Masai Mara National Reserve
Exclusive conservancy access, private helicopter game flights, and just 12 guests in camps overlooking the migration.
For exclusive travellers, the Masai Mara experience is defined not by the national reserve itself but by the private conservancies that border it. These 100,000+ hectares of exclusive traversing land — including Olare Motorogi, Mara North, and Naboisho — limit beds to approximately one per 700 acres, ensuring a level of privacy impossible in the public reserve. Our curated Mara properties include Angama Mara (perched on the Great Rift Valley escarpment with infinity-pool views of the migration), Cottar's 1920s Camp (recreating the golden age of safari), and Sala's Camp (intimate riverside luxury in the southern Mara). What sets exclusive Mara travel apart is the access: off-road driving in conservancies means your guide positions the vehicle for perfect photography angles, night drives reveal nocturnal predators, and walking safaris with Maasai warriors add a dimension inaccessible from a vehicle. For our most discerning clients, we arrange private helicopter transfers from Nairobi that include a scenic flight over the Rift Valley and a game-spotting approach to the camp.
Exclusive conservancy access, private helicopter game flights, and just 12 guests in camps overlooking the migration.
Best Time to Visit
August-September for peak river crossings (we pre-position guides at known crossing points). February for intimate calving season with newborn predator encounters. Year-round for resident game in conservancies.
What You'll See
Africa's highest density of big cats: 850+ lions, 200+ leopards, cheetah families. Conservancy night drives add aardvark, honey badger, and African wildcat. Walking safaris with Maasai tracker guides.
Getting There
Private helicopter from Nairobi (45 minutes with scenic Rift Valley flyover) or scheduled charter from Wilson Airport. Exclusive meet-and-greet service at all departure points.
Masai Mara National Reserve in Pictures
Where to Go in Masai Mara National Reserve
Mara Triangle
The Mara Triangle occupies the western third of the Masai Mara National Reserve, separated from the main reserve by the Mara River and managed by the Trans Mara County Council in partnership with the Mara Conservancy. This management arrangement has produced noticeably better road maintenance, stricter vehicle limits, and more effective anti-poaching patrols than some parts of the main reserve, resulting in a safari experience that feels more controlled and exclusive. The Triangle is a prime location for witnessing Great Migration river crossings, as several of the most reliable crossing points — including the famous Main Crossing and Serena Crossing — lie along the Mara River within or adjacent to the Triangle. The terrain is characterised by sweeping grassland ascending to the Oloololo (Siria) Escarpment, whose cliffs provide panoramic views across the entire Mara ecosystem. Lion prides, cheetah coalitions, and large elephant herds are regular sightings, while the riverine forest along the Mara supports excellent leopard populations. Access is via a single bridge, which limits vehicle numbers and preserves the area's tranquil atmosphere.
Mara North Conservancy
Mara North Conservancy is a 74,000-acre private wildlife conservancy directly north of the Masai Mara National Reserve, owned by approximately 800 Maasai landowners who receive monthly lease payments funded by tourism revenue. This pioneering community-conservancy model limits the number of beds to approximately 12 per 1,000 acres, ensuring exceptionally low visitor densities that make game drives feel like private wilderness experiences. The conservancy's open grassland and scattered acacia woodland support resident populations of lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, buffalo, and giraffe year-round. During the Great Migration (July-October), the herds pass through Mara North en route to and from the Mara River, and the conservancy's flexible driving rules — off-road permitted, no vehicle time limits at sightings — allow for intimate, unhurried wildlife photography that is not possible within the national reserve. Night drives reveal nocturnal species including aardvark, genet, bush baby, and African wildcat. Walking safaris with Maasai guides add a cultural dimension, traversing the same landscape their families have inhabited for generations.
Olare Motorogi Conservancy
Olare Motorogi Conservancy covers 13,500 hectares adjacent to the Masai Mara's eastern boundary, with only six camps permitted in the entire conservancy. It consistently ranks among Africa's top predator-viewing areas, with resident lion prides, a healthy leopard population along riverine corridors, and open grasslands favoured by cheetah. Night drives reveal aardvark, civet, and serval.
Olare Motorogi Conservancy
Olare Motorogi Conservancy covers 35,000 acres immediately east of the Masai Mara National Reserve and is widely regarded as one of the finest private wildlife conservancies in Africa. With only six camps operating within its boundaries and strict bed limits, Olare Motorogi offers the lowest visitor-to-area ratio of any conservancy in the Mara ecosystem. This translates into game-drive experiences where your vehicle may be the only one at a sighting — even a lion kill or leopard in a tree. The conservancy is renowned for its exceptional big-cat sightings. Several well-known lion prides and individual leopards — many followed and documented by researchers — are habituated to vehicles, allowing remarkably close observation of natural behaviour. The open-plain sections support thriving cheetah populations, and African wild dog pass through during their wide-ranging movements across the greater ecosystem. Off-road driving, walking safaris with armed rangers, and night drives are all permitted, making Olare Motorogi the gold standard for intimate, high-quality Mara safaris. The conservancy's revenue-sharing model ensures that Maasai landowners benefit directly, creating lasting community support for wildlife protection.
Naboisho Conservancy
Naboisho Conservancy encompasses 20,000 hectares east of the Masai Mara reserve, created in 2010 through a lease agreement with over 500 Maasai landowners. Dense bush habitat supports exceptional leopard sightings, while open plains attract large lion prides. With only nine camps, Naboisho offers one of the lowest tourist-to-area ratios in the Mara ecosystem.
Safaris in Masai Mara National Reserve
Serengeti & Ngorongoro Private Safari
7 Days
A 7-day private luxury safari through Tanzania's Serengeti plains and Ngorongoro Crater with exclusive lodge stays and dedicated guide.
$4,500 per person
Uganda Primates & Wilderness
7 Days
A 7-day luxury Uganda safari combining mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi, chimpanzee tracking in Kibale, and Queen Elizabeth NP wildlife.
$4,800 per person
Rwanda Gorilla & Golden Monkey Trek
5 Days
A 5-day luxury Rwanda experience combining mountain gorilla trekking, golden monkey encounters, and Nyungwe Forest canopy walks.
$5,500 per person
Kenya Private Conservancy Safari
8 Days
An 8-day luxury Kenya safari through private conservancies — Ol Pejeta rhinos, Laikipia walking safaris, and Masai Mara's big cats.
$6,200 per person
Kruger to Indian Ocean
9 Days
A 9-day luxury journey from Big Five game drives in South Africa's Sabi Sands to the pristine Bazaruto Archipelago in Mozambique.
$7,500 per person
Great Migration Luxury Experience
10 Days
A 10-day luxury migration safari tracking two million wildebeest across Tanzania's Serengeti, with stays at Africa's finest tented camps.
$7,800 per person
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Read Guide →Ready to Explore Masai Mara National Reserve?
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