You won’t find Mara Nyika on a map (unless you happen to stumble across a well-thumbed, old journal). Hidden in a secluded valley, set alongside a little river under the shade of ancient umbrella trees. It’s the sort of place that makes you feel like you’ve uncovered something rather special.
Raised wooden decks and walkways wind through the trees, giving everything a wonderful treehouse feel—if treehouses came with high-back leather armchairs, crystal glasses, ice, and a minibar. The kind of safari setting where one might reach for whisky and your new journal. Colourful rugs and patterned storm lanterns add warmth, while a brass bathtub sits patiently, waiting for its cinematic moment. And the journal? Well, it would be leather-bound, naturally.
With just five suites, Mara Nyika is a pocket-sized camp in the private Naboisho Conservancy, bordering the famous Masai Mara. If you’re looking for somewhere to get away from it all (read: people), your search may well be over.
In the rooms, a highlight is the brass bathtubs for an extravagant soak. There’s an indoor lounge, but let’s be honest – you want to be outside, on the private deck, watching birds flitting around or even (if you’re really quiet) a leopard slinking through camp.
In the morning, you can wake slowly in your warm bed with a coffee or tea – delivered to your room as the politest wake-up call – and watch the sky shifting colours like a giant chameleon, until it’s time to hit the road and explore.
Private vehicles are standard. That means you can skip the lions if you’re lion-ed out, take longer or shorter game drives as the mood takes you, or spend an hour watching a cheetah waiting for its moment to pounce.
One lovely thing about this camp is the provided camera kit – a complete Canon professional set-up, which means you don’t need to cart around an extra suitcase of gear.
And another perk: in a private conservancy bordering the Masai Mara, you can head out after dark, which is when lions hunt, and aardvarks emerge from their burrows for a termite breakfast. Then it’s back to camp for dinner and a nightcap by the campfire.
