Karen Blixen Camp

Mara North Private Conservancy
Birding Daydrive Nightdrive Walk Swimming

Star Rating
Game Viewing
Price Guide $$$

Karen Blixen Camp: Our View

Karen Blixen Camp is located in the Mara North Private Conservancy in a gorgeous location on the Mara River. With 22 tented rooms, this camp is larger than many camps in the Masai Mara region. But it has reasonable prices combined with high quality accommodation, good facilities and a very scenic location, making it great value for money. It is also superbly positioned to offer fantastic game viewing. The Mara North Conservancy offers the same diversity of wildlife and endless grass plains that you would find in the main national reserve, and being in a private conservancy means you avoid the crowds that can be an issue in the national reserve. And the camp takes full advantage of this with a wide range of activities offered.

Karen Blixen Camp is a real favourite of ours. For clients looking for the exclusivity of a safari in one of the Masai Mara private conservancies at an affordable price then it is a great option. The camp has also been awarded the Eco Gold Certification by the Kenya Tourism Board, the highest award for environmental practice.

Karen Blixen Camp: Quick Facts

  • 22 spacious tented rooms with ensuite bathroom with outdoor shower
  • Superb location in the Mara North, one of the best private conservancies in the Masai Mara
  • Diverse activities offered including day & night game drives, walking safaris and hot air balloon trips (both additional cost)
  • Very family friendly – children of all ages welcome, family room and specific activities for children
  • Excellent facilities including swimming pool, spa and WiFi
  • Some tents up to 400m from central lounge area so any clients with walking difficulties should advise us

Karen Blixen Camp: The Details

The 22 canvas tented rooms at Karen Blixen Camp are on beautiful raised wooden decks and are very spacious and luxurious compared to other camps in this price bracket. The camp is named after the author of  ‘Out of Africa’ and the rooms have a classic 1920’s safari feel. They are richly furnished with dark wooden floors, Persian rugs, large comfortable beds, wooden travel chest and an armchair. The ensuite bathrooms have flush toilets, twin wash basins and a romantic outdoor shower. All the rooms face onto the Mara river and have large verandahs with daybeds to relax on and enjoy the wonderful views.

The facilities at the camp are also gorgeous. The lounge and dining area are large enough to not feel crowded. In front of this area is a stone terrace with a fire pit,and beyond this a large lawn runs down to the river which is a popular place to relax and admire the views and the wildlife by the river. There is also a small spa offering a wide range of treatments, a WiFi tent and a swimming pool. The latter is a real luxury in the Masai Mara as very few other camps have this.

Karen Blixen Camp is also an excellent option for families with children. The family unit is 2 separate tents on the same decking offering lots of space and privacy. For small children there is wide range of kid friendly activities apart from the game activities which include guided nature walks, bow and arrow shooting, fire making and bead making. The swimming pool is also a real bonus for children.

It is the game viewing that guests come to the Masai Mara for though and the Mara North Private conservancy offers an exceptional safari experience and the same iconic grass plains that you find in the National Reserve. There is a huge diversity of wildlife here including big cats like lion, cheetah and leopard. And unlike the national reserve, it is never very crowded in the private conservancies. There are no migration river crossing points in the Mara North so during migration season guests may wish to do a full day drive into the main National Reserve to witness this. The camp is well located for this to be possible.

Game activities focus on game drives and unlike in the national reserve, it is possible to do night drives here as well as day drives. It is also possible to do walking safaris which are accompanied by an armed ranger and guide. Like all camps in the Mara, it is possible to do hot air balloon trips from Karen Blixen Camp which are at additional cost.