Basecamp Maasai Mara

A pioneering Mara eco-camp, opened in 1998, Basecamp Maasai Mara is a moderately sized tented camp in Koiyaki Group Ranch, just outside the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Close to Talek Gate and the small settlement of Talek, the camp is ranged in riverine forest along the north bank of the Talek River, which forms the reserve’s north-east boundary. The camp has direct access to the reserve via a private footbridge. Basecamp Maasai Mara achieved world fame in 2006 by hosting Barack Obama during his visit to Kenya two years before he became US president.

Our view of Basecamp Maasai Mara

As much as being a safari camp, Basecamp Explorer is an experiment in sustainable tourism – and it’s a successful one. You might not expect to find such a good example of environmental best practice in an area that is perhaps the most despoiled in the Mara eco-system, but it is clearly much loved and proudly cared-for by the staff. All game drives are conducted across the river in the reserve itself. Basecamp Maasai Mara’s pluses are affordability, accessibility and environmental responsibility. The main negative is that you are in a busy area with lots of other visitors around.