Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
&Beyond Bateleur Camp: Vintage Out of Africa tented luxury in the Masai Mara with two lap pools and private butler service
Tucked into the lush riverine forest at the foot of the Oloololo Escarpment in Kenya’s southwestern Masai Mara, &Beyond Bateleur Camp opened as an homage to the golden era of 1920s African safaris. The property is split into two intimate, self-contained camps of 9 tented suites each (North Camp and South Camp), ensuring supreme privacy and an atmosphere of vintage exploration. Polished hardwood floors, antique leather trunks, brass fittings, and canvas roofs merge seamlessly with expansive glass windows and private verandas framing the Mara plains.
Daily wildlife programming is anchored in the private Kichwa Tembo concession, where guests enjoy the freedom of off-road tracking, guided walking safaris, and night game drives—privileges strictly prohibited within the national reserve proper. During the annual Great Migration from July to October, millions of wildebeest and zebras traverse the surrounding savannah, with prominent lion prides and leopards actively hunting in the immediate vicinity.
Camp life balances rugged adventure with all-inclusive refinement. Inclusions cover twice-daily 4x4 game drives in open safari vehicles with expert &Beyond guides and spotters, guided bush walks, all gourmet meals, fine wines, premium spirits, laundry, and private butler service. Each camp features its own open-air dining pavilion, interactive kitchen, fire-lit boma, and a lap pool with endless views across the game-rich grasslands.
Accommodations comprise 16 Classic Luxury Tents and two 2-bedroom Family Tents. Each 97-square-metre tent features twin indoor stone vanities, an indoor shower, a private outdoor forest shower, an overhead ceiling fan, a private bar trunk, and a spacious timber deck with daybeds serviced by your personal butler.
Safari purists, romantic travelers, and families seeking historic atmosphere, world-class wildlife guiding, and uncrowded private-concession game drives should book &Beyond Bateleur Camp without hesitation. Travelers looking for ultra-modern concrete architecture or sprawling mega-resorts should look elsewhere. Review evidence is firmly grounded across major platforms, holding a 4.9 out of 5 on Tripadvisor across 317 reviews and a 4.7 out of 5 on Google across 200 reviews.
First day
- Land at Kichwa Tembo airstrip and enjoy a game-drive transfer to Bateleur Camp.
- Meet your private butler for an in-tent orientation and unpack your safari gear.
- Depart on your first afternoon game drive followed by drinks in the boma by the fire.
What guests say
Hotel Flock Score
Exceptional
Based on 517 published ratings
Category breakdown
Guests Love
Exceptional Guiding and Big Cats
Guests consistently praise the unparalleled wildlife tracking skills of &Beyond guides and frequent lion and leopard sightings.
Personal Butler Care
Reviewers highlight the genuine warmth, attentiveness, and thoughtfulness of the personal butler team.
Guests Warn
Wild Bush Atmosphere
Visitors note that animals freely walk through the unfenced camp, requiring safety escorts at night.
Canvas Acoustics
Light sleepers observe that wind and nocturnal wildlife calls are clearly audible through canvas walls.
The overall score is a review-count-weighted average of named public platforms, normalized to /10. Category scores — including cleanliness and location — are Hotel Flock editorial readings of those reviews, not a platform's private formula. Hotel Flock is not affiliated with Tripadvisor, Booking.com, Trivago, or any other review site.
In the stay
- Twice-daily game drives in open 4x4 vehicles, night drives, and guided bush walks
- All gourmet meals, afternoon teas, and private bush dining experiences
- All fine wines, premium spirits, local beers, soft drinks, and laundry
Usually extra
- –Masai Mara National Reserve conservation and concession park fees
- –Hot-air balloon safaris over the Mara plains and Maasai village cultural visits
Good to Know
- The camp comprises 18 tented suites divided into two private 9-tent camps (North Camp and South Camp), each with its own pool, boma, and dining pavilion.
- Located on the private Kichwa Tembo concession, permitting off-road tracking and night game drives not allowed in the main national reserve.
- Daily scheduled flights operate from Wilson Airport in Nairobi directly to the Kichwa Tembo private airstrip (approx. 45 min flight).
Editor's Note
Book a luxury tent in North Camp for direct Mara grassland vistas and enjoy evening sundowners on top of the Oloololo Escarpment.
Reviewed by Hotel Flock · Last updated September 2026