“When we first considered Kenya’s Maasai Mara as a Great Plains destination, I actually verbalised “Agh…all those people” but then looked at the map more carefully and the location for Mara Plains Camp became apparent.

And then I saw it, the importance of the conservancies to the north of the Masai Mara Reserve. These are three private conservancy areas that embody the privacy of just a few camps and that contribute extensively to communities. More than anything, these are conservancies that perform a vitally important role in protecting the famous wildebeest migration.

We have selected an exciting combination of areas for you. The key to the Maasai Mara experience is not in the wildebeest crossing but in the hidden gems along the way. Lions wait under the acacias, cheetahs run the plains, and we watched a single male leopard in an insignificant gully pick of 14 wildebeest in one day. When others look one way, I like to see what is going on behind us!

Mara Plains Camp hides in the thick forest on a bend in the Ntiakitiak River. A perfect luxury Kenya safari camp. It is inside the 35,000-acre private Olare Motorogi Conservancy and borders Kenya’s Maasai Mara Reserve. Mara Plains Camp is a captivating and intimate experience of its own in one of the most iconic wildlife destinations on the planet.’ – Dereck Joubert, Great Plains Conservation CEO.

As you arrive at Mara Plains Camp, you cross a bridge and climb a few giant steps; an endless horizon greets you with a single, flat-topped acacia, the quintessential shape of East Africa. “When I laid out the camp and its design, I incorporated the arrival, bridge, camp’s main area and one single distant tree in the plains that stretch out in front of Mara Plains Camp as a central line. I tasked the tentmakers with the job of building a 25-metre tent (the biggest they had ever tried) with an arrival opening that was an exact proportion of the 35mm photographic frame. At National Geographic, we often speak of these proportions as “the golden rectangle.” The Fibonacci formula strongly influenced Mara Plains Camp’s design. I love details like that.” continues Dereck. 

The design and decor of this luxury Kenya safari Relais & Châteaux property pay homage to the essence of East Africa. These elements reflect the Swahili heritage of large wooden doors from the island of Lamu and accents of red to honour the great Maasai chiefs and warriors. With the rich leathers, copper and brass used in campaign-style furniture, you have an elegant yet comfortable atmosphere that complements rather

 than overwhelms the surrounding wilderness. This camp speaks to the intersection of cultures and a meeting place to talk, share ideas, and share experiences that you will have each day.

One of only five camps in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Mara Plains Camp, has unrivalled access to more than 100,000 acres of exclusive land. This area is prime habitat for a vast number of wildlife species, and this is in addition to offering unfettered access to the 375,000 hectare Masai Mara Reserve. “As someone who has studied predators my whole life, Mara Plains Camp has to be the finest luxury Kenya safari camp available. I often go out and struggle to decide between viewing lions, cheetahs, hyenas and leopards within an hour or two. Mara Plains Camp is a proud member of our Great Plains Conservation Réserve Collection of safari camps.”

If you understand Great Plains Conservation and share our sensitivities, please do us one favour; even if we are full, please don’t stay in the middle of the Reserve! There are ways to see this ecosystem without the traffic! Consider your safari stay at our Mara Nyika Camp (a fellow Relais & Châteaux camp) in the neighbouring Naibosho Conservancy or our Mara Expeditions Camp and Mara Toto Camp. Consider, too in extending your luxury Kenya safari with us by staying at the impressive ol Donyo Lodge, set under the watchful gaze of Mount Kilimanjaro.