Capture your safari with Cottar’s Safaris’ in-house photographer. Available to join wildlife drives, guided walks, balloon safaris, or cultural visits to ensure your time at Cottar’s Safaris is documented. Sessions range from two hours to a full day, with images delivered digitally before departure. It’s a simple way to preserve memories of your stay, perfect for once-in-a-lifetime family trips, milestone birthdays, or those planning a romantic proposal.

Join the Mara Elephant Project on a private helicopter flight, offering rare insight into elephant protection and the conservation of the Greater Mara Ecosystem. Accompanied by MEP’s CEO and rangers, you’ll track elephants across vast landscapes before flying to the MEP Campus. There, enjoy refreshments, meet the rangers, and take part in an interactive presentation at their operational headquarters for a close look at their conservation work.

Available from $3,000 donation. Book in advance

Depart before dawn for a private hot-air balloon flight. After an early morning transfer, ascend with the sunrise, floating above the incredible Maasai Mara’s in timeless elegance. At times, the pilot lowers to treetop height for intimate views, at others, you’ll soar a thousand feet above for vast panoramas. This gentle flight reveals sweeping savannahs, roaming wildlife and extraordinary photographic opportunities, concluding with a champagne bush breakfast beneath Africa’s endless skies.

3.30am wake up / 4am departure. From $505 per adult / $400 per child (4-11). Children under 4 are not permitted. Duration flight time between 30-60 minutes. Total experience 8 hours

Cottar’s Safaris is working towards carbon neutrality by 2027. Our guests are invited behind the scenes to see how we measure our footprint and look for ways to reduce it. The visit explores how waste is reused or recycled in camp, from upcycling initiatives to small changes that cut our energy use. It’s a straightforward but eye-opening way to see how improving our sustainability is part of daily life here at Cottar’s Safaris.

Cottar’s Safaris is proud that the Olderkesi Conservancy is protected by the Maasai Mara’s first all-female ranger unit. Their work covers wildlife protection as well as community and cultural projects that support local livelihoods. Guests can spend an hour with the team, hearing first-hand about the challenges they face and, where appropriate, joining them in daily tasks. These can include patrols, removing snares, monitoring wildlife or engaging with the Maasai community.

Guests can take part in seedball dispersal, a simple way for our guests to give something back to the land. From a vehicle or on foot, scatter small balls of native seeds designed to take root when the rains arrive. It’s conservation with a playful edge: testing your throw, aiming into the grass, and knowing each seedball could grow into a tree. Over time, these trees will help to improve soil, restore habitats and support the wider ecology of the Mara.

This seasonal outing is a unique stop on a safari drive or a way to spend a morning or afternoon away from camp. With your expert guide, you can swim in the natural pools beneath the falls, dive from the rocks, or even try hand-line fishing for catfish. The waterfall on the Sand River is about a 45 minutes safari drive from Cottar’s Safaris.

Walking or running in the Mara reveals details often missed from a vehicle. Tracks, insects, bird nests and the diversity of plants all come into focus at a slower pace. Guided by a Maasai warrior, guests may choose a gentle walk or a more energetic run at dawn or dusk. Each offers a different way to experience the land, combining fitness with learning about the ecosystem underfoot.

Walk the land as the Maasai have for centuries, guided by seasonal plants and the wisdom of nature. Along the way, discover wild foods and traditional remedies often hidden in plain sight. With your guide, gather ingredients that our chef will later prepare into a tasting that reflects the Mara’s biodiversity. Both cultural and culinary, this walk offers a deeper understanding of heritage, ecology and the unique wild food sources of the Maasai Mara.

In Kenya’s national parks, including the Maasai Mara, walking safaris are not permitted. At Cottar’s Safaris, based in a private conservancy, guests have the rare chance to leave the vehicle and explore the bush on foot. Suitable for all ages and fitness levels, walks begin from camp and move at a slower pace, revealing details often missed on a drive. Our award-winning guides highlight animal tracks, bird nests and plants, with each walk supported by a licensed, armed gun bearer for safety.

Dining at Cottar’s Safaris is never just about food - it’s an adventure. From foraged flavors to wild settings, every meal tells a story of heritage, wilderness, and imagination. The “Forage-to-Fork” experience weaves local ingredients into handcrafted dishes, culled from regional farms and bush surroundings. Picnics – be it breakfast, lunch or dinner – are served under the open sky, and bush-cooked breakfasts bring the aroma of fire and freshly brewed coffee to dawn’s hush. At twilight, sundowners and signature cocktails like the Dawa or our Mara Margarita are passed around as day slips into night. Candlelight dinners, al fresco lunches at Cottar’s 1920s Camp or poolside, and private veranda dining let guests dine wherever inspiration strikes.

Cottar’s Safaris organic kitchen garden supplies much of the fresh produce used in camp. Patrick, our gardener, tends to it daily, ensuring the beds thrive and giving our chefs a constant source of inspiration. Our guests are invited to walk through the garden, see what’s in season, and even pick herbs or vegetables that may be used in the day’s meals. The garden reflects our commitment to local sourcing, freshness and sustainable practice.

Spend an afternoon tasting different coffees from Rwanda, Ethiopia and Kenya, brewed using the siphon method. This glass vacuum process pushes hot water through fresh grounds, creating a clean and delicate cup. As the coffee brews, our coffee expert explains how climate, altitude and processing shape the flavour and aroma. You’ll also hear about the history and cultural importance of coffee in East Africa.

Our small spa tent offers a quiet space to unwind and a range of therapies, each designed around you with organic, carefully sourced ingredients. Situated close to the main mess tent, this calm retreat provides soothing massages and rejuvenating treatments. Every experience is created with care, allowing you to slow down, restore balance, and find stillness in the heart of the Mara.

Treatments available from $50

Weekly movie nights bring cinema into the wild, with a private outdoor screening set against the backdrop of the Maasai Mara. As dusk falls, you will settle into canvas beanbags or Maasai shuka mats with blankets provided. Iconic African films are projected under the stars, with lanterns, a roaring fire and our vintage Rolls Royce ‘Dugu Dugu’ Bar setting the scene. Popcorn, hotdogs, and handmade chocolates complete the experience before dinner is served back at camp.

Cottar’s Safaris vintage Rolls Royce has been transformed into the ‘Dugu Dugu’ Bar, which roves to scenic spots across the Olderkesi Conservancy. The boot opens to reveal a travelling bar, perfectly set for sundowners with a view. Signature cocktails include the Dawa, Kenya’s mix of vodka, lime and honey, alongside our house specials such as the Mara Margarita, Safari Spice and Karibu Cottar’s. African wines and liqueurs also feature, chosen for their ties to local culture and craft.

Kenya’s night skies are wide and clear, with little light pollution and a view straight from the equator. At Cottar’s Safaris, stargazing is about stories as much as stars With our guides, you’ll hear both Western and Maasai interpretations of the same stars. Greek myths speak of hunters and sisters, while Maasai stories use the sky to mark rain, migration and moments of community life.

At the end of the day, guests can choose to gather for evening talks on everything from Maasai culture to raptors, pangolins, the Cottar family history, sustainability, and the history of African safari . These evening talks are led by our guides and visiting experts, and they feel more like conversations than lectures. Sometimes they happen around the campfire under the night sky, other times in our Explorers Tent - always adding insight and a different perspective on the unique subject matter.

The salt-water pools at Cottar’s Safaris provide a quiet break between activities. Set in the bush, they are places to swim or simply relax with a book. Cottar’s 1920s Camp and Cottar’s Bush Villa each have an infinity pool for guest use. Their secluded settings make time here feel private and unhurried, whether you are cooling off, reading, or watching the light shift across the landscape. Guests are welcome to enjoy them at any time during their stay.

Step back in time with a canvas bath prepared in the open air. Warm water, bubbles and wilderness all around make it a rare safari indulgence. Drawn at a time to suit you, the private canvas bath experience can be arranged for individuals, couples, or families. With only the sounds of the bush for company, it blends comfort with tradition and offers a glimpse of how early travellers ended a day on safari.

A guided village visit introduces you to Maasai life in depth: from manyattas (mud homes) and livestock to community systems of security, education, healthcare and resource management. You will also explore the local market, where artefacts and attire are sold, while learning how ancient traditions coexist with modern challenges and opportunities.

2 hour visit from $20 donation per person 

Children aged five and over can join our guides and trackers for a hands-on introduction to the smaller creatures of the bush. Out in the open, the Mara becomes an outdoor classroom alive with insects, birds, tracks and stories. Here, the guide and tracker become the teachers, showing why conservation matters in ways that are fun and engaging. Children learn patience in observing, practise identifying animals, and may even strike up a friendship with a Maasai warrior. A safari with children is not only educational but also uniquely rewarding.

Step into Maasai tradition with a private beading session led by Mamma Naishuru, a widowed grandmother and skilled artisan. In an interactive one-hour session, she will guide you in creating a simple personalised bracelet.
 Longer sessions of two hours or half a day allow for more intricate pieces to be developed. Half-day bookings directly support her two granddaughters, with all proceeds divided between materials and their care. Additional contributions can be arranged through camp management.

Duration from 30 minutes to a full day. Available from $15

Our unique Maasai Warrior School introduces the cultural knowledge and practical skills that Maasai warriors use in daily life, passed from one generation to the next. Activities are adapted by age, ensuring an engaging and authentic experience for all. Children may learn fire-making, spear-throwing, archery, traditional jumping, dancing, singing and tracking. Adults can take part in the same skills, or spend time discussing culture and the age-set system and the roles and responsibilities that shape Maasai community life.

Enhance your wildlife photography on safari with Canon Ambassador and award-winning photographer Georgina Goodwin. This private opportunity provides expert guidance on composition, light and technique in the field. With Georgina’s guidance, you will develop both technical skill and artistic expression. In addition, 20% of proceeds support conservation through the Cottar’s Wildlife Conservation Trust, ensuring every image contributes to the protection of the Mara.

Full day. Available from $780 + travel. Booking in advance.

Cheetah populations in the Mara have declined by a third over the last two decades, largely due to long-standing conflict between predators, pastoral communities and overtourism. This experience offers rare insight into their conservation.
 The Mara-Meru Cheetah Project (MMCP) uses science to guide protection of cheetahs and lions, while advancing understanding of predators’ roles in the wider ecosystem. Guests may choose from a one-hour cheetah talk with our guides, or spend a half-day in the field followed by a briefing with Dr Elena V. Chelysheva, Head of the MMCP.

Half Day available from $780 + $50. Book in advance

Seven of Africa’s eleven vulture species are now critically endangered, with poisoning the leading cause of their decline. This private experience offers rare insight into conservation efforts to protect these vital birds. A member of the Kenya Birds of Prey Trust will join you at camp to present their work. Depending on the season, you may visit a bird undergoing rehabilitation or head out on a wildlife drive with KBOPT experts to see one of their 30 or so nests which have cameras installed. This intimate encounter reveals how these keystone species are being safeguarded from the threats that have pushed them to the brink of survival.

Half day from $780 donation. Book in advance.

Each wildlife drive is tailored to guests’ needs and guided by the expert knowledge of our team, making every outing informative and varied. Guests travel across the open savannahs, riverine and mountain terrain, encountering different wildlife and perspectives along the way. Drives include access to both the private Olderkesi Conservancy and the renowned Maasai Mara National Reserve, home to the iconic Big Five and the world-famous Great Migration. Guides share their stories and insights into ecology, conservation and animal behaviour, ensuring every drive is both rewarding and distinctive.