Karen Blixen Camp is an eco-friendly luxury camp that will offer you exciting explorer days. You will be taken decades back to when the first Masai warrior put his foot on unexplored land. Comfortable and luxury tents has been set up to provide a luxurious and stylish retreat after each day’s adventure. During the day, zebras, elephants and hippos come to extinguish their thirst from the river right at the camp.
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Ecorating: 4.0
This product meets our requirements for Ecorating, a product that is good for humans and the environment.
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This product meets our requirements for Ecorating, a product that is good for humans and the environment.
Sample Itinerary
You will arrive at Kenya International Airport where you will be picked up and driven to Wilson Airport for departure to Mara North Conservancy in Masai Mara. In front of Mara, meet your private Masai guide, enjoy a trip on the savannah and then arrive at Karen Blixen Camp. You will check in just in time for lunch and an introduction regarding this beautiful camp. Possibility of a siesta or strike down along the beautiful Mara River to have a look at birds and animals next to the river bank.
Later in the afternoon, you will head out for your first safari tour. Return to the camp, take a hot shower under the sky with the stars as the only spectator before enjoying a delicious dinner. Finish the evening around the campfire and listen to the savannah’s wildlife and Masai stories.
Wake up early morning to avoid missing the morning activity on the savannah. Have a cup of coffee or tea before it’s time for your next game drive. When you come back, a tasty breakfast awaits.
Take a guided camp-walk, see how Karen Blixen Camp operates an environmentally, friendly and luxury camp in the bush with environmentally friendly technologies such as solar panels, non-powered refrigerators, solar water heaters. Lunch and late siesta in the hammock before it’s time to head out in search for lions and giraffes.
You will return back to the camp just before dinner. The stars of Masai Mara are incredibly bright against the velvet blue night sky, enjoy a gin and tonic around the campfire and exchange stories about today’s adventures.
You wake up early in the morning as well as the previous day to get out on the savannah or if you want to spend the morning on the porch watching animals and birdlife while sipping your coffee. Enjoy breakfast. Today you can choose between activities such as tree planting, spend time with Maasai women in the jewelry workshop – watch them produce beautiful crafts, or spend some time with future Masai cocks in the hospitality school.
Enjoy your lunch and in the afternoon, you will do another game drive. There will also be a chance to go on a night safari. Late evening on the savannah has a different feeling. The atmosphere is different. Stronger. More quiet. You can really feel the dangers of the night when the big cat predators prepare for their nightly hunt. We leave late in the afternoon and return back for a late dinner.
Another day on the savannah awaits – who knows what you will experience on this day? Morning safaris and afternoon safaris are understood.
Treat yourself at the camp’s spa.
For dinner, you are invited to a surprise.
Wake up at your own pace, drink your morning coffee / tea on the patio of your tent, enjoy a last breakfast before checking out and leaving Masai Mara. Arrival at Nairobi around lunch time
Trip details
Eco-rating: 4.0
Season: June – april
AIiport: Jomo KenyattaInternational Airport (NBO)
Duration: 4 nights or as long as you wish
Included: International flight, full board accommodation including water, sodas, local beer and house wine, 2 game drives per day (alternately full day safari), one night game drive, domestic flights to and from Masai Mara, park fees.
Good to know about Kenya & Masai Mara: It is a big nature reserve in southwestern Kenya that is the continuation of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. Masai Mara is named after the Masai people (the indigenous people in the area) and they once described their land, while looking from a far distance, as: “Maa” (Masai language) which represents “Mara” and means “Spot”. It is a compelling description of trees, shrubs, savannah and cloud shadows that marked the area of never ending steppes.
Travel Ethics: In Masai Mara, water is a short supply. Therefor, use it sparingly. Masais are proud people, always ask before photographing. Bring small notes in local currency to shop for local crafts outside the villages. Shake hands with those you meet – a courtesy code here.
Mobile network and email: Email and internet access are available at the lodge. The mobile network works well. Basecamp management ask guests to use it discreetly.
Visa: Visitors to Kenya require a visa (some countries that are exempt). The passport must have at least two blank pages, six months’ validity. Single-entry visas are available upon arrival at Kenyan airports; however, Kenyan Immigration plans to end visas upon arrival in the near future. The traveler is responsible for the visa application.
You can either obtain a visa before departure or apply for a Kenyan visa online.
Currently, the application online is for “Single entry”. Visitors are requested to register their application in good time, as approval may take up to seven business days to process.
E-application: Applications for visitors to Kenya can be done via www.ecitizen.go.ke
Time zone: GMT + 3
Vaccinations: Read more about what vaccinations you need here.
Packing: On safari In Masai Mara you are usually 13-1500m above sea level, nights and evenings can be chilly. Bring a warmer sweater and good walking shoes. It’s advisable to bring a smaller backpack for water, binoculars, camera. Soft bags are easier to pack in the cars you travel in, please note that domestic flights have a max luggage allowance of 15kg pp.
Mosquito nets are available, but please bring mosquito spray.
Local Currency: Kenyan Shilling
Note: Kenya has recently introduced a ban on plastic bags and your bags will be checked as you enter customs upon arrival. Carrying plastic bags or bringing them into the country can cause big fines.
Weather: Weather Masai Mara
Water: Clean water is available at the camp.
Security: Your security is our priority. In Nairobi, do not walk around alone and avoid some places in Down Town.
More information at: Travel Advice
Ecorating: 4.0
This product meets our requirements for Ecorating, a product that is good for humans and the environment.
Does my trip make a difference?
Read more
This product meets our requirements for Ecorating, a product that is good for humans and the environment.
At Karen Blixen Camp you support genuine ecotourism. The camp is located in the Mara North Conservancy – a 30,000 acres, natural area just adjacent to the Masai Mara National Game Reserve. The area is run and owned by locals, 750 landowners, who directly earn money on tourism through the park tickets you pay as a guest for each day you spend there. Cooperation between the tourism industry and local population is crucial to ensuring that these large land areas are corridors for the game – not least the annual migration of 1 million goats.
The camp is powered by solar panels, shower water is heated by solar panels and in poorer weather, gas is used to ensure that the water is still warm and nice. The staff consists 85% of locals, which means that the community develops, especially when the camp is also committed to strengthening masai women through their jewellery manufacturing and honey production.
Karen Blixen Hospitality School is run to provide local people with education in the areas needed which will later open job opportunities within the tourism industry. Research shows that Masai people lack skills in the kitchen as well as garage and crafting. Therefore this project focuses on training cooks and mechanics.
In addition, the camp supports an elephant project -Mara Elephant Project – their main focus is to stop conflicts between people and wildlife and of course to fight the ongoing poaching.
As a guest, you can do an Eco Walk with one of our professional guides and visit several of these projects.
