Camp · Masai Mara, Kenya
Cottar's 1920s Camp opened in 1998 inside the private Olderkesi Conservancy, on the edge of the Maasai Mara, and is run by the family that has guided safaris in Kenya since 1919.
Cottar's 1920s Camp was established in 1998 by Calvin and Louise Cottar within the private Olderkesi Conservancy, on the edge of the Maasai Mara and bordering Tanzania's Serengeti. The family describes the camp as a tribute to the elegance and authenticity of early safari, reimagined with modern purpose. It is run by Cottar's Safari Services, a company that traces its roots to 1909, when Charles Cottar left Oklahoma for East Africa, and which was formally founded in 1919. Five generations later, the company remains under family stewardship, led today by Calvin Cottar and Chief Executive Louise Cottar.
Because the camp sits within a private conservancy rather than the Maasai Mara National Reserve itself, guests can leave the vehicle for guided bush walks, an activity not permitted in the neighbouring park. Days can include wildlife drives tailored to guest interests, foraging and medicinal plant walks led by Maasai guides, a sundowner bar built from a vintage Rolls Royce that roves to different spots across the conservancy, and evening talks on subjects from Maasai culture to the Cottar family history. An organic kitchen garden supplies produce used in camp, and a spa tent and salt-water pool are among the facilities available to guests.
The Olderkesi Conservancy is protected by the Maasai Mara's first all-female ranger unit, and the land is leased directly from Maasai families, with guest stays supporting education, healthcare, clean water and livelihoods across the region. Cottar's Safaris says it is working towards carbon neutrality by 2027, and invites guests behind the scenes to see how waste is reused and energy use reduced in camp.
Eligible preferred amenities are applied wherever available, subject to the property at the time of stay, and are confirmed in your proposal.
The Mara, the Serengeti and camps with twelve tents and a hundred square kilometres to themselves.
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An Edwardian-style lodge on Sasakwa Hill, overlooking the Serengeti plains within the 350,000-acre Singita Grumeti Reserve.
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Masai Mara, Kenya & Tanzania
A 30-suite lodge on Kenya's Oloololo Escarpment, set 1,000ft above the Maasai Mara with a private road into the Mara Triangle.
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