Are you looking for a luxury safari in Kenya? Are you seeking a luxury safari crafted with the finest pleasure, taste, and beauty ingredients? Or a safari in Kenya, where every detail is a work of art? If yes, you have come to the right place. Luxury escape tours takes you to a world of perfection. To do this, you must know the various luxury camps in Masai Mara.
The Maasai Mara is one of the world’s most famous national parks. It is also a Unesco world heritage site because it is home to the great wildebeest migration. Every year, hundreds of thousands of wildebeest cross the crocodile-infested river in search of pasture. As the wildebeests cross the river, lions, cheetahs, and leopards wait for the perfect kill.
We have created this guide based on what each luxury camp offers and its prices. To know more about other luxury lodges in Kenya, read our best Kenya safari lodges guide. The guide reviews various luxury safari lodges in the country to make it easy for tourists like you to know where to stay.
Why choose Luxury Camps in Masai Mara?
Our work ensures your Kenya safari holiday is luxurious, safe, and memorable. We cannot do this by booking you in a low-end lodge. Though low-end lodges are safe, they do not offer our clients the level of sophistication we want. Luxury lodges offer excellent facilities like spas, private plunge pools, and fitness centers.
In addition, luxury camps in the Masai Mara offer gourmet dining options, privacy for our high-end clients, cultural safaris, and various outdoor activities such as helicopter tours, balloon rides, and lion tracking on horses. In short, our services guarantee an unforgettable luxury safari in Kenya.
We have stayed in all the listed luxury lodges in this review. This means that everything we write about is factual and accurate. Our top luxury camps in the Masai Mara are:
1. Mara Explorer Tentent Camp
Mara Explorer is a luxurious tented camp strategically located to offer spectacular Game views. Tourists in the Masai Mara can see herds of watering hippos and elephants from the comfort of their private veranda. The camp has its airstrip, open-sided safari jeeps, and free Wifi in all public places.
Each tent has its private river frontage, making it easy for tourists to see the wild from the comfort of their verandah and bedroom. We like that each tent can open upwards into the sky, and every tent has a Victorian claw-foot bathtub that offers secluded open-air bathing in the wild. Yes, it’s that amazing!
Services and activities
- Two-hour nature walks with a Maasai naturalist
- Hot air balloon safari
- Bush dining within sight of lions of hippos
- Sundowner with a cocktail by a campfire
- Early morning safaris
- Cultural visits to local communities
- Culinary dining
Best Suited For:
- Couples
Daily Rates: $1,000 – 1,600
2. Elewana Sand River Masai Mara
One of the best camps in Masai Mara is the Elewana Sand River camp. This luxury camp is in the Maasai Mara National Reserve, near the Tanzanian border. It features traditional interior fixtures that make travelers in Kenya feel like they are living in the 1920s.
Sand River Masai Mara has 16-tented accommodations, including one family tent {Separated into two within the same campsite} and a private dining area. The best way to get to this camp is by using the Keekorok airstrip via a 45-minute flight from Wilson airport. Tourists in the Mara can see wildebeests from the comfort of their verandah.
Services and activities
- Swimming
- Bush meals and sundowners
- Ballon safaris
- A visit to a local school supported by the Land and Life Foundation
- Shared game drives in a custom 4×4 Vehicle
Best Suited For
- Honeymoon vacation
Daily Rates: $2,300 – 4,300
3. Olare Mara Kempinski Masai Mara
Olare Mara is one of the few 5 star lodges in Masai Mara. The luxury lodge is known for its sophisticated elegance, decadent dining, and culture. Olare Mara has a safari-style accommodation with silk sheets available at your request. We like that Olare Mara Kempinski offers in-house Spa treatments, including therapeutic massage.
Other types of massage offered include deep tissue, foot reflex massage, and full body scrub. Massages are open Mon-Sun 09:00 – 19:00. The lodge offers international cuisine prepared by the best chefs in Africa. Here, we guarantee you will love how the food is presented {the safari way}.
The lodge does not charge for reservations, and the booking system complies with GDPR guidelines.
Services and Activities
- Game viewing using a 4×4
- Culinary that includes local, international, and signature dishes
- Bush dining
Best Suited For:
- Food lovers
Daily Rates: $1,000 – $2,000
4. Mahali Mzuri
This Maasai Mara lodges and camps list cannot be complete without Mahali Mazuri. This luxury lodge was rated the best safari lodge in the travel niche in 2021. It has 12 private luxury tents with an en suite bathroom, private deck, and spectacular views of the wild. At any given time, the tent can only handle 24 guests. Yes, your privacy is more than guaranteed!
Mahali Mazuri offers several unforgettable experiences, such as fine dining in the African sky {open bush} or a dining tent. The lodge also has a private Spa room that offers spectacular views of the wild. When you visit in the rainy season, you can still swim in the outdoor infinity poor because it is heated.
Another thing we loved about this luxury tented camp in the Masai Mara is that it is child friendly. There are alot of things for children to do, which keeps them busy, while adults have time to enjoy their safari.
Services and Activities
- Offer personalized services for guests looking to have a birthday party or a wedding
- Night game drives
- Private vehicle safaris
- Day game drives
- Cultural tours to the Maasai community
- Games and adventures for children
- Prices include alcoholic beverages
- Children between the age of 2 -5 stay free of charge
Best Suitable For:
- Families with kids
- Travelers looking to wed or have a birthday party in the wild
Daily Rate: $1,600 – $3,000
Exclusive everyday use: $23,500 – $40,000
5. Olarro Kenya
This is one of the most luxurious camps in the Masai Mara. It is a sanctuary for indulgence and a place to forget the hustle and bustle of business life. Here, you are met with opulent outposts in a 20,000 private-acre shelter. In the sanctuary, tourists can see the big five roaming freely in the endless plains.
Olarro is an eco-camp that offers excellent African and international cuisine. The lodge also bakes its bread and cooks using locally grown organic ingredients. Adventure travelers will love the resort more because they can explore the wild using quad bikes. After a long trek in the wild, you can relax at a private spa and enjoy an aromatic massage.
Services and Activities
- Quad bike adventures
- Spa and well being
- Bush dining in the wild surrounded by lions
- Private safaris
- Night drives
- Children activities
- Village school visits
- Hot air ballon rides
- Honey pass
Best Suitable For:
- Luxury tourists traveling to Kenya
- Families with small children
- Adventure lovers
Daily Rate: $1,000 – $2,500
6. Governors Camp
The governor’s camp is built in the Riverine forest along the Mara River. Its strategic location makes it easy for tourists to see hippos and crocodiles in the comfort of their tents. The lodgehas 25 tents. The tents occupy strategic positions along the Mara and have a classic theme style. Governor’s camp has been awarded a silver Eco rating for sustainable tourism practices.
In addition, the camp serves a continental breakfast with a full English buffet. We liked that the lodge caters to special diets if requested. However, it is good to do it beforehand so the chefs have enough time to source the ingredients. Amenities in the camp include a SPA, UK plugs, and free wifi.
Services and Activities
- Game viewing
- Balloon safaris
- Bird watching
- Walking safaris
- Masai cultural visits
- Cultural talk
Best Suited For:
- Travelers interested in cultural visits
Daily Rates: $2,060 – $3,500
7. Cottar’s Camp
Did you know that Cottar’s camp is one of the few luxury tented lodges in Maasai Mara that works directly With local communities to promote wildlife conservation? This family-run business is located in the private Olderkesi conservancy that borders the Mara reserve. The camp offers vintage luxury, privacy, and various safari experiences for kids and grown-ups.
One unique experience is a kid’s entomology safari that teaches children about insects. Children also learn the importance of conservation and its benefits to the environment. The camp also has a SPA center that offers various massages, such as deep tissue and aromatic massage.
Another thing we liked about Cottar’s camp is that visitors do not have a scheduled meal time. Order food any time you want to eat, and it will be delivered.
Services and Activities
- Spa treatment
- Game drives
- ‘Coffe tasting experiences
- Ballon rides
- Swimming
- Stargazing experiences
- Safari walks with a Maasai warrior
- Traditional canvas bush bath
Best Suited For:
- Tourists looking to experience multiple adventures
- Travelers with children
Daily Rates: $1800 – $3600
8. Mara Ngenche Safari Camp
This top 10 lodges in the Masai Mara list will not make sense without discussing the Mara Ngenche Safari Camp. This intimate, luxurious camp is deep inside the ravine forest, with excellent views of the Mara and Talek rivers. The camp has 12 spacious tents with traditional African Decor and continental charm.
Tourists in the camp enjoy open-sized dining, WIFI, continental-style cuisine, and 240V charging facilities. The best way to travel to the Mara Ngecha Safari camp is through Wilson airport using a chartered flight.
Services and Activities
- Picnic lunches in the wild
- Sundowners
- Day game drives
- Bush breakfast/dinners
- Cultural entertainment by Maasai warriors
- Safaris using a 4WD open-sided vehicle
Best Suited For:
- Budget tourist
Daily Rates: $1500 – $1800
9. Mara Crossing
The Mara crossing luxury camp is close to the various migratory crossing points in the Maasai Mara national reserve. Tourists in Kenya can stay in one of the eight spacious tents or a unique suite created for honeymooners and photographers.
Mara crossing guarantees privacy for all VIP guests, meaning you will not share your trip with anyone else. The park provides various activities to its guests, the most popular being balloon safaris. However, remember that balloon safaris depend on prevailing weather conditions.
The best time for a balloon safari should be early and late evenings.
Services and Activities
- Sundowners
- Balloon Safaris
- Private car hires
- Game drives
Best Suited For:
- Photographers
- Honeymooners
Daily Rates: $1,000 – $1,500
10. Hammer Kop Luxury Lodge
The Hammer Kopa Luxury Lodge only has 7 exclusive tents and can only be accessed by air or using a 4X4. The unique thing about this luxury camp in Masai Mara is that it is the closest camp to the wildebeest migration. The camp is 200 meters from a Wildebeest migration hotspot.
This makes the lodge an ideal place for photographers to stay. It is also important to note that the camp is built on an Oxbow a few meters from the Musiara Swamp. The area is a haven for numerous birds and wildlife, such as hippos. Yes, you will see the wildlife from the comfort of your tent.
To access the camp, tourists must fly to the Musiara airstrip, a 45 Minutes flight from Nairobi. We like the peace and tranquility that the camp offers to its visitors. We also liked the personalized experience offered by the staff. Also, our meals were sometimes disrupted by herds of elephants that tried to bully their way through the camp. This was a great experience!
Activities and Services
- Hot air ballon rides
- Bird photography
- Game drives to see the BIG 5
- Sundowners
- Campfires
- Picnics
Best Suited For:
- Budget tourists
- Photographers
Daily Rate: $400 – $700
In a nutshell, though can stay in any of the above luxury camps in Masai Mara; choose a luxury lodge that meets your needs. For example, if you prefer exclusive use of a luxury camp for your entourage, consider a lodge-like Mahali Mzuri. If you are on a budget but still want to enjoy a luxury safari, then Hammer Kop is the best place to stay.
