Bateleur Camp

a less than ideal location outside the reserve

AndBeyond Bateleur Camp is located in the Mara Triangle sector of the Maasai Mara of southwest Kenya.

Set in a small patch of woodland at the foot of the escarpment, outside the northern gate into the Mara Triangle, this upmarket camp has broad views out over the surrounding plains.

The property is subdivided into two completely separate camps, so from the vehicle turnaround, we take one of two paths through the woods to arrive at one of the two luxurious public areas, modest in size, but sumptuously decorated.

A little further through the forest is a very modest little swimming pool, which is actually shared between the two halves of the camp.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at AndBeyond Bateleur Camp is in a total of 18 tented suites, nine to each central area, all serviced by a private butler.

Activities

AndBeyond Bateleur Camp provides the following guided activities, not all of which are necessarily included in the room rate …

• Vehicle safari
• Walking safari
• Balloon safari
• Bush meals
• Cultural interaction

The Maasai Mara tends to feature in almost all safari trips to Kenya. As well as being the best known reserve, it is also the most productive for wildlife.

The usual stay duration is 4-8 nights split between two camps, less frequently 3-4 nights in just one camp.

Seasonality

The best time of year to visit the Maasai Mara area is generally considered to be the Jul-Oct dry season, when the weather should be reliably good and the migration herds are likely to be around.

The Nov-Jun green season may be much less dependable for weather, but remains really strong for wildlife viewing and benefits from dramatically lower visitor numbers (except for the busy Dec-Jan holiday fortnight of course).

Getting around

You’re most likely to arrive into the Maasai Mara area via the regular light aircraft services that operate from Nairobi, which means that you will travel around the area with a guide and vehicle from the camp in which you are staying.

It is also possible to travel down to the Maasai Mara by road, which is quite a long and tiresome journey, but not without interest. The trouble is that the better lodges in the Mara will offer you no discount for having your own guide and vehicle along, so you end up paying for both, which works out more expensive than flying down.

one of the three best private concessions in the Mara