Hand-crafted, luxury experiences curated by our team—speak to our concierge to learn more
By
Kerene Barefield
on
2nd August 2024
Great Plains is an iconic and leading ecotourism conservation organisation with fourteen safari properties in Botswana, Kenya and Zimbabwe.
The time difference between the UK and Kenya is just two hours, so after a quick one night stop over close to Nairobi airport we were ready to depart to the bush and start our safari adventure. It is also at this point that Great Plains begin their superior service. A dedicated and very knowledgeable driver was sent to our hotel to help us navigate our way through the city of Nairobi and to the Safarilink plane. With just seven of us on board we departed for the Maasai Mara, both children were transfixed as the city turned into the African plains and they spotted their first wild animals.
On landing at the Olkiombo Airstrip, essentially a dirt track in the Mara, our Great Plains experience continued. We were met by our game driver, who I had no idea at this point would become such an important part of our trip. Unprepared, I gathered we would be travelling to our camp to unpack, but what transpired was a near two hour game drive in which we saw giraffe, warthog, baboon, ostrich, antelope and three male lions enjoying the sun under a shady bush. There was no shortage of animals, and Zachary even got to inspect the remains of some hippopotamus bones when Clifford stopped the jeep and told him to jump out. Already intoxicated by the sheer amount to learn about this vast wilderness and by Africa - both children were in agreement that this was about to be the holiday of a lifetime.
The Magic of Mara Exhibition Camp
We arrived at camp to a very warm welcome from the staff and just in time for lunch. Mara Expedition Camp is a magical revisiting of the past, beautifully designed for those in search of East Africa’s romantic safari era and completely solar powered. Under the grove of African acacia trees, there are five light and airy, spacious canvas tents, plus one 2 bedroom family tent, where we were staying. Each tent has running hot water, a flushable toilet and is beautifully designed with original artworks by owner Beverly Joubert and every amenity you would expect to find in a high class hotel.
What I began to realise quite quickly is that Great Plains pride themselves on providing a bespoke and personalised experience to all their guests. There was no menu for lunch, the children were able to request what they wanted from the chef, with everything being freshly cooked to order.
By 4pm we were back out on a drive and this soon became our regular routine. A morning drive at 6am, followed by a sunset drive before dinner. We were only on safari for five days and we wanted to make the most of it.
Just minutes after leaving the camp we were rewarded with a herd of elephants, which in all honesty was the first time I felt a tad nervous. Mothers and babies walked close by our land cruiser and for us it was the first time we had to trust that Ava was grown up enough to be so close to such huge and dangerous wild animals. However, as I looked at how her eyes widened as the baby elephant used his trunk to pull up the grass and the largest of the herd pulled the leaves from the closest bush, I knew that in that moment we had made the right decision. She was mesmerised.
Bush Breakfast in The Wild
One morning our driver Clifford and the team surprised us with a private cooked breakfast in the bush. Not much gets past me, but I was totally shocked. The chef and the team had driven out, set up a table and were cooking up a full English breakfast with champagne, pastries and a gorgeous fruit selection. It was these moments when I really had to pinch myself. The kids were running off some energy, with gazelles, antelope and zebra in the not too far distance and I was sipping champagne as the sun came up.
We spent three nights at Mara Exhibition Camp, in which time we experienced what it was like to be up close to lions, cheetah, leopard, elephants, giraffes, hippos and crocodiles. The kids enjoyed splashing around in the camp's very unique pool on the back of a WWII truck and we were entertained by the singing chefs when we were invited to the interactive kitchen for dinner one evening. We were sad to leave, but had our next adventure ahead of us - Mara Plains.
Home from Home at Mara Plains
Mara Plains, which is a Relais & Châteaux property, is located in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy which has the lowest vehicle density in the Maasai Mara. We were so glad to hear that our private guide, Clifford would be staying with us for our next two days in camp, we’d only been in Kenya for three days but he’d already been part of so many of our memories - from being stuck out in a great storm which we thought was going to tip the landcruiser on its side to being stuck in the mud, to which we needed to be towed out. As well as seeing the animals it was these moments that gave the children a really authentic African experience.
After being welcomed to Mara Plains, it wasn’t long before we had another pinch me moment. With hippos sleeping underneath, we were taken over a wooden bridge to our luxury suite, The Mara Jahazi Suite. When we first walked in I thought we were being shown to a beautiful communal space, but then I noted our luggage and realised that this was our private lounge. Built entirely under canvas on raised, recycled railway sleeper decking, this two bedroomed suite with its own private pool is breathtaking. The children were so excited with their own room which included its own en-suite facilities with double basins and huge indoor shower and luxurious bath. Personalised notes awaited them on their beds and it wasn’t long before Zachary spotted the Canon Camera and lenses which he could use for the rest of his holiday. The interior decor honours East African history, with vibrant Maasai colours and beautiful artworks. While we unpacked, the children played hide and seek and when they couldn’t find each other it proved just how large this suite really was.
It was at this camp that we were lucky enough to meet owners and founders of Great Plains, Dereck and Beverly Joubert, longtime wildlife documentarians, having made over 40 films for Nat Geo and conservationists who have created an environment that makes you feel like guests in their family home.
Leaving part of our Hearts in The Mara
As our five days in the Maasia Mara came to an end I began to look back over the past week, really soaking up the moments that would forever stay in our memories. It would be hard to ever return to safari without booking through Great Plains, As the plane wheels touched the tarmac in London I knew that we’d all left a little piece of our hearts in Kenya.
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