Where to Stay
Every captivating tailor-made itinerary needs a perfect base. Our team has handpicked this collection of properties to give you luxury options in styles to suit any adventure.
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Our Team
Steppes Travel is made by the people who work here. Incredible holidays are made possible because of their vast travel experience and the great enthusiasm they bring to their work.
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Our Tour Experts
We carefully select our experts based on their knowledge, companionship and influence, ensuring that you can travel with the most knowledgeable leaders in the field.
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Heroes and Heroines
The people who lead the way when it comes to those things which matter to us: exploration, the environment, women’s empowerment and education.
Masai Mara
Picture Africa in your mind’s eye and chances are you will visualise the vast, acacia-dotted plains of the Masai Mara, teeming with game.
Situated in the south-west of Kenya, the Masai Mara is part of the Serengeti ecosystem. Huge herds move through the sweeping plains on their annual migration followed by a supporting cast of predators. It has gained an unfair reputation as being too busy or too commercial, but this is simply not true.
Stay in private conservancies
The knowledge of Steppes’ Kenya experts highlights this misconception of the Masai Mara as too busy. We know the places to avoid – where the crowds can seem overwhelming. Instead, we can take you to small, privately owned conservancies, where the wildlife is every bit as prolific, but the viewing is private and infinitely more memorable.
When to go to the Masai Mara
Every month is different. Peak time in the Masai Mara is August and September, when the migration is in full flow. The promise of rain and fresh grass in the north brings more than a million wildebeests together – into a single massive herd, which pours across the Tanzanian border and into the Mara.
That said, the Mara is always full of wildlife, so don’t fall into the trap of thinking the reserve is void of game for the rest of the year. One of our favourite times to visit is during the green season, from February until March or between October and November. The showers clear the air, the plains are a lush green and the animals look healthy. There are also very few tourists.
Where to stay in the Masai Mara
With so much choice, there is a camp to suit everyone. Kicheche Mara Camp is a tried and tested classic bush camp. Delivering great wildlife experiences, it is particularly popular with photographers. If you are looking for a safari with added style, then Alex Walker’s Serian is a perfect choice – it features commanding views across the Mara River and a private walking concession.
Somewhere like Cottar’s 1920s Camp provides a true Out-of-Africa experience, with a safari heritage going back to the turn of the last century. Alternatively, jump right into the 21st Century, with the show-stopping design and striking setting at Angama Mara.
Blog
A Passion for Lions by Brian Jackman
“It was 1974 – my first visit to Africa – and the first time I had ever flown in a tiny six-seater bush plane. 45 minutes after leaving Nairobi, we reduced altitude to touch down in Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve, bouncing from thermal to thermal over endless plains on which herds of buffalo stampeded away and elephants stood and watched us.”
Experiences
What do you really love doing? We curate your itinerary especially for you.
Kenya
House in the Wild
Tucked away in Naretoi on a 1,000-acre private estate within the Enonkishu Conservancy, House in the Wild sits on the banks of the Mara River.
Kenya
Angama Mara
Set high up on the Oloololo Escarpment, over a series of three protruding kopjes, Angama seems to hang from the edge of the Rift Valley. It can lay claim to the view that was made famous…
Kenya
Olonana Camp
This contemporary safari camp lies in a private concession on the edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve. Looking out over the famous Mara River, it sits at the base of the magnificent Siria Escarpment, which…
Kenya
Alex Walker’s Serian
Alex Walker’s Serian sits in the award-winning Mara North Conservancy, high up on an escarpment with commanding views overlooking the Mara River. The spacious tented rooms are a mix of smooth stone and wood, softened by…
Meet our experts
A passion for travel runs right through every one of our experts - meaning they're always ready with first-hand insight about their specialist countries.
Illona Cross
Illona has visited Kenya numerous times, as well as spending time in the Masai Mara as a safari guide at one of the camps. Having explored much of the country and stayed at a variety of camps and lodges, she always enjoys the diversity of activities on offer, including her personal favourite, horse riding.
Talk with our experts
- 01285 880 980
Chris Johnston
Chris has explored much of Africa over the years, yet holds firm the belief that Kenya offers the best big-game experience in the world. He has walked, driven, mountain-biked, ridden and paddled past some of Africa’s most exciting wildlife whilst on safari in Kenya. And such is the style and comfort of the country’s lodges, all this was whilst within easy reach of an ice-cold G&T.
Talk with our experts
- 01285 880 980
Idea
Kenya
Laikipia and Mara Photographic Safari
Set out on a photographic safari through the heart of wild Kenya. Capture the best of Africa’s wildlife on camera, in private conservancies, with exclusive use of a vehicle and guide. Fly between Laikipia and the Masai Mara, spending time at luxurious…
Idea
Kenya
Flying Safari to Amboseli, Meru and the Mara
Fly in comfort, on a chartered plane, across Kenya’s wild landscape. Begin with the elephant-dominated grasslands of Amboseli, before flying north to the baobabs of Meru. End in the spectacular Masai Mara, the highlight of any trip to Kenya.
Idea
Kenya
Laikipia and Mara Photographic Safari
Set out on a photographic safari through the heart of wild Kenya. Capture the best of Africa’s wildlife on camera, in private conservancies, with exclusive use of a vehicle and guide. Fly between Laikipia and the Masai Mara, spending time…
Idea
Kenya
Flying Safari to Amboseli, Meru and the Mara
Fly in comfort, on a chartered plane, across Kenya’s wild landscape. Begin with the elephant-dominated grasslands of Amboseli, before flying north to the baobabs of Meru. End in the spectacular Masai Mara, the highlight of any trip to Kenya.
Other highlights to explore
Laikipia
Boasting more endangered mammals than anywhere else in East Africa, the vast Laikipia plateau extends from the lush foothills of snow-capped Mount…
Samburu and Meru
A dramatic landscape of semi-arid desert, lush springs and sacred mountains, one of the best places in Kenya for good sightings of…
Kenyan Coast
Forget what you know about the Kenya coast. It is beautiful, welcoming and the perfect place to end your safari.
Amboseli, Chyulu Hills and Tsavo
Often overlooked by travellers less in the know, these three regions sit in a thinly populated part of Kenya down on the…
Matthews Range
This remote mountain range in northern Kenya rises up from the flatter lands of Samburu, north of the Ewaso Nyiro River.
Nairobi
Used mainly as a quick stopover, Nairobi is an interesting city with some good places to visit.
Lake Turkana
Known as the “Jade Sea”, this vast lake lies in the very north of Kenya - remote even in a country so…
Why Choose Steppes?
Our knowledge and expertise set us apart. So too our curiosity. It is this that drives us to create a journey that is really bespoke to you, all the while ensuring we travel and operate sustainably.
Are you ready to discover extraordinary once again?
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