Encounter Mara Camp in Masai Mara
Encounter Mara is owned by Asilia and is sister to nearby Naboisho also in Mara Naboisho Conservancy as well as Rekero located inside the Masaai Mara National Reserve. The camp overlooks a salt lick frequented by elephants and buffalos.
Outside every tent there is a veranda with two directors' chairs and a large and comfortable day bed. Most tents also feature a hammock hanging beneath a nearby tree. All of them look out over the plains in front of the camp.
Most guests choose to do two game drives a day, early morning and late in the afternoon when animals are most active. During the migration season when wildebeest crossings can be seen, guests opt for an all-day game drive into the Maasai Mara National Reserve, packing a picnic breakfast and lunch.
Night game drive is a popular activity in Encounter Mara. The drives normally set off after dinner for a couple of hours, slowly driving through the Mara Naboisho Conservancy's exciting bush and savanna environment before returning to the camp at about 10.00pm.
Naibosho Conservancy sits on an area of 50,000 acres and is northeast of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The conservancy has been formed by putting together parcels of land owned by over 500 Maasai families. The conservancy fees are shared among these families, providing them with a sustainable livelihood in return for setting aside their land as a wildlife conservancy.
The Mara Naboisho Conservancy offers a high density of wildlife and a low density of other tourists, making for a truly memorable safari away from the crowds.
Mara Naboisho Conservancy has one of the highest densities of lions in Africa. One of the major prides, comprised of 22 lions, makes its home near Encounter Mara. Also there are impressive numbers of elephants, giraffes, in addition to hosting endangered species like Cheetahs and some of the rarest animals in Kenya, such as Wild Dog which have been sighted in the conservancy.
Popular Activities
Safari game drives
Bird watching
Guided bush walks adventure
Local Masai village visits
Bush dining
Night game drives
Hot air balloon rides
Photographic safaris
Fly camping
Stargazing
Location
Encounter Mara is a classic camp located in Mara Naibosho Conservancy northeast Maasai Mara National Reserve. Naboisho Airstrip (also known as Ol Seki) is less than half an hour’s drive away.
Rooms
Encounter Mara has 11 tents, which includes a family tent. The tents are classic in design, with flaps that open up almost entirely at the front. The spacious tents are bright and airy, with plenty of room for the king size beds and stylish bedside lights.
The bathroom is located at the back of the tent, with a flush toilet, twin washbasins with cold water, and a 40-litre safari shower of hot water
Recommendation
Related Kenya Safari Hotels and Lodges
Tailor-Made Tour
First time on Safari?
Let’s start designing your Holiday
A new way to create your safari. African travel is opening up to the world. Create your first trip here and let us know what you think. You can trust our insightful team of travel experts to design a first time safari that experience in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda….
Highly recommended! Joseph created a fantastic, customized tour for my family. He listened to our many criteria and put together a wonderful package. He was always available and very responsive. Since we were on a safari that utilized flights within Kenya, there was no opportunity to enjoy Joseph's company (as others have commented). However, he made it a point to come to the airport at the start of our adventure and make sure we were all set. This was a small gesture that epitomized his character (I don't think this would have happened with a large tour provider). March 2023
This was our first safari and such an unforgettable experience. Communication with Joseph, the tour operator, was quick and easy. The proposed itinerary he provided was informative and we were able to easily modify it before finalizing everything. We enjoyed all the places we stayed at and there was something unique about each one. The game drives were just wow (super sawa sawa!). The tour guides/drivers (John in Kenya and Rajam in Tanzania) put in a lot of effort in finding the animals at the top of our list (leopard, rhino, calves, as well as a cheetah hunt and the most awesome selfie with an elephant). Each game drive was unique. There were so many encounters that left us awestruck—we’re still ooh ahhh-ing over our pictures and processing everything we experienced. Joseph was with us for the whole trip; he was quite knowledgeable about birds, which was a bonus. He also assisted with logistics (providing documents quickly for visas needed prior to arrival, getting us through border crossings, and arranging dinner reservations at a restaurant we wanted to go to prior to taking us to the airport). This was one of the best experiences we’ve ever had and we have White Plains Safaris to thank for that. They are reliable, prompt, friendly, and well worth the money. February 2023
Our experience with White Plains Safaris and Joseph was amazing! The service was impeccable since the very beginning: during the reservation process, Joseph was extremely helpful, flexible and very honest. After booking, he supported us in any way he could, including paying for our Visas as we had some issues doing that online by ourselves! He was also very helpful in creating the itinerary, which proved to be amazing as it offered great game drives and diversity of landscape. Things kept being perfect throughout our trip; the accommodations he had reserved were very nice and always positioned perfectly, to avoid extra driving. During the game drives he was very accommodating and always asking for our feedback to make sure we had the best time. He brought us in amazing spots thanks to his unstoppable Land Cruiser and we got to see many animals including 3 leopards from very close! We also enjoyed his company very much and he was always able to answer our questions and providing interesting insights on the animals, the parks and Kenya in general. We always felt safe and well taken care of, so I would (and will) strongly recommend Joseph and White Plains to anyone looking for a good time in Kenya and Tanzania. January 2023
White Plains Safari provided me with an incredible experience, they were really easy people to get to know and it felt like I had made another friend at the end of my trip. Their service was excellent, they were really outgoing and did their ultimate best to show us everything they could, even if it meant going out of their way in order to do so, they were very reliable and I personally had no concerns regarding their reliability. In terms of the tour itself, I would one hundred percent recommend my trip to Kenya to anyone, especially with White Plains Safaris. White Plains Safaris helped make my trip an experience I will never forget. May 2022
-
Milan Nanavati, USA
-
Esperanza Florendo, USA
-
Matteo Fogli, Germany
-
Shaun, Great Britain