Freeman Safaris Masai Mara camp

Freeman Safaris

‘Yesterday’s Safaris Today’

Masai Mara Camp

The camp is situated right in the heart of the Mara, surrounded by trees and totally out of sight. I love the camp as it couldn’t be more ‘yesterday’ than anywhere else in the Park. It is truly unique and we share it with the game; the elephants, the lions who roar and the leopards who cough through the night - we often see them on our way into and out of camp. Hippos graze within earshot - after all, we are only borrowing the site from them. Don’t worry, though, as one of our Masai askaris guards us throughout the night. Mind you, I’ve heard a few stories around the breakfast table and often wonder if I were in the same camp!

When I say that the camp is ‘right in the heart of the Mara’ I should emphasise that every place worth visiting is within half an hour or so’s drive from the camp. Our area is ‘where no white mini-buses fly’ and you really do need fully capable 4x4s to cross the rivers and gullies.

Ever since I started enjoying the Mara my ambition was to secure a camp in the middle of park where all the action takes place. Yes, there are advantages to living outside the park as I did for many years, evening game drives as well as walking mornings but I have to say none of that equals the pure magic, the sheer convenience of being right in the middle. The downside to living outside is the travelling to and fro, the human noises of barking dogs, braying donkeys and traffic!

As we enjoy a cheetah in the evening I see those who stay miles out having to leave early. I just don’t understand people who spend a small fortune visiting the Mara and end up staying miles out, travelling 2 hours each way. I hope this doesn’t happen to any of you.

The tents look out over the Olare Orok River which runs south into the Talek River where the ‘Big Cat Diary’ was shot. The mess tent has a great view of a large pool full of hippos who keep us entertained while we sit around the camp fire in the evenings. From here we also see all sorts of birds - green pigeons feeding in the fig trees, black-and-white casqued hornbills nesting nearby, resident woodland kingfishers calling and seen close by, pied kingfishers hovering over the water, an occasional giant kingfisher streaking past and quick glimpses of a Hartlaub’s or Schalow’s turaco. This is just a sample of the sightings we have had and you should be prepared for anything!

The camp is truly eco-friendly. After all, we are not the true owners here and we leave nothing when vacating the site for the rains. We use the hippo paths between the tents along the river front. We leave the site as we find it. As you will read elsewhere on my site, being eco-friendly does not mean uncomfortable. We have all conveniences with a loo in the tent, electric lights, electric showers, all run by solar power. It just means it ain’t as posh as a permanent camp with all the falsehood of what some call luxury. That is not my style and as yet I have had no complaints.

Let me quote John and Sandra They have loads of southern Africa experience and have just completed a safari with me. They say “your Mara camp is the best we have ever stayed in and we just love it here”.

There can be up to 30 or more hippos in the pool beneath the mess area. They provide constant entertainment and there is a shady, cool, covered observation area at water level for observing and photographing them. The action is often quite exciting!

We frequently depart or return to camp to find animals in the riverbed, especially when the water level is low. Here waterbuck and impala graze immediately below the camp area

“I cannot believe that it is a week since we left your amazing camp! Tim and I had the time of our lives in the Masai Mara being driven round by Dan in the company of our wonderful friends Alice and Alistair We marvelled at the wild life living just outside (and possibly inside!) the camp and what’s more at 6.32am every morning we were out there watching them. We experienced service from your staff the like of which has long disappeared from our shores. The food was delicious and Michael was always on hand to organise our hot shower in the evenings.

As for our days spent out with the gentle and knowledgeable Dan I can only say nothing will ever better our two week observing the animals whether it was a leopard taking its kill up a tree, the wildebeest trying to decide whether to cross the river or just a pair of irate birds chasing off a lion cub who had strayed too close to their nest. There were times when it was just the five of us watching birds by the river or quietly watching tiny lion cubs annoying their mother by pulling on her tail. In this crowded world of ours these were moments to treasure and it is all entirely due to the fact that you run your camp in a way that blends so perfectly into its surroundings.

Finally not only were our days out pretty perfect but our fellow guests were special people too - how different we all were but totally as one when sitting around the campfire exchanging tales from our day in the Mara.

I think one of the reasons for the delay in writing to you, other than grandchildren on half term, was that I thought by the end of the week I would think of something you could improve on! Well dream on - it was all perfect so a very big thank you to you and all your staff”.

Geraldine and Tim