Mara Plains Camp

Part of Relais & Châteaux, Mara Plains Camp offers a riverside location in a private conservancy in the Maasai Mara, boutique accommodations, a sophisticated under-canvas design and a focus on food and game viewing.

• The chic tented camp aesthetic
• Nighttime game drives given its location in the private Olare Motorogi conservancy in the Masai Mara
• The large two-bedroom Jahazi Suite which comes with its own private vehicle and guide
• The professional cameras and lenses available for all guests on a complimentary basis

Owned by Great Plains Foundation (who is also behind Zarafa and Duba Plains in Botswana), Kenya’s Mara Plains Camp is one of only five camps located in the 35,000-acre Olare Motorogi conservancy of the Masai Mara, which means it has one of the lowest vehicle densities in the Mara region and great sightings will not be flooded with vehicles as is the case in other parts of the Mara.

Mara Plains feels like an authentic safari camp that has been redesigned with modern luxuries. The rooms feature leather couches, oriental rugs and wooden plank floors and have pops of red and purple, an homage to the local Maasai culture. There are seven tents and one two-bedroom family tent called The Jahazi Suite that comes with its own shared dining area, private guide and vehicle. Views are either of the plains or the river, the latter of which has many hippos, but also a slight sulfurous smell. The best room is located on its own private island and accessed via a rope bridge.

Mara Plains Camp is a place of simple luxury, so there is no gym or spa. Instead, the camp includes a basket with weights and a yoga mat in each room, and spa treatments can be had in guest rooms. Activity-wise, Mara Plains offers day and night game drives in Mara Reserve and Mara North Conservancy, local Maasai visits and hot air–ballooning.

For travelers looking for an even more immersive experience or a more value-oriented option, Mara Plains’s sister camp, Mara Expedition Camp, is about 15 minutes away. With five tents and a two-bedroom family tent, all canvas, the property is simpler with the feel of an adventure camp.

Mara Plains can be accessed by chartered planes or helicopters, which can land directly at property, or by commercial flights, which land a one-hour drive away.

Couples and honeymooners looking for an intimate under-canvas experience in the Masai Mara. Children over the age of eight can stay in the family suite, but the atmosphere at Mara Plains feels more adult.