Ol Seki Hemingways Mara, a private tented camp in the Maasai Mara, has re-opened following a re-design, with a second phase to be completed by March 2023.
Ol Seki Hemingways Mara, a private tented camp in the Naboisho Conservancy, has been a favourite with safari travelers since it was first built in 2005, providing an enclave of luxury in the wildest Kenyan terrain. Four of the double tents (Ninas) have been completely re-designed alongside a total refresh of the dining room and lounge areas.
All tents will have floor-to-roof glass frontages, with high ceilings to give the best possible views over the Mara, completely new bathrooms with more luxurious fixtures and fittings, and re-configured layouts for even greater privacy.
The dining room and lounge area are now a larger, open-plan space for relaxation and dining, including a new bar and sunken baraza seating area, all of which will make the most of the fabulous views over the plains.
Taking inspiration from the circular shape and Bedouin feel of the Nina tents, East African Furniture Co. is working its magic on the interior design, introducing a tribal nomadic theme using hand-carved mango wood, raffia and bakuba wall hangings from central Africa, locally hand-woven fabrics and custom designed brass and alabaster stone lights. Lattice wood divides, used throughout the new tents, dining and lounge areas, represent a modern take on a traditional Moroccan screen and allow for gentle airflow in the heat of the day.
In due course, the four final Nina tents will be completed, and the guests’ entrance will be taken to the next level with the addition of an arrivals tent. There will also be an intimate open-air spa built below a beautiful African fig tree, offering treatments using locally produced essential oil infusions and products. The popular family suite, Simba, will also be rebuilt and enhanced by the addition of a small swimming pool on the terrace, the camp, therefore, meeting the needs of every traveler; couples, honeymooners and families alike. All these enhancements will be completed by March 2023.
The pandemic afforded the team time for investment in the camp’s infrastructure and back-of-house facilities, and now it is the turn of the overall camp design and guest experience, bringing Ol Seki into line with its sister properties, Hemingways Nairobi and Hemingways Watamu, on the Kenyan coast.
All this improvement goes hand in hand with The Hemingways Collection’s vision of creating a luxury, semi-permanent camp that limits its environmental impact and supports the objectives of the Mara Conservancies where tourism benefits conservation and community. To this end, the camp’s solar power provision has been expanded to ensure its upgraded electricity needs are fully met and that it meets the criteria of a ‘Gold’ Eco-Rating from Eco Tourism Kenya.
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