Cottar's Safaris

Resort hotel · Narok ·

Cottar's Safaris

Resort hotel · Narok ·

1920s-style safari camp with fine dining, expert guides, and wildlife

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Maasai Mara, Kenya Get directions

@cntraveler

40,944 Postcards · 5,496 Cities

Cottar's 1920s Camp

"What’s the vibe? "On arrival at Cottar's Camp in your open-air Land Rover, you immediately feel you’ve stepped back into an almost forgotten colonial time, when the great explorers were still searching for the source of the Nile," says Cherri Briggs, founder of travel specialist Explore, Inc. Cottar's is almost 100 years old, having been established by the grandfather of the current owner, Calvin Cottar. Tell me about the rooms. The camp has great traditional interiors, full of campaign and colonial antiques and lined with kilims, cotton dhurries, and paraphernalia from decades of African safari. There are nine tents in total (one honeymoon tent, four double tents and four family suites), all with bathrooms; some have living rooms with fireplaces. There are two main mess tent areas, a pool, and spa. Cottars also has a newly redone, 10,000-square-foot Bush Villa, designed by Louise Cottar, with a viewing deck overlooking the savanna. This five-bedroom villa is perfect for a family takeover, and comes with a staff of eight (plus satellite TV, if you have to plug into the real world). How about the safari? Some of the largely Maasai staff and guides have been with Cottar's for decades, and have become leaders in their industry and role models to their tribal members. Three are Gold Level KPPA guides, the highest level Kenya offers. Calvin Cottar is a spectacular guide himself, and has won the award for Best Guide in Africa three times. (If you’re lucky, he may even take you out to explore; you may also book him on a private basis.) The huge private concession borders the Masaai Mara, which is one of Africa’s great wildlife refuges and seasonal home to the Great Migration, when 1.5 million wildebeest and zebra cross its massive plains. All the iconic species of Africa live in great numbers in the Mara, and as a result, frequent the private concession of Cottar's Camp as well. Any other outings? Given its longstanding relationships in the region, Cottar's also does some unique cultural excursions, like Maasai wedding blessings and visiting the Maasai Warrior School." - CNT Editors

https://www.cntraveler.com/hotels/masai-mara/cottar-s-1920s-camp

Cottar's Safaris

@cntraveler

40,944 Postcards · 5,496 Cities

15 Over-the-Top Honeymoon Suites, From Maui to Puglia

"For a honeymoon that is as compelling and transformative as it is romantic, there is Cottar's 1920s Safari Camp in Nairobi, Kenya. Experiences include day and night game drives for spotting wildlife, bush walks, foraging, stargazing, pool time, and seasonal waterfall swims. The nine tents on-site (including two honeymoon tents, four double tents, and three family suites), all have ensuite bathrooms, and some even have living rooms with fireplaces. There is also a spa and canvas safari bath on offer, and a mess tent with fine dining and a great cocktail program." - Alex Erdekian

https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/best-hotels-with-honeymoon-suites

Cottar's Safaris

@tatler

57 Postcards · 37 Cities

"This wonderful 1920s-inspired camp was founded by Calvin Cottar, whose veteran safari-outfitting family arrived in this golden-hued, Out of Africa Maasai Mara hotspot 30 years before Dutch author Karen Blixen. Cottar’s offers a romantic nod to nostalgia without forcing the point: canvas tents are swathed in white cotton, with four-poster beds and gramophones."

So long, red list: The destinations we are most excited to travel to now

TATLER

Cottar's Safaris

constablegal

Google

Cottar's was the last of the three camps we visited on our January safari. It did not disappoint. Since it has its own airstrip, it really was great to fly into a place that required only a 20-minute trip by jeep to the camp. And what a beautiful camp it is. Yes, it is a throw-back to a bygone era, but wonderfully done. Our tent was the honeymoon suite, as it turned out, with a breathtaking view over the Mara. One of the nice things about Cottar's is having our own personal attendant, who so graciously woke us up in the cold mornings when we were about to go on a 6 a.m. game drive with a pot of hot tea. Another is the hot water bottles in our beds, helping us through the chilly nights. Yet another is the proximity of the national park, just down the road, where we spent several days seeing a pride of lions, elephants, giraffes and the begining of the great migration of wildebeests and zebras and elands - and even having a yummy breakfast while on the drive.|And that brings me to the food. Delicious! On our first day, after traveling for 7 hours, we were treated to an Indian-food feast, certainly on par with some of the best Indian restaurants. All of the food at Cottar's is great and sumptuous. Our first lunch was with our excellent guide, Mako, which was a wonderful way to get to know him and the experience we were about to have. One evening, we even had dinner with Calvin, the owner. I very much respect his efforts of conservation of the land and community with the Masai people.

Mark H.

Google

I’m slightly lost for words for this review as our trip to Cottars isn’t comparable to any other we’ve ever done. It’s a very very special place. The location couldn’t be more perfect, the food is world class, the serenity and peace is like nothing I’ve ever witnessed before and the bush villa we rented was perfect. But above all of this was the wildlife and the amazing people who gave us a glimpse into another world - a very humbling and beautiful experience which has had a profound impact on my family. Thank you to all the staff who looked after us with such dedication and thank you to our amazing guides Charity and Letura and their talented spotters.

F3264QDwilliamh

Google

I've always been a nature and animal lover. Watched all kinds of nature, animal, tribal shows on TV. I was still not prepared for the experience of visiting Africa and going on safari trips twice a day. Beautiful place, beautiful people. The amount and diversity of animals in the Masai Mara is incredible. Wilson and Salash were a great guide and spotter team. We got to see all the big 5 except a Rhino. Awesome trip!

T W.

Google

What a fantastic experience at Cottar's—the setting and views are second to none; all the staff was incredibly friendly, including our fabulous waiter Josphat; the food absolutely delicious and easily catered to our vegetarian preferences; and our guide Mako and spotter Palmyria were outstanding—friendly and personable, a great driver, and with an encyclopedic knowledge of the wildlife, nature and local environment. We were also impressed with Cottar's commitment to conservation and community-based tourism supporting the local Masai communities. Thank you for a magical experience!

Katie T.

Google

This was the most special trip I’ve ever had the privilege to go on. The staff, location, experiences, food, and accommodations were absolutely outstanding. I genuinely cried as our guide waved to our plane on our way out. I recommend this place with every ounce of my being - don’t miss out on such a special experience

JPEJFE

Google

My wife and I were on a safari-oriented tour of Africa, which included four nights in the Masai Mara at Cottars. We were overwhelmed by how magnificent it was. Cottars is, I believe, the oldest active Safari camp in Kenya and they have preserved the seemingly authentic sense of continuity with 1920s Africa. ||The accommodations spectacular and completely in keeping with the terrain and “context“ of the wild places that we were visiting. We were fortunate enough to stay in the “honeymoon tent“ and it was a dream, overlooking the African bush.||Our main guides, Douglas and Letura, were phenomenally knowledgeable about the African bush and led us on magnificent drives twice a day. They were extremely accommodating, willing to adjust the drives to seek out the things we were most interested in. However, wildlife is, of course, unpredictable and they were able to take advantage of any local circumstances to give us the best possible experience regardless of which animals appeared at which times. ||They shared with us their extensive knowledge of local cultures, tribes, and African history in addition to being literal fonts of knowledge about the wildlife we were seeing. We had a chance to visit a local Masai village, and that was a riveting and illuminating experience.||One of the amazing things about Cottars is how integrated they are with local communities and how committed they are to sustainable practices. The entire camp is run with solar power, and they have an extensive garden (which we were able to tour with the head gardener) that supplies a significant part of the food that they serve. The food is exquisite (sometimes we felt like we had dropped into a “food tour“)! They provide resources for the local communities and due to their policies they have been able to preserve vast tracts of land for sustainable practice and wild animal populations coexisting with local villagers.||The rest of the staff, to a person, were also phenomenal. Every aspect of our stay was unparalleled. I cannot recommend them highly enough!

Nishika G.

Google

It’s hard to describe the beauty and wonder that I experienced at this gem of a place. It’s one of those rare places that not only make you travel back in time, but also ground you completely in the present. Starting from the thoughtfully decorated lodges where each piece looked like an artefact, to the team that’s always smiling and welcome to each and every need of its guests. The safari experience with our wonderful guide Doug that left me with a newfound appreciation and curiosity for the natural world, and finally some of the most delicious food I’ve ever had in my life. Cottars has it ALL. I was genuinely in tears as our flight took off. This is a place that I know I will keep returning to because it truly felt like a second home. Thank you Cottars team for an unforgettable experience 🤍

Ruchika G.

Google

I had visited Cottars to celebrate my 50th Birthday with my family. After a lot of survey on which resort to book. I put my trust in Cottars given its passion towards their work. Cottars was beyond my expectations. A lot of people go to Mara. But doing the game drives in their conservancy with an intelligent and knowledgeable guide, DOUG. It is magical. Their USP is that there aren’t 100 Jeeps causing a traffic jam to see 3 tigers. And take photos. Doug takes you close to the animals and you experience their moods, behavior and activities for a good amount of time which is uninterrupted by 100 others. The food at Cottars is more than outstanding. The spa therapist are brilliant. I have never had a better massage. The team treats you like you’re in your own home. You ask and it’s there. And they are always smiling. They genuinely want you to have a good time and love the experience. Words cannot do justice to Cottars !!! I cannot thank you enough for celebrating my birthday better than I ever imagined.