Welcome to Mara Plains Camp

An unparalleled adventure into one of the most iconic wildlife destinations on the planet, where the battle for survival plays out in front of you each and every day…

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.”

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.

Room Types

Unit Types

Suites

(7 ROOMS)

Each of the five suites has deep canvas canopied ceilings, rough hewn wood floors and accents of East Africa’s rich safari history. Thick Lamu wood doors, deep purples, and brass accents – these small details transport guests to a time and land far away. The well-appointed en-suite facilities (including a deep copper bath) plus the extensive private verandah complete what is genuinely a stunning concept. These stylistic elements coupled with thoughtful environmental elements such as solar power and an absence of cement make Mara Plains is a modern-day safari retreat.

Camp Features

Mara Plains Camp can accommodate a maximum of 10 adult guests (excluding the Mara Plains Jahazi Suite). Total Number of Bedrooms: 5 double or twin configuration suites; The 2-bedroom private Mara Plains Jahazi Suite can accommodate a family of 5 with 2 adults and 3 children | (aged 6 – 15 years), or 4 adults traveling together; 1 Guide room with a double bed and a bathroom. 

Accommodating Children and sharing accommodation

• We look forward to having children stay with us that are 6 years and older; • Triples for children sharing with adults may be possible upon request;

• The private Mara Plains Jahazi Suite can cater for a maximum of four adults sharing or two adults and up to three children (aged 6 – 15), sharing in two separate bedrooms

• Families with children may be accommodated in the same vehicle as other guests unless a private vehicle is booked and paid for

• Young children must be supervised as the camp is open, with high predator densities in and around camp and there is a river nearby

• Great Plains Young Explorers program – thoughtfully designed to explore a range of experiences and topics from birding to cooking to art to tracking wildlife

RATING
Relais & Chateaux
TYPE
Safari Lodge
NO. ROOMS
7
CHECK-IN TIME
12h00 PM
CHECK-OUT TIME
10h00 AM
AVAILABLE SERVICES
Credit Card

LODGE SEASON & OPENING

Year Round

IDEAL LENGTH OF STAY

3-4 Nights

CHILD POLICY

 6 years and older

CAMP

Not Fenced

SPOKEN LANGUAGES
English, Swahili
SPECIAL INTERESTS
Adventure, Big 5, Birding, History & Culture, Indigenous Culture / Art, Leisure, Nature, Relaxation, Star Gazing, Wildlife

Access Directions

• Scheduled aircraft transfers to the nearby Olare Motorogi airstrip, from Nairobi’s Wilson domestic airport (flying time 1hr 15mins) and other locations in Kenya;

• Mara Plains Camp is an approximate 30-minute drive from the airstrip with often game viewing opportunities en route;

• Private charters can also land at the nearby Olare Motorogi airstrip;

• Co-ordinates: S1°19’25.2”, E35°14’27.3” • Airstrip length: 1300m

Foundation Initiative

Maasai Olympics

Every two years Maasai men and women gather in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro for the Maasai Olympics. This unique conservation program is a sporting event featuring bouts of athletic endurance, skill, and strategy all with a clear goal in mind… the conservation of lions. By directing energy towards field and track events, and focusing on the communal benefits of protecting big cats, these young people become athletes and conservationists. Instead of hunting for lions, these Maasai are competing for trophies of a very different sort - respect, pride and esteem.

The event is the culmination of ongoing activities and intense education, conducted in partnership with Maasai elders and Big Life Foundation. The Maasai Olympics is having a lasting impact on big cat conservation in Kenya. Healthy lion numbers in places like ol Donyo Lodge are returning with harmony and balance in the environments is being restored. Learn more at www.greatplainsfoundation.com/maasai-olympics

Possibility of Disabled Access

• The camp layout is conducive to guests who use wheelchairs due to interconnected raised decking and pathways between rooms and the main area. There are a few steps between the main entrance and arrival bridge, but our staff will be on hand to assist;

• For the walking impaired, Suites 1 and 3 are close to the main area with minimal steps.

Birding

The Masai Mara isn’t one of Kenya’s birding hotspots. However, with more than 500 bird species recorded, this isn’t a bad place to mark off a lot of Kenya’s savannah species from your bird list. The park is particularly rich in raptors with 57 species present. Bateleurs can often be seen soaring above the grassy plains and predator kills are a good place to find up to six species of vultures scavenging. Migratory birds are present from November to April.

Best Time for Bird Watching

The Masai Mara offers good bird-watching any month of the year, but the best time is from November to April when the migrants from Europe and north Africa arrive. This coincides with the Wet season when many species can be seen in breeding plumage. June to October is the Dry season, and tends to be best for general wildlife viewing.

Wildlife & Animals

The Masai Mara is Kenya’s flagship park. Sightings of four of the Big Five are pretty much guaranteed. Black rhino is more elusive, but can sometimes be spotted in the Mara Triangle. The reserve is one of the best for big cats, but sightings of smaller predators like bat-eared fox, black-backed jackal and spotted hyena also tend to be rewarding. Antelope include impala, reedbuck, Thomson's gazelle, eland and topi, while buffalo, elephant and giraffe are relaxed and easily spotted.

Wildlife Highlights

The legendary wildebeest migration is one of the world’s most amazing wildlife encounters. Sometime in July and August, millions of animals leave the Serengeti and head into the Masai Mara around September. The crossing of the Mara River along the way is the most spectacular part of the migration. Around October, the migration slowly heads back into the Serengeti again.

It should be noted that, although the pattern is well known, the exact timing of the migration is unpredictable as animals move with the rain looking for greener pastures.

Best Time for Wildlife Viewing

Wildlife viewing in the Masai Mara is good throughout the year. The best months for the wildebeest migration are September and October. June to October is relatively dry, and offers the best general wildlife watching.

Wildlife Viewing

Wildlife viewing in the Masai Mara is generally very safe as long as you use common sense and listen to the advice given by your guide. Incidents are extremely rare.

About the Special

Experience the best safari destinations Kenya has to offer!
Stay for 4 nights at any of our Maasai Mara camps or the magnificent ol Donyo Lodge in the Chyulu Hills and only pay for 3!

Terms and Conditions

Booking Terms and Conditions:
• This offer is valid for all guest reservations staying from 01 November 2021 - 31 May 2022 & 01 November - 19 December 2022 (excluding 20 December 2021 - 10 January 2022);
• This offer is valid to all standard guest U$D rate accommodation reservations;
• Free night includes accommodation only (Conservation fee payable on free night);
• This offer is valid for a safari stay of a minimum of 4 nights at one of the following Kenyan camps -
Mara Plains Camp, Mara Plains Jahazi Suite, Mara Nyika Camp, Mara Toto Camp, Mara Expedition Camp and ol Donyo Lodge;
• Private vehicle and pilot / guide rates are additional;
• Return scheduled air transfers are included for stays at Mara Plains Camp, Mara Plains Jahazi Suite and Mara Nyika Camp. Return scheduled air transfers from Nairobi are excluded from stays at Mara Toto Camp and Mara Expedition Camp unless combined with Mara Plains Camp, Mara Plains Jahazi Suite and / or Mara Mara Nyika Camp;
• Offers cannot be combined and are offered on a stand alone basis per reservation.

About the Special

Experience the best safari destinations Kenya has to offer!
Extend your ultimate Kenyan safari experience by combining 4 nights at either of our Maasai Mara camps with 4 nights at ol Donyo Lodge and only
pay for 6 nights!

Terms and Conditions

Booking Terms and Conditions:
• This offer is valid for all guest reservations staying from 01 November 2021 - 31 May 2022 & 01 November - 19 December 2022 (excluding 20 December 2021 - 10 January 2022);
• This offer is valid to all standard guest U$D rate accommodation reservations;
• Free night includes accommodation only (Conservation fee payable on free night);
• This offer is valid for a safari stay of a minimum of 4 nights at one of the following Kenyan camps -
Mara Plains Camp, Mara Plains Jahazi Suite, Mara Nyika Camp, Mara Toto Camp, Mara Expedition Camp and ol Donyo Lodge;
• Private vehicle and pilot / guide rates are additional;
• Return scheduled air transfers are included for stays at Mara Plains Camp, Mara Plains Jahazi Suite and Mara Nyika Camp. Return scheduled air transfers from Nairobi are excluded from stays at Mara Toto Camp and Mara Expedition Camp unless combined with Mara Plains Camp, Mara Plains Jahazi Suite and / or Mara Mara Nyika Camp;
• Offers cannot be combined and are offered on a stand alone basis per reservation.

• The free nights will be at the lowest priced camp.

About the Special

When staying on honeymoon, at any of our Great Plains camps, we would like to give you a gift from ourselves, where the celebrating couple each receive 25% off their Great Plains accommodation costs!
THINKING OF CELEBRATING YOUR NUPTIALS WHILST ON A KENYAN SAFARI?
Talk to us about arranging a special and unique Maasai blessing ceremony to cement those vows you have taken back home.

Terms and Conditions

Booking Terms and Conditions:
• Offer specific to your choice of camp’s Green or Shoulder Season period;
• The validity period for the above offer in Botswana and Kenya is 11 January -
14 June and 01 November - 19 December annually;
• This offer cannot be combined with any of the other specials on offer;
• Offer valid to guests holding Marriage certificate, within 6 months of the ceremony, or celebrating their 40 or older wedding anniversaries!

About the Special

Want to stay out and drive a little longer in Kenya’s Maasai Mara, float down the Zambezi River in the Sapi Reserve one last time, or follow the channels of Botswana’s waterways in search of big tuskers and lions?
Whatever your preference take advantage of our shoulder season rates, when staying a little longer with us in the peak season.

Terms and Conditions

Booking Terms and Conditions:
• Stay a minimum 6 night stay, regardless of camps, or where they are located, as long as they are in the same itinerary, during the period 15 - 31 October 2022, qualify for shoulder season rates;
• Free included inter-camp air transfers restrictions may apply to some camps;
• Offer cannot be combined.

About the Special

Experience the best safari destinations Kenya has to offer!
Stay for 4 nights at any of our Maasai Mara camps or the magnificent ol Donyo Lodge in the Chyulu Hills and only pay for 3!
Extend your ultimate Kenyan safari experience by combining 4 nights at either of our Maasai Mara camps with 4 nights at ol Donyo Lodge and only
pay for 6 nights!

Terms and Conditions

Booking Terms and Conditions:
• This offer is valid for all guest reservations staying from 01 November 2021 - 31 May 2022 & 01 November - 19 December 2022 (excluding 20 December 2021 - 10 January 2022);
• This offer is valid to all standard guest U$D rate accommodation reservations;
• Free night includes accommodation only (Conservation fee payable on free night);
• This offer is valid for a safari stay of a minimum of 4 nights at one of the following Kenyan camps -
Mara Plains Camp, Mara Plains Jahazi Suite, Mara Nyika Camp, Mara Toto Camp, Mara Expedition Camp and ol Donyo Lodge;
• Private vehicle and pilot / guide rates are additional;
• Return scheduled air transfers are included for stays at Mara Plains Camp, Mara Plains Jahazi Suite and Mara Nyika Camp. Return scheduled air transfers from Nairobi are excluded from stays at Mara Toto Camp and Mara Expedition Camp unless combined with Mara Plains Camp, Mara Plains Jahazi Suite and / or Mara Mara Nyika Camp;
• Offers cannot be combined and are offered on a stand alone basis per reservation.

• The free night will be at the lowest priced camp.

About the Special

When staying on honeymoon, at any of our Great Plains camps, we would like to give you a gift from ourselves, where the celebrating couple each receive 25% off their Great Plains accommodation costs!
THINKING OF CELEBRATING YOUR NUPTIALS WHILST ON A KENYAN SAFARI?
Talk to us about arranging a special and unique Maasai blessing ceremony to cement those vows you have taken back home.

Terms and Conditions

Booking Terms and Conditions:
• Offer specific to your choice of camp’s Green or Shoulder Season period;
• The validity period for the above offer in Botswana and Kenya is 11 January -
14 June and 01 November - 19 December annually;
• This offer cannot be combined with any of the other specials on offer;
• Offer valid to guests holding Marriage certificate, within 6 months of the ceremony, or celebrating their 40 or older wedding anniversaries!

About the Special

Experience the best safari destinations Kenya has to offer!
Extend your ultimate Kenyan safari experience by combining 4 nights at either of our Maasai Mara camps with 4 nights at ol Donyo Lodge and only
pay for 6 nights!

Terms and Conditions

Booking Terms and Conditions:
• This offer is valid for all guest reservations staying from 01 November 2021 - 31 May 2022 & 01 November - 19 December 2022 (excluding 20 December 2021 - 10 January 2022);
• This offer is valid to all standard guest U$D rate accommodation reservations;
• Free night includes accommodation only (Conservation fee payable on free night);
• This offer is valid for a safari stay of a minimum of 4 nights at one of the following Kenyan camps -
Mara Plains Camp, Mara Plains Jahazi Suite, Mara Nyika Camp, Mara Toto Camp, Mara Expedition Camp and ol Donyo Lodge;
• Private vehicle and pilot / guide rates are additional;
• Return scheduled air transfers are included for stays at Mara Plains Camp, Mara Plains Jahazi Suite and Mara Nyika Camp. Return scheduled air transfers from Nairobi are excluded from stays at Mara Toto Camp and Mara Expedition Camp unless combined with Mara Plains Camp, Mara Plains Jahazi Suite and / or Mara Mara Nyika Camp;
• Offers cannot be combined and are offered on a stand alone basis per reservation.

• The free nights will be at the lowest priced camp.

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