Bordering the Giraffe Sanctuary forest on the outskirts of Nairobi, Eden sits on a four-acre property in the peaceful suburb of Langata and offers travelers an immediate connection to a deeply authentic expression of one family’s Kenyan home, history, and adventures. Originally designed and built by Tonio and Anna Trzebinski, the 9-bedroom former family home has been transformed into a living museum and private gallery space that is filled with the family’s own artworks and creations, as well as their personal library and artefacts that have been collected over a lifetime from across the continent.

Mara Plains Camp is a one-of-a-kind camp located in the private Olare Motorogi Conservancy, just on the Maasai Mara National Reserve’s northern boundary. This intimate camp, one of Kenya’s only three Relais & Chateaux properties (other being sister properties ol Donyo Lodge and Mara Nyika Camp), blends the finest in wildlife viewing with the best of safari hospitality and guiding. Guests staying at Mara Plains Camp enjoy access to private conservancy land in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy as well as the world-renowned Maasai Mara Reserve.

Each guest at Mara Plains Camp contributes considerably to the success of the Olare Motorogi Conservancy’s flourishing ecosystem; conservation fees paid to safeguard this habitat while supporting over 1,000 Maasai families. This partnership agreement ensures the survival of an astounding volume and variety of wildlife.

Olare Motorogi Conservancy is reputed to have the lowest vehicle density in the Maasai Mara region, while also having the highest concentration of big cats anywhere in Africa. There is only one guest bed per 350 acres, leaving the land unadulterated for the wildlife to roam and thrive, as nature intended.

Wildlife Viewing

Early morning, late afternoon/ evening or even full day safari drives take place in some of the Mara’s most luxurious wildlife-viewing vehicles. Each Toyota Land Cruiser safari vehicle is open-sided, canopied and customised for photographers (fold-down screens, raised roofs, photographic bars, multi-plug invertors). Each vehicle is also stocked with a fridge with drinks and snacks, ready for longer days out if the wildlife viewing is exciting and just too hard to leave. We accommodate 4 guests on a safari vehicle; however, if a family or group travels together, we would easily accommodate up to 6 guests.

Every day on safari brings a unique and distinct experience. Safari drives typically start at sunrise, return for lunch and depart again in the mid-afternoon before returning just after sunset. However, with a packed breakfast and lunch, we often go out all day deep into the Maasai Mara National Reserve or the private Olare Motorogi Conservancy.

Our safaris will often continue into the evening, made possible by our location on a private conservancy.

Night drives are incredibly prolific in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, and while they take patience, sightings commonly include lesser-known nocturnal mammals and even lion and hyena hunts.

Our schedule is flexible, and guests are encouraged to create their own itinerary according to their interests with guidance and recommendations from our professional guides.

Hot Air Ballooning

Hot air ballooning is available but should be booked in advance and is subject to availability and additional cost. Departures are very early in the morning to allow time to transfer to the nearest launching point.

Cultural Experience

The Naboisho Women’s Group cultural experience is supported by the Great Plains Foundation, enabling the group to purchase raw materials in bulk including a tailor hired to work on leather products. Available to guests staying at Great Plains Conservation camps all profits from the sale of their wares are ploughed back into the women’s business training to ensure this group is self-sustainable. Items available for purchase include, but are not limited to, beaded & leather products, coasters, bracelets, necklaces, belts, dog collars, earrings, and decorated dawa sticks for example.

Each of Mara Plains Camp's guest suites has a professional camera set, including a camera body and lenses. In addition to wildlife drives, massage treatments and hot-air ballooning are available for an additional cost. The Naboisho Women’s Group's cultural experience is supported by the Great Plains Foundation, enabling the group to purchase raw materials in bulk and to hire a tailor to work on leather products. Available to guests staying at Great Plains Conservation camps, all profits from the sale of their wares are ploughed back into the women’s business training to ensure this group is self-sustainable.

The Mara (as it is affectionately known) covers 1510 km2 (583 mi2) and is widely considered to be Africa’s greatest reserve. The backdrop of the Siria escarpment in the west overlooks sweeping savannas, riverine woodlands, and forests on a deceptively flat landscape that extends eastwards towards the Sekenani Hills and northwards towards the Aitong Hills. The Mara is in essence the northern extension of the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem and plays host to one of nature's greatest phenomenons, the Great Wildebeest Migration.

Because of the quality of wildlife viewing, the Mara has for generations been the setting for hundreds of wildlife documentaries, including Disney's African Cats, and the BBC’s Big Cat Diaries and Planet Earth. It is a wildlife photographer's paradise and every year visitors come to capture the spectacular wildlife. The reserve and its conservancies contain some of the highest densities of predators in Africa and this only increases as nomads and vagrants follow the huge herds back and forth through this ecosystem during the seasonal wildebeest migration.

A balloon flight over the Maasai Mara is widely considered a bucketlist activity that offers a serene and spectacular experience floating over the vast, lush, and game filled plains.

A lift off at dawn means you watch the sun rise as you head in a generally western direction. Flights usually last close to an hour and depending on the take off spot you float over riverine woodlands, watching hippos return to their daytime refuges and crocodiles basking on sandbanks. Sometimes predators and large antelope herds can be spotted below, pointed out by your experienced captain.

After the flight you will be met by the trailing transfer vehicles and taken to a pre-prepared picnic breakfast, beautifully set up in an idyllic spot on the plains.

Ol Donyo Lodge is located in the heart of the Chyulu Hills, set between Kenya’s Tsavo and Amboseli National Parks. The property is honed from the ancient lava rock that spewed out of Kilimanjaro 360,000 years ago, creating a timelessness that touches everyone who visits. Set on the privately owned Mbirikani Group Ranch - an expanse of wild Africa bordering Chyulu Hills National Park and home to 4,000 Maasai - ol Donyo Lodge blends contemporary design with the rich culture of the Maasai community. This Great Plains Conservation Réserve-Collection property is perched on a hillside with views of East Africa’s classic savannahs below.

“I believe that a safari today must be a full and rich experience where there are no apologies for service, that must be excellent, for wildlife viewing, well-designed accommodation with a style we like to think of as a Great Plains style, but also vitally important for that extra magic of being a part of family… our family.” Dereck Joubert

Days at ol Donyo Lodge are full of options. To have such a vast area to explore, from high-altitude mist forest through lava fields, then woodland to savannah, and ending at the famous kopjes, it’s a paradise of discovery. Each day, it’s possible to pick your mode of transport, be it on foot, by helicopter, by vehicle, on horseback, or even by mountain bike. There is no routine here at all, and experiences are tailor-made for each guest. And if lazing around the pool, indulging in a massage, or shopping sounds like a good plan, then please do. Meet the local Maasai and visit the school to see what makes Kenya so colorful and dynamic.

Wildlife Viewing

Early morning and late afternoon/ evening safari drives take place in some of the most luxurious wildlife-viewing vehicles. Each Toyota Land Cruiser safari vehicle is open-sided, canopied, and customized for photographers (fold-down screens, raised roofs, photographic bars, multi-plug inverters). Each vehicle is also stocked with a fridge with drinks and snacks, ready for longer days out if the wildlife viewing is exciting and just too hard to leave. The lodge can typically accommodate up to four guests (or two couples) in one safari vehicle; however, if a family or group travels together, it is also possible to accommodate up to six guests.

Every day on safari brings a unique and distinct experience. Safari drives typically start at sunrise, returning for lunch and depart again in the mid-afternoon before returning just after sunset. Day trips to Amboseli National Park are possible (extra cost, subject to pre-booking).

Guests can also enjoy up-close encounters with wildlife without departing from the lodge. The open-air log pile and sunken hide at the waterhole, both situated directly in front of the camp, provide a perfect vantage point for such experiences.

The schedule at the lodge is flexible, and guests are encouraged to create their own itinerary according to their interests with guidance and recommendations from the professional guides.

Walks

Guided walks can also be arranged and are led by qualified, licensed walking guides.

Horse Riding

Intermediate and Above

For Intermediate riders and above, 2 to 4 hour rides exploring the concession are offered. Enjoy exhilarating medium to fast-paced canters and encounters with the famous big Tuskers.

For this riding option, you need to be riding fit, confident, and competent, ride with an independent seat, and be able to control an easy horse at all paces over uneven terrain.

Plains Ride

Novice riders can enjoy a gentle 60/90 minute ride exploring the open plains. All riders will need to have a short assessment in the arena prior to setting out to ensure all guests riding out can control their horse and are comfortable at a short trot. If riders do not have the required experience, they will be offered a lesson in the arena instead. Plains riders will be given some instruction; a minimum requirement is a short trot.

They respectfully request no riders over 95 kg.

Mountain Biking

ol Donyo Lodge offers guided mountain biking for guests to explore the plains and open savannah in the area. Distances are based on guest’s fitness levels and riding desire and cycling terrain can range from sand to compact gravel and grass in places.

Helicopter Excursions and Transfers

Guests can take to the skies from ol Donyo Lodge and experience sweeping 180-degree views on a choice of helicopter excursions. These scenic flight options, to be booked prior to the guest's arrival, include the Chyulu Hills, Amboseli and

Mount Kilimanjaro, offering a remarkable aerial perspective of this iconic landscape.

Note that additional costs apply to helicopter experiences and to some other activities at the lodge.

Situated south of Nairobi between Tsavo West National Park and Amboseli National Park, Chyulu Hills National Park boasts striking and diverse landscapes. The Chyulus were formed by a 100 km (62 mi) long series of ancient volcanic cones and craters, and now has one of the longest lava tubes in the world. Its beautiful green rolling hills drop down into misty forests of Acacia tortillis and sweeping savannahs that have played backdrop to many iconic movies, including Out of Africa. The views towards Mt Kiilmanjaro are some of the best to be had.

The local Maasai work together with conservation groups to minimise human wildlife conflict with the nomadic pastoralists. Big Life is one of the well known conservation groups that work in this area alongside some of the luxury boutique lodges situated in the Chyulus.

Activities in the greater Chyulus include exploring the area by foot, vehicle and horseback, as well as cultural visits, day trips to Amboseli, and hiking to the highest points (around 182 m/ 6000 ft high).

Mnemba Island is a secluded paradise off Zanzibar’s coast, offering an exclusive retreat with just 12 beachside Bandas, including a Family Banda, accommodating a maximum of 26 guests. Designed to blend with the island’s natural beauty, each Banda provides direct beach access and a private lounge shaded by casuarina pines. Guests can enjoy fresh seafood, tropical breakfasts, and candlelit beach dinners, while conservation experiences, yoga, and wellness treatments add to the island’s tranquil charm. With its pristine shores and rich cultural heritage, Mnemba Island is the ultimate romantic hideaway.

Mnemba Island offers a paradise for water sports enthusiasts, with activities ranging from sea kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding to Hobie sailing and pedal boarding. The island's crystal-clear waters provide the perfect setting for both thrilling adventures and leisurely exploration. Guests can also experience world-class scuba diving with PADI-certified instructors, discovering vibrant coral reefs and diverse marine life. Snorkeling, dhow cruises, and green turtle nesting excursions offer unique ways to connect with the island’s natural beauty. Cultural experiences, including local village visits and conservation tours, further enrich the Mnemba Island retreat.