Kenya travel news: Great Plains Unveils Three New Safari Camps in Kenya's Mara Conservancies

Kenya travel news: Iconic conservation organisation Great Plains is delighted to have successfully opened sensational new holiday accommodation at Mara Toto, Mara Expedition and Mara Plains Camp. The new sustainable safari camps opened in June and have already been well-received by holiday guests. Dereck and Beverly Joubert, Great Plains CEO and co-founders, are thrilled to be expanding their eco-tourism portfolio of stunning safaris in Kenya's Maasai Mara. Although we may not be able to travel there quite yet from the UK, this is definately one to bookmark for future travels and holidays!

Mara Plains Camp

The new Mara Plains Camp featuring the exclusive new Mara Plains Jahazi Suite

Mara Plains Camp officially re-opened to guests on the 1st of June 2021 after undergoing an entire camp refurbishment, which included adding the exclusive new Mara Plains Jahazi Suite. Located in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, one of the most concentrated wildlife destinations on the planet with unrivalled access to more than 100,000 acres of exclusive land as well as access to the 375,000 Maasai Mara Reserve, 

Mara Plains Camp now shines brighter than ever before with a refreshed new look and a new exceptional exclusive use villa residence.

"A brand new Mara Plains Camp is now open, and the fantastic 2-bedroomed Mara Plains Jahazi Suite has also opened its big wooden Zanzibar doors! The camp is now entirely built on high stilts with walkways of ancient railway 'sleeper' wood winding their way through the forest, in and out of trees, to each tent. We have added Lamu doors, raised the library to treetop height, added a honeymoon suite on a separate island accessed by its own bridge and a wine cellar with a spectacular view. I loved Mara Plains before, but this new camp is the perfect evolution of what was there before but utilising some unique opportunities to expand the tasteful camp design into nooks and crannies of the trees that have grown into an amazing forest," said Dereck Joubert, CEO of Great Plains.

Key facts: Mara Plains Camp: 5 Suites plus the Mara Plains Jahazi Suite. Copper baths and inside showers. Day access to Maasai Mara National Reserve and Day & Night access to the Olare Motorogi Conservancy. Réserve Collection camp & Relais & Châteaux member.

The New Mara Toto Camp

The brand new Mara Toto Camp opened on the 1st of June 2021 and is ideal for families and intimate groups travelling together. Meaning "baby" in Swahili, Mara Toto Camp is located 2km away from big sister Mara Plains Camp. Situated along the Ntiakitiak riverbanks on the border of the Maasai Mara Reserve, the new Mara Toto Camp is hidden in the forest, offering guests privacy and fantastic game-viewing opportunities with access to both the Maasai Mara Reserve and the adjacent private Mara North  Conservancy. Guests will be spoiled with big cat sightings, as leopards, lions and more wildlife have frequently been passing through camp since opening day.

"We have spent the past six months refurbishing the site of Mara Toto Camp, adding brand new tents with that unique design everyone loved but also adding technical ways for us to remove the tent before any floods. The new Mara Toto Camp will open each year in May and close each year at the end of October, a seasonal migration camp, but in one of the most beautiful hidden valleys of the Maasai Mara. I love it," comments Joubert.

Key facts: Mara Toto Camp: 4 tents. Plumbed-in hot/cold water to inside bucket-effect shower. Day access to Maasai Mara National Reserve & Mara North Conservancy. Explorer Collection camp. 

The New Mara Expedition Camp

The recently opened Mara Expedition Camp allows guests to experience the original Africa explorers' designs from East Africa's romantic safari era. Here, guests will experience the best of both worlds: the intense action of the Maasai Mara ecosystem, as well as the more private 70,000-acre Mara North Conservancy. Designed by Beverly Joubert, the new Mara Expedition Camp is safari chic with six light and airy, spacious canvas tents, each with en-suite bathrooms where guests can enjoy piping hot water from huge brass safari showers. To further enhance the expedition theme, guests will also have the option to enjoy guided walking safaris. Mara Expedition Camps' ambience and 'back to the classics' safari design will be a winning combination for private groups and safari enthusiasts.

"Mara Expedition is a brand new camp, positioned on high ground in a grove of typical East African acacia trees overlooking a valley in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. It is on private land, so very exclusive but with access to some of the region's best wildlife. The camp tells the story of early day explorers with touches of campaign furniture and open-air space under light canvas. It is an ideal camp to start your safari looking for big cats such as cheetah and lion. Most days, you don't even have to go very far!" says Joubert. 

Key facts: Mara Expedition Camp: 6 tents. Plumbed-in hot/cold water to inside shower. Day access to Maasai Mara National Reserve & Mara North Conservancy. Explorer Collection camp. 

All Great Plains properties are solar-powered. A local sapling is planted for every guest that stays at a Great Plains Kenya camp as part of the Great Plains Foundation's Replacement of Shade Programme, a sustainable travel initiative aiming to restore indigenous trees to Kenya's vast landscape.

www.greatplainsconservation.com

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