
Led by
The camp team
Morning
Game drive
From 6am the vehicle heads into the reserve, coffee in the flask. The engine goes quiet at the edge of the plains and elephants cross ahead.
Family
Nature · Explore beyond
Led by
A camp guide and driver
Breakfast
Bush breakfast
Near Olkiombo Airstrip, the camp kitchen cooks in the open: eggs to order, pastries, fruit and fresh coffee, with the plains all around.
Family
Taste · Explore beyond
Led by
The camp kitchen
Midday
By the pool
The heat settles and the camp goes quiet. A book, a swim and the sound of the river.
Family
Wellness · Explore within
Led by
The camp team
Late afternoon
Sundowner at the Elephant’s Couch
At 4.30pm the table is waiting at the Elephant’s Couch. Wine, cold Kenyan beer and warm bites as the sun drops behind the plains.
Family
Taste · Explore beyond
Led by
The camp team
Dusk
Hippos at dusk
Back at camp, the pod shifts in the river below the River Deck as the light goes.
Family
Nature · Explore beyond
Led by
The camp team
After dark
Around the fire
The fire is lit on the River Deck. Stories from the Maasai team, and the hippos calling below in the dark.
Family
Culture · Explore beyond
Led by
The Maasai team at the camp

Five ways to explore

A guest greeting two Maasai guides beside an Exploreans safari vehicle at sunrise

The people

Walking with the people who know it best

The welcome begins at the gate, with Maasai hosts singing guests in from the vehicles. From then on, every walk, drive and table is led by someone from the camp.

Maasai guides and hosts
They welcome guests to the camp in song and tell the stories around the fire. They read the grass, the tracks and the birds the way most of us read a page.
Guides and drivers
They lead the game drives, by day in the reserve and by spotlight in the Ole Sugut Conservancy, and know where the herds are likely to be before the vehicle leaves camp.
Camp hosts and kitchen team
They cook breakfast in the open near Olkiombo, lay the sundowner at the Elephant’s Couch and keep the Zebra Bar open until bedtime.

Rooms and spaces

Canvas, timber and the sound of the river

River tents along the bank, bush tents with room to spread out and a two-bedroom log cabin with a deck over the water.

Every room and space

A river tent on the lawn above the Mara River, with a timber fence along the bank

On the riverbank

River tents

Canvas and wood on the edge of the Mara River. Fall asleep to the hippos and wake to birdsong.

17 sqm, with a 7 sqm terraceUp to three guests

A four-poster bed with white netting in a bush tent, a hat and travel bag at its foot

Under the trees

Bush tents

More space under canvas, with a private terrace looking out into the bush.

32 sqm, with a 10 sqm terraceUp to four guests

Over the water

Simba's Den

A two-bedroom log cabin with a deck over the river, for families, small groups or anyone who wants a place to linger.

120 sqm, with a 27 sqm deckTwo bedrooms, up to six guests

The place, specifically

Look closer at the river

From the air, the Mara River below camp is a ribbon of brown water. Look again and there is a pod of hippos, resting in the shallows.

A pod of hippos resting in the brown water of the Mara River, seen from above — Move over the photograph to look closer

What to expect

Setting: A bend of the Mara River at the foot of the Oloololo Escarpment, in the Maasai Mara, Kenya.
Season: Open all year. The Great Migration reaches the river from July to October.
Stay: River tents and bush tents with private terraces, and a two-bedroom log cabin with a deck over the river.
At the table: Breakfast, lunch and dinner in the garden or on the deck, the Zebra Bar until bedtime and a fire every night.
In camp: Swimming pool and deck, Wi-Fi throughout, a gift shop, laundry and a medical service.
Getting there: About 15 minutes by road from Kichwa Tembo Airstrip, with transfers from Kichwa Tembo or Musiara.

The river, month by month

The Great Migration at the river

July · Great Migration

The herds arrive

Wildebeest and zebra pour onto the plains and gather along the river. The first crossings begin close to camp.

Crossings follow the herds and the water level, so each crossing day is different. Your guide will read the river with you.

The Exploreans Passport Soon

Your page at Mara River Camp

Every guest will receive an Exploreans Passport, stamped by the person who leads each experience. Collect one stamp in each of the five families and your Mara page is complete. Mark the experiences you would like and we will plan your days around them.

Turn the pages

Your Passport at
Mara River Camp

0 of 5 families marked