Naboisho Camp, Mara Naboisho Conservancy

Accommodation

The nine generous tented suites offer comfortable king-sized beds (twin beds are available) and private facilities with indoor and outdoor hot running showers and flushing toilets. Each suite benefits from a private veranda furnished with a day bed – for the ultimate in post game-drive relaxation.

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Location

Located in the Greater Maasai Mara adjacent to the Maasai Mara National Reserve, the 200km² Mara Naboisho Conservancy is a groundbreaking tourism initiative that benefits both conservation and community. Rich game viewing combined with community interaction and the freedom to walk has made the Mara Naboisho Conservancy one of the most exciting destinations in Africa. It offers exceptional safari experiences in a vast tract of pristine Kenyan wilderness.

A true wildlife haven, the Mara Naboisho Conservancy has a higher density of game than the adjacent Maasai Mara National Reserve. The big cats reside here in big numbers – with over 100 lions living in the vicinity, the conservancy has one of the highest lion densities in the world. Because such a healthy lion population is not possible without an equally healthy wildlife food chain below it, you can expect astounding game viewing. Impressive numbers of elephant, giraffe, wildebeest and zebra – as well as 266 bird species – also call the area home, and sightings of the rare and elusive African wild dog are frequent.

In addition to the abundance of resident game, the Mara Naboisho Conservancy also serves as a vital migration corridor for the little-known Loita Migration, which sees up to 5 000 wildebeest and 1 000 zebra move though the area annually from the Mara Reserve to the Loita Plains in the east. The existence of the Mara Naboisho Conservancy ensures that ancient migratory cycles and patterns are left undisturbed.
However, the real magic of the conservancy is its sheer exclusivity – there are so few lodges in the area that you have a level of safari solitude simply unheard of in the busy Serengeti and Maasai Mara national reserves.

Activities

The Mara Naboisho Conservancy is not governed by the same rules as the national reserves, so there is the flexibility to see and experience something truly profound on safari at Naboisho. The activities at Naboisho Camp make the most of this unrivalled access to pristine wilderness: bush walks, off-road safaris, overnight fly camps, night drives and wilderness picnics are activities you could only dream of in the national reserves. The guides at Naboisho are adept at offering a deeper understanding of this complex ecosystem, making it an ideal choice for experienced safari travellers on their second or third visit to Africa, who are seeking a more profound experience.

Game drives
Twice daily game drives with passionate and highly knowledgeable guides are offered from Naboisho, as well as the chance to search for the elusive nocturnal creatures of the conservancy on a night drive. Off-road driving is possible on the privately owned land for once-in-a-lifetime sightings and excellent photo opportunities. Our guides take you in seven-seater open game-viewing vehicles or closed vehicles that seat five. All the vehicles have power points where you can recharge your devices, and are fitted with fridges to keep your drinks deliciously frosty.

Walking safaris
Discover the smaller ecosystems that tend to pass unnoticed from a vehicle: explore the bush by foot, accompanied by an expert armed guide and Maasai tracker.

Bush picnics
Leave camp with the rising sun at dawn and enjoy a packed breakfast or lunch to maximise your game-viewing time.

Fly camping
Spend the night in a simple fly camp in a quiet corner of the conservancy and enjoy splendid meals cooked over the campfire with only the sounds of the bush for company. (at an additional cost)

Children’s safari programme
Our bush guides are all family men who have themselves been raised on these plains. They share their childhood secrets, bush skills, animal tracking know-how, local folklore and incredible stories of life in the bush with your children during guided bush walks. Kids also get the chance to play traditional games and visit a nearby community or school to learn more about the customs of East Africa, make pen-pals and buy local handicrafts.

Cultural & community visits
Arrange a visit to one of the nearby Maasai villages to learn more about the magnificent culture that has defined this corner of Africa for centuries.

Research projects
With Naboisho’s focus on conservation, a number of research programmes are conducted within the conservancy, and resident researchers can sometimes be available to share their exciting findings with guests in the camp.

Hot-air balloon safaris
This is a romantic and evocative way to experience the wilderness of East Africa. Nothing can beat the feeling of gliding silently over the game-filled plains on a balloon safari, as the early-morning sun rises over the horizon. (at an additional cost)

Horse riding
They say four legs are better than two, so what better way to experience the bush than on horseback? Ride out across the open plains with the wind in your hair and watch dazzles of zebra and towers of giraffe from atop your stallion.

Camp Story

Naboisho Camp is situated within the Mara Naboisho Conservancy. Asilia Africa is proud to be one of the driving forces behind the conservancy, the creation of which saw over 500 Maasai landowners coming together to contribute their land to conservation.

Having successfully secured these community leases, the Mara Naboisho Conservancy is prime example of a tourism-turnaround story. With 210km² hectares under protection, the conservancy provides 142 direct jobs. The total area protected by the Mara conservancies together is 88 000km². Your conservancy fees provide the Maasai community with a sustainable livelihood and ensure the conservation of wildlife in this vital corridor of the Maasai Mara ecosystem.

In addition to the conservancy’s role in conservation it also provides steady and sustainable employment, which it is hoped will lead to an improved standard of living for the community as a whole. Furthermore, it offers additional benefits such as healthcare, clean energy and empowerment of the local people through education and skills training. Naboisho Camp itself is consciously low-impact: we aspire to leave behind nothing but footprints. Sustainable operations include recycling of rainwater and all waste products.

Our 2018 Rates

Naboisho Camp rates include: Full board accommodation, all drinks (except premium drinks), game drives, night drives, guided walks in Naboisho Conservancy, transfers to/from nearest airstrip and to/from Naboisho Camp & laundry service.

Rates below exclude: Any applicable park/conservancy fees, any applicable camping/concession fees, and conservation charge, totalling approximately US$ 120 per person per night. Cultural visits (US$ 30 per person), fly camping (US$ 175 per person), balloon safaris, transfers other than to/from nearest airstrip or Naboisho Camp, flying doctors/medical evacuation insurance, flights & airport taxes, gratuities, items of a personal nature, additional lunch (picnic or in house) US$ 25pp.

Green Season:

1 – 31 May: US$ 335 per person per night based on 2 people sharing accommodation

High Season:

1 – 5 January; 1 July – 31 October and  20 – 31 December: US$ 985 per person per night based on 2 people sharing accommodation

Low Season:

6 January – 31 March; 1 – 30 June and 1 November – 19 December: US$ 665 per person per night based on 2 people sharing accommodation