Review: Mara Plains Camp

Where is it?The 35,000 acre private Olare Motorogi Conservancy in Mara Plains, Southwestern Kenya.

What’s the transfer like?A little more than an hour’s flight from Nairobi’s Wilson domestic airport, plus a 30-minute drive to camp.

How many people can it accommodate?Up to 14, sharing, in seven tents.

What’s the vibe?"In the days and weeks after our stay at Mara Plains, sited in a densely forested bend in a river in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, we dreamed about the alternately lulling and haunting nighttime soundtrack of grunting hippos and hissing cats," writers Traveler contributor Maria Shollenbarger.

"It feels as though the camp, which takes cues from colonial, Swahili, and Masai traditions, was built in and around the thick riverine trees in the northern border of the Masai Mara National Reserve—because it was. Owners Dereck and Beverly Joubert, longtime wildlife documentarians and conservationists, made sure that not a single tree bigger than an index finger was cut down to build Mara Plains. The couple that runs it day to day have created an environment that make you feel like guests in their family home."

Now tell me about the rooms.Mara Plains is one of only two Relais & Chateaux properties in Kenya, so you’ll be sleeping well. The interior décor honors East African history, with vibrant Maasai colors (deep reds and purples) and Arab design accents. Like Great Plains’ other properties, it’s got classic colonial and campaign-style furnishings such as leather chairs, brass fixtures, and romantically swagged tents. The individual tents are raised on wooden platforms, each with a deep copper roll-top bathtub and veranda.

How about the safaris?Olare Motorogi Conservancy has the lowest vehicle density in the Maasai Mara, and the highest concentration of big cats in Africa, plus plains species like zebra, eland, wildebeest, giraffe, and warthog. The camp is also home to many of the Mara’s 300 bird species, so be sure to grab the Swarovski binoculars that come with the room. Mara Plains is one of the few properties where you can do a horseback riding safari (for competent riders only—you have to be able to hang on in case of an “event”) and hot air ballooning. You can also visit a nearby Masai enkang.

Is there a do-good component?The conservancy is leased from the local Maasai, so guests’ conservation fees protect the ecosystem and support more than 1,000 families at a time.