Cottar’s 1920s Camp

You fly from Nairobi's Wilson airport to an airstrip near the Olderkesi Conservancy in the greater Mara, about forty-five minutes to an hour by light aircraft, and the camp meets you for the transfer in. We build the flights into your itinerary. If you would rather fly privately, we can arrange a charter, typically a Cessna Caravan or Pilatus PC-12, direct to the conservancy.

The bush planes take soft bags of around fifteen kilograms per person including hand luggage, so pack a duffel. The camp sits in a private conservancy in the far south-eastern corner of the ecosystem, so the flight is much the easier way in.

The Maasai Mara sits at around 1,500 to 1,800 metres, below the altitude at which malaria risk falls away, so both the CDC and TravelHealthPro treat it as a malaria area and antimalarial tablets are usually advised. The risk is lower than on the hot, humid coast but it is real, and it rises after the rains.

Because this is a health matter and guidance is reviewed regularly, please confirm the current position with a travel clinic or your doctor before you travel, and take the usual care against bites once the sun is down.

Days are warm and the mornings and evenings cool, so open-vehicle game drives at dawn can feel cold. The long rains fall roughly March to May and shorter rains around November, greening the plains; the dry months in between are clear and dusty.

Pack neutral colours, a warm fleece and a windproof layer for early drives, sun protection and a hat for the day, and a light waterproof in the green season. Closed shoes for any walking, and binoculars are worth bringing.

July to October is the migration window and the busiest at the crossings, while the green months around November and from March to May bring lush plains, calving and far fewer vehicles. Cottar's sits on the private Olderkesi Conservancy, quiet and away from the busier northern camps.

With more than twenty other experiences on offer alongside game drives, the camp rewards a longer, slower stay in any season rather than only chasing the migration.

The migration reaches the wider Mara from July to October, peaking at the river crossings in August, and day drives from the camp reach the national reserve for them. Cottar's own philosophy, though, puts the walk and the wider experience ahead of a box-ticking dash between crossings.

So while the migration is within reach, the camp is really built for a broader stay: walking safaris, after-dark drives and off-road tracking on the private conservancy, plus foraging walks, running with a Maasai warrior and time with the all-female ranger unit. Many guests find that mix more rewarding than the crossings alone.

Yes. Cottar's is one of the Mara camps that has adopted fast satellite internet, so there is reliable wifi in the main areas despite the remote, period setting. Mobile coverage in this far corner of the ecosystem is patchy and best treated as unreliable once you leave camp.

The camp recreates the 1920s golden age of safari with genuine antiques, so most guests come to disconnect, but the connection is there in the main areas if you need it.