Mara Plains Camp

100% (13 reviews)

Full review Our view Geographics Food & drink Special interests Children Wildlife sightings Communications Health & safety Activities Extras

Mara Plains Camp: Our full report

Nestled in the trees on the edge of the Ntiakatek stream in the 120km² (30,000 acre) private Olare-Motorogi ...

... Conservancy, Mara Plains is a small, luxury tented camp which prides itself on offering personal, high-level service. Along with access to Olare-Motorogi Conservancy, the camp is also a member of Mara North Conservancy and within easy reach of the Maasai Mara National Reserve (one full-day visit to the reserve per stay is included in your rates), so you have more than 2,000 square kilometres to explore.

With only seven tents, Mara Plains is one of the smallest camps within the Mara region, giving a very personal and intimate feel, with a high degree of flexibility. It is an exceptionally luxurious camp, but remains unpretentious with a down-to-earth atmosphere.

There aren't set meal times or activities here, so if you happen to be out on a morning's game drive and spot some cheetah tracks, they'll deliver your lunch to you while you continue to observe; if you are out on a late afternoon game drive and following lions hunting, they'll hold dinner until you return. We've had some really fantastic wildlife sightings from Mara Plains. One that particularly stands out was a lion pride stealing a kill from a leopard in a tree and then ferociously defending it, to the dismay of onlooking hyenas. Without any other vehicles around, and with no rush to get back, we stayed there until it was too dark to see and then returned to the camp for a delicious private dinner.

The tents themselves are very large and extremely attractive, using pale canvas and cotton linings and black mosquito screen to create a very stylish effect, especially when combined with decks of old railway sleepers (they imported several container loads from South Africa). These also include “family and honeymoon tents" which have their own lounge and dining areas, as well as private entrances into camp, allowing for even more privacy. The tents either look out onto the stream, where hippo pods will frequently make themselves heard, or the open plains home to Maasai cattle grazers, plains game and predators alike.

Each of the tents is raised from the ground on a wooden decking, with richly coloured rugs spread over the flooring and topped by a large marquee-style tent with a wrap-around veranda. There's an oscillating fan suspended above the bed for warmer nights, although the mosquito-screen “windows" allow a lovely breeze to pass through. The open-plan bathrooms are fitted with signature copper double wash basins, a separate flush loo, a large shower and – most impressively – a deep stand-alone brass bath. In the evenings, a thick cream curtain is pulled across the room, acting as a partition between the bedroom and bathroom to allow for greater privacy.

The main areas at Mara Plains consist of a single large lounge and dining tent which is completely open-sided, offering spectacular sweeping views that can be enjoyed through the large Swarovski scope set up on the decking. On a recent visit, this vista was dotted with zebra, wildebeest, impala and buffalo, and we enjoyed watching hippos returning to the stream beyond camp in the dawn lighting. The furnishings in the main area are slightly colonial in style, decorated in a rich, earthy, red-and-brown colour scheme. The plush leather sofas provide a nice spot to relax with a drink or, if you want to brush up on your wildlife knowledge, you will find all you need in the small library. Although there's a long ironwood dining table inside the main area, guests often eat under the stars – weather permitting. Dining is typically individual, unless the team notices different groups of guests really hitting it off, and we love the diverse locations where dinner can be set up. During our last visit, we enjoyed a private meal in the library on one evening and in the wine room for the second – both incredibly romantic settings lit only by soft candlelight and lanterns.

As well as day-time safari drives, activities at Mara Plains Camp include night drives, visits to a local village or school, and, at extra cost (around $500 per person), hot-air balloon flights at dawn across the main reserve. The guides here were absolutely first-class during our recent visits, a standard that is uniform across their sister-camps too. They deliver game viewing in a very relaxed and intelligent way, are unafraid to sit and watch a great sighting, and yet know when to give the animals space or leave altogether. On one visit we had a very rewarding early morning drive, which included a rare caracal sighting and then, after a two-hour ramble, we were met by two members of staff in a vehicle for an excellent breakfast overlooking a hippo wallow. Nearby, a macabre, recently abandoned “leopard larder" dangled from an acacia, while a trio of elderly buffalos eyed us grumpily.

Mara Plains is particularly well suited for photographers. The vehicles are equipped with adjustable camera trays, and the guides are adept at maneuvering the vehicles with photographers in mind, as well as being able to offer advice and tips on getting the perfect shot. Each party of guests has the added bonus of loaning a pair of Swarovski optic binoculars and a Canon 5D Mk III camera with a 100-400mm lens. These are left in every guest tent, along with instruction manuals – ideal for wildlife portraits.

The camp remains extraordinarily eco-friendly despite its luxury and comfort. It's very interesting to do a tour of the back-of-house areas, with the vegetable and salad garden, the huge solar power plant and battery bank, the water treatment plant, and the very well-run laundry and stores. The camp runs completely on solar power and all the chemicals needed in camp are manufactured here naturally, so that no artificial contaminants are introduced into the environment.

Our view

The location of Mara Plains gives great scope to its activities, which can range across private conservancies as well as the busier national reserve. In camp, we found the welcome warm, the service attentive without being overbearing, and the attention to detail impressive. In short – everything here was both down-to-earth and also first class. We feel it is amongst the best camps in the Mara ecosystem with regards to quality and style.

Lara Webster

Kenya expert

Geographics

Location: Maasai Mara Conservancies, Kenya
Ideal length of stay: Stay for 3–4 nights to explore the surrounding conservancies and the game reserve itself.
Directions: Olare Orok airstrip, for scheduled light aircraft flights, is only about 45 minutes away.
Accessible by: Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Full Board & Activities
Food quality: The dining at Mara Plains is very flexible – you're not tied into set meal times, allowing you to choose between early starts with a packed breakfast, and full-day game drives taking lunch with you.

Generally, breakfast is taken in the lodge, with a varied buffet of cereals, fruits, cold meats and breads, which you can then follow with a cooked breakfast to order. Teas, coffees, juices and a delicious oat smoothie were also available, as were fun breakfast variations such as green shakshuka and pancakes.

Lunch is either taken as a packed lunch out on a game drive, or back at the lodge. On a recent visit, we enjoyed a delicious variety of salads, tilapia, freshly baked breads, and a wonderful cheese and chutney selection.

For dinner, we started with an onion puff pastry with balsamic dressing, followed by a beef stew with dauphinoise potatoes, rounded off with a chocolate mousse.
Dining style: Individual Tables
Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining
Further dining info, including room service: Meals can be served in tents if requested.
Drinks included: All drinks available in camp are included in the rates, excluding Champagne, premium spirits and certain cellar wines.

Special interests

Honeymoons: Mara Plains is an exceptionally luxurious yet unpretentious camp that will suit those who enjoy a down-to-earth atmosphere in very comfortable surroundings. The friendly and attentive service will spoil you, and the very private tents are lovely.; See ideas for Honeymoons in Kenya
Photography holidays: Mara Plains is great for serious photographers: Canon cameras and 400mm lens are available to borrow, while the vehicles are ideally set up and there’s a keen photographer if advice is needed. The camp can burn images to CD, but it's best to bring your own storage devices.; See ideas for Photography holidays in Kenya
Luxury: With some of the best guiding and an unrivalled location, Mara Plains gets our vote as probably the Mara’s top safari camp. The décor and furnishings are carefully chosen: antique trunks, brass fittings and decks made of old railway sleepers combine opulent chic with sleek practicality.; See ideas for Luxury in Kenya

Children

Attitude towards children: Mara Plains has a relatively adult atmosphere, but welcomes children from the age of 6.
Property’s age restrictions: 6
Special activities & services: Children can take part in the Great Plains Young Explorers programme. The lodge can also organize simple bushcraft and there are also videos to watch as well as board games in the library.
Equipment: There is no special equipment, but there is a new family tent.
Notes: The camp is unfenced so children must be supervised at all times.

Our travellers’ wildlife sightings from Mara Plains Camp

Since mid-2018, many of our travellers who stayed at Mara Plains Camp have kindly recorded their wildlife sightings and shared them with us. The results are below. Click an animal to see more, and here to see more on our methodology.

Buffalo

100% success

Cheetah

100% success

Eland

100% success

Elephant

100% success

Giraffe

100% success

Hippo

100% success

Leopard

100% success

Lion

100% success

Spotted Hyena

100% success

Wildebeest

100% success

Zebra

100% success

Aardvark

0% success

Black Rhino

0% success

Pangolin

0% success

Striped Hyena

0% success

Wild dog

0% success

Communications

Power supply notes: There is 24-hour electricity and British style – 3-pin plugs in all of the tents.
Communications: There is very good WiFi inside the guest tents.
TV & radio: No
Water supply: Borehole
Water supply notes: There is running hot and cold water available 24/7 and bottled drinking water is also provided.

Health & safety

Malarial protection recommended: Yes
Medical care: Mara Plains has a first-aid kit on site which the managers and some of the guides are trained to use. They also have first-aid kits in the vehicles. In an emergency, a helicopter could easily land at the camp.

The nearest doctor is at Olkiombo at Intrepids which is an hour’s drive away, and there is a dispensary in Talek. In an emergency they would link to flying doctors.
Dangerous animals: High Risk
Security measures: There is a guard on duty during the day, and at night, guests are escorted by guards between the main area and their tents.
Fire safety: They have fire extinguishers outside all rooms and organise regular fire drills. There is also a firebreak around the camp.

Activities

4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Cultural excursion
Fly-camping
Guided walking safari
Horse-riding
Hot air ballooning
Night drive
Private activities

Extras

Disabled access: On Request
Laundry facilities: A full laundry service is included, including ladies' underwear. A white bag is left in the washing baskets for women to place these items in for collection. Washing powder is also provided in the rooms.
Money: There are safes in all the rooms.
Accepted payment on location: Payment for any extras is accepted in US dollars, pound sterling, Euros or Kenyan shillings, either in cash or using a MasterCard or Visa, with a 3.5% surcharge.