Offbeat Mara Camp

Offbeat Mara Camp puts seven tents on the Olare Orok River inside the Mara North Conservancy, a seventy-four-thousand-acre private wildlife area in the greater Mara ecosystem. The conservancy limits the number of tourist vehicles across its land, which means the game viewing happens with little competition from other camps — and with only seven tents, Offbeat Mara is among the smallest operations here.

Five tents are set up as doubles or twins; two are family tents, each with separate sleeping areas that accommodate four or five people. Every tent has a large verandah with a private dining table, a flush toilet, and a safari shower. All meals are prepared fresh daily: breakfasts and lunches can be taken as picnics in the bush, and dinners are served in camp — outside under the stars when the night is clear.

Game drives go out in open-sided, custom-built four-wheel-drive vehicles fitted with camera stands and roof hatches, with no fixed departure times. A resident lion group, known as the Offbeat Pride, ranges close to camp and is regularly heard from the tents at night. Walking safaris are led by Maasai guides who grew up herding cattle on this land. The Olare Orok River offers catch-and-release fishing for catfish and tilapia. All guides are graduates of the Koiyaki Guiding School, which guests can visit during their stay.