Seven tents follow a bend of the Ntiakitiak River, hidden inside riverine forest on the northern boundary of Kenya’s Maasai Mara. You reach them across a rope suspension bridge, where the forest opens onto a plain marked by a single acacia. This is the private Olare Motorogi Conservancy, and the camp lies deep within it, holding no more than fourteen guests at a time.
Guests track off-road, drive after dark and walk the plains on foot.
Olare Motorogi permits what the neighbouring national reserve does not. Guests track off-road, drive after dark and walk the plains on foot. Traversing rights reach across the adjoining Mara North Conservancy and the reserve itself, so the guides work the low-vehicle conservancies for big cats by night, then cross into the reserve by day for the Great Migration’s river crossings.
Dereck and Beverly Joubert, the National Geographic filmmakers, chose this ground for a single acacia that still stands before the main mess. Rather than clear it, they built around the trees already growing there. The seven octagonal tents rise on decks of recycled railway sleepers, laid without cement so the whole camp can one day be lifted away leaving no trace.
The guides know their leopards and lions by sight and by history.
Every tent carries a professional Canon camera set and Swarovski binoculars, equipment meant for photographers, not casual sightseers. The guides know their leopards and lions by sight and by history. They follow individuals, not sightings, and the day bends to whatever those animals are doing, so that even the hour of a meal shifts with the drives.
There is little between the tents and the wild that moves through the riverine forest around them. Below the decks the Ntiakitiak carries grunting hippos and crocodiles, while a wealth of birds works the forest and the open plains beyond. Leopards slip among the trees, and at night lions roar close enough to wake you. Olare Motorogi holds one of the highest concentrations of big cats for its size, and the camp lies in the middle of that range rather than at its edge, so the predators are rarely far.
Each tent runs to roughly 700 square feet, closed by thick Lamu wood doors and finished in brass and copper down to a deep copper bathtub. The red and purple of Maasai textiles run through the design, and floor-to-ceiling net walls open on three sides, so the forest and the plains sit close to the bed, not behind glass. A private veranda hangs over the water. Five of the tents work as individual suites, and a two-bedroom family suite runs separately, with its own guide, vehicle, host and chef.
Leopards slip among the trees, and at night lions roar close enough to wake you.
Morning drives leave before dawn, while the predators are still hunting, and afternoons can stretch into a night drive across the conservancy, something the reserve forbids. On foot the days slow to a different scale, as Maasai guides read tracks, plants and insects at close range. Between these come bush breakfasts on the plains and sundowners under an acacia. Dinner arrives by lantern light, balloon flights over the Mara are there for the asking, and the wine cellar doubles as a private dining room.
The land stays under wildlife, not fences or livestock, because it pays its way. Lease payments from the camp and its neighbouring properties support more than 1,000 Maasai families. The Great Plains Foundation’s Conservation Roots programme has planted more than 2,000 indigenous trees along Mara rivers to hold the banks and restore habitat, and it funds youth education camps run with the Maa Trust. Closer to home, herbs and vegetables come from the camp’s own garden, and the boutique carries beadwork made by the Naboisho Women’s Group.
accommodation
Seven tents sleep a maximum of fourteen guests: five suites of roughly 700 square feet and a two-bedroom family suite with its own guide, vehicle, host and chef. Octagonal tents stand on raised decks with Lamu wood doors, copper bathtubs, net walls that open on three sides, and private verandas over the river or plains.
activities
Day and night game drives and walking safaris operate across the private Olare Motorogi and Mara North conservancies, with day drives extending into the Maasai Mara National Reserve for migration viewing. Off-road tracking, bush dining, hot-air balloon flights, birding and Maasai village visits are all available, along with complimentary use of camera equipment and binoculars on drives.
conservation
Conservancy lease payments support more than 1,000 Maasai families and keep the land under wildlife habitat. The Great Plains Foundation's Conservation Roots programme has planted more than 2,000 indigenous trees along Mara rivers, and funds youth education camps run with the Maa Trust. The camp boutique carries work from the Naboisho Women's Group.
Get in touch and let’s start the conversation. An initial consultation helps us understand what you’re looking for, whether that’s specific experiences, luxury touches, or marking a special occasion, and from there we’ll guide you through what’s possible so you can decide if we’re the right fit.
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You fly from Nairobi's Wilson airport to an airstrip in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, about forty-five minutes to an hour by light aircraft, and the camp meets you for the transfer to the Ntiakitiak River, crossing a rope suspension bridge to reach the tents. We arrange the flights and timings. If you would like the leg to yourselves, we can arrange a private charter, typically a Cessna Caravan or Pilatus PC-12, timed to your international arrival in Nairobi.
The bush planes take soft bags of around fifteen kilograms per person including hand luggage, so pack a duffel. The camp holds no more than fourteen guests, so it is quiet from the moment you arrive.
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 brings the migration and the busiest crossings, while the green months around November and from March to May bring lush plains, calving and far fewer vehicles. Mara Plains has traversing rights across Olare Motorogi and Mara North as well as the reserve.
Those rights let the guides work the low-vehicle conservancies for big cats year round, so the resident predator viewing is strong in any season, not only during the migration.
The migration reaches the wider Mara from July to October, with the river crossings peaking in August. The camp's traversing rights reach into the national reserve, so guides can cross in by day for the crossings, then return to the quiet conservancies for big cats by night.
That combination is the advantage of staying here: the set-piece crossings when they run, and low-vehicle, off-road, after-dark game viewing the rest of the time. Complimentary camera equipment and binoculars come on the drives.
It can be. Among the seven tents is a two-bedroom family suite with its own guide, vehicle, host and chef, which is well suited to a family wanting its own set-up, and a private vehicle lets the drives flex around younger ones. The camp is small and reached across a rope bridge, so it favours steady children over toddlers.
Walking safaris carry age limits for safety, so tell us your children's ages and we will match the tent, the vehicle and the activities to your family.
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our approach
Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.
