Great Plains opens three sensational Kenya safari camps, Mara Toto, Mara Expedition, and Mara Plains Camp.
Kenya’s Mara Plains Camp officially re-opened to guests on June 1, 2021, after undergoing an entire camp refurbishment, which included adding the exclusive new Mara Plains Jahazi Suite. Located in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, one of the most concentrated wildlife destinations on the planet with unrivaled access to more than 100,000 acres of exclusive land as well as access to the 375,000 Maasai Mara Reserve, Mara Plains Camp now shines brighter than ever before with a refreshed new look and a new exceptional exclusive use villa residence.
The camp (below) is now entirely built on high stilts with walkways of ancient railway ‘sleeper’ wood winding their way through the forest, in and out of trees, to each tent. Great Plains has added Lamu doors, raised the library to treetop height, added a honeymoon suite on a separate island accessed by its own bridge and a wine cellar with a spectacular view. The new camp is the perfect evolution of what was there before but utilizes some unique opportunities to expand the tasteful camp design into nooks and crannies of the trees that have grown into an amazing forest since the camp’s original opening.
Mara Plains Camp boasts five suites, including the two-bedroom Mara plains Jahazi Suite, each of which features copper baths and inside showers, as well as access to the Maasai Mara National Reserve day and day and night access to the Olare Motorogi Conservancy.
Another new arrival is the Mara Toto Camp, an ideal retreat for families and intimate groups traveling together. Meaning “baby” in Swahili, Mara Toto Camp is located 2km away from big sister Mara Plains Camp. The camp has been enjoying a six-month refurbishment that included the addition of new tests that are easier to move with the seasons.
Situated along the Ntiakitiak riverbanks on the border of the Maasai Mara Reserve, the new camp is hidden in the forest, offering guests privacy and fantastic game-viewing opportunities with access to both the Reserve and the adjacent private Mara North Conservancy. Guests will be spoiled with big cat sightings, as leopards, lions, and more wildlife have frequently been passing through camp since opening day.
With four tests boasting plumbed-in hot and cold water, the new-look seasonal migration camp will open each year between May and October.
Finally, the new Mara Expedition Camp (below) allows guests to experience the original Africa explorers’ designs from East Africa’s romantic safari era. Here, guests will experience the best of both worlds: the intense action of the Maasai Mara ecosystem, as well as the more private 70,000-acre Mara North Conservancy.
Designed by Beverly Joubert, the new Mara Expedition Camp is safari chic with six light and airy, spacious canvas tents, each with en-suite bathrooms where guests can enjoy piping hot water from huge brass safari showers. To further enhance the expedition theme, guests will also have the option to enjoy guided walking safaris. Mara Expedition Camps’ ambiance and ‘back to the classics’ safari design will be a winning combination for private groups and safari enthusiasts.
Home to six tents, Mara Expedition is a brand new camp, positioned on high ground in a grove of typical East African acacia trees overlooking a valley in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Located on private land, the camp is very exclusive but with access to some of the region’s best wildlife. The camp tells the story of early-day explorers with touches of campaign furniture and open-air space under light canvas.
All Great Plains properties are solar-powered. A local sapling is planted for every guest that stays at a Great Plains Kenya camp as part of the Great Plains Foundation’s Replacement of Shade Programme, a sustainable travel initiative aiming to restore indigenous trees to Kenya’s vast landscape
For more Safari stories click here.
Want to Stay Up to Date? Follow us on Facebook or Instagram or Sign Up for our Bi-Weekly Newsletter.