Kenya’s Most Famous Safari Destination Has a New Luxe Lodge — and It’s Set in a Treehouse

“The hippos will be your neighbors,” my safari guide, Nancy, tells me as she picks me up from the Ol Kiombo Airstrip and drives me through the seemingly endless savanna to the new Mara Toto Tree Camp.

Opened July 2024, the ultra-intimate four-tent camp is hidden on the northern border of the Maasai Mara National Reserve, made famous by the Great Migration, which typically occurs from July through October. With just four elevated tents lifted nearly 10 feet above the tea-colored Ntiakitiak River, hippos will indeed be my neighbor, alongside extra-cheeky vervet monkeys, bush babies, and the occasional croc. Thankfully, elevated wooden walkways and the camp’s 24-hour security patrol — local Maasai people, wrapped in blue tartan shukas and carrying spears — keep an eye on the animals and are always available to guide me to my tent (a requirement come nightfall).

This new riverine camp comes care of Great Plains, an eco-chic safari company spearheaded by National Geographic explorer-filmmaker couple Dereck and Beverly Joubert.

“Living with the birds at their level is transforming,” says Dereck, who ensured no trees were cut down during the building of the camp. In addition to the birds and other animals, expect to see the couple’s own fine-art wildlife prints in both the guest tents and the communal tent, which is dressed like an old-world explorers’ lair, with light fixtures handmade from baobab seeds and brass-forged acacia-leaf hanging sculptures, alongside overstuffed couches, practically demanding to be lazed in.

However comfortable the camp is (and it’s truly a wonder), the most fun happens in the open plains, on my twice-daily game drives with Nancy, who — like 90 percent of the staff — is also Maasai. “I was born here, raised here, and now I work here,” says Nancy, who was not only the first female safari guide from her village in the east of the Maasai Mara but also Great Plains’ first female safari guide in Kenya.

The gold grass Is gilded with dew on our morning drives in a grumbling open-sided Land Cruiser. We watch the lions snack on their kills from the night before — cape buffalo and even long-lashed giraffes. (It’s hard to see sometimes, but as we’ve all learned from The Lion King, it’s the circle of life).

We have breakfast on the road, with Nancy pouring hot Kenyan black tea from a thermos and setting out a spread of yogurt, fresh watermelon juice, and boiled eggs. From there, it’s back to camp for a fresh feast of three or four different crunchy garden salads made by Chef Pemba, also Maasai. Late afternoon, we set back out for an evening game drive, this time with sundowners (cocktail hour in the bush), followed by a cozy dinner at camp around the fire on the outdoor deck.

It’s something out of your wildest dreams, and even veteran safari goers will be impressed by the level of comfort, style, and generous hospitality here. Here’s what else I loved about my Mara Toto Tree Camp stay.

The Rooms

Each of the four tents is a private treehouse with stylish sitting areas of leather loveseats, terraces with hanging chairs, and massive bathrooms decked out in glowing lanterns. There’s no air conditioning, but a fan circulates air, and tents stay cool overnight.

All tents are big enough to accommodate two separate beds if needed, though Tent Four is the largest. Complimentary mini bars are housed in weathered wooden cabinets and filled with Tusker, the local Kenyan lager, homemade cookies, and the ginger-based East African soda, Stoney Tangawizi. Other things to love are a selection of gym equipment (including weights and a stationary bike) and Great Plains toiletries smelling of orange, grapefruit, and marula. As with most high-end safari camps, laundry service is complimentary (which is a big help considering weight restrictions on light aircraft).

Food and Drink

You will eat very well here, and all-inclusive rates include meals, drinks, spirits, and wine (including upmarket international Champagne like Taittinger).

A cold breakfast is usually prepared for the morning game drive, but you can request a more fancy “bush breakfast,” where a mobile kitchen comes to you in the bush and a chef whips up hot eggs and tangy mimosas. Lunch is typically back at camp, with a new set menu of light every day and fresh fare. (There’s a general menu, too, if the set menu isn’t to your taste).

Expect sundowners on evening game drives, complete with your drink of choice (try a G&T with Great Plains’ own South African-distilled gin) and a brass tiffin filled with homemade snacks like polenta chips and spiced nuts. Dinner is back at camp, with perhaps a sparkling South African wine in front of the fire first. There’s usually a creamy vegetable soup to start, and three choices of mains (meat, fish, and vegetarian dishes like rich risottos or spooling piles of noodles or pasta), plus moreish desserts like homemade strawberry ice cream, sticky toffee pudding, or turmeric lemon posset.

Activities and Experiences

Camp guests get twice-daily game drives (one in the morning and one in the evening) in an open-sided Land Cruiser driven by a private guide. Drives are done in both the Maasai Mara National Reserve and the far-less-busy Mara North Conservancy, which is land privately owned by the Maasai but part of the same ecosystem.

Other activities include sunrise hot air balloon flights and private photographic guides. (Each tent is outfitted with pro-level binoculars and cameras for your trip, with photos downloaded onto a USB stick upon departure). Alongside the communal dining and lounging space, there’s also a Great Plains Safari Boutique. Don’t miss the hand-beaded treasures made by the Naboisho Women Craft Centre.

The Spa

Treatments like massages, scrubs, facials, and even manis and pedis are done in room, using natural, raw ingredients like jojoba, rose hip, and African potato. After the treatments, warm baths are drawn, infused with lavender oils and muscle-slackening bath salts.

Family-friendly Offerings

Like all Great Plains camps, Mara Toto Tree Camp is open to guests aged 6 and up. Kids receive a Young Explorers pack, including an activity book and a safari journal, and guides modify game drives to accommodate their interests and attention spans. Mini hand and foot massages are also available for young explorers.

Accessibility and Sustainability

There is no need to choose between sustainability and luxury here: Natural and recycled materials add to the safari-chic aesthetic, and the camp runs almost entirely off solar power and is equipped with a water filtration program. (Don’t even think about single-use plastics.) Great Plains also has its own foundation, contributing to conservation and benefiting the local communities.

Regarding accessibility, don’t be put off by the treehouse layout. “Ironically, our most risky-looking camp, the one in the trees, is the most ADA complaint,” says Dereck. “I was very careful to make it all one level to be wheelchair-friendly. Even at the entrance, a long ramp runs into the trees, winding its way to the main area. From there, every tent is ADA-accessible. I love that because many travelers with mobility issues often get stuck in camps on the ground or in unstylish accommodations.”

Location

Expect to travel via light aircraft to reach Mara Toto Tree Camp, which is in the middle of the bush on the border of the Maasai Mara National Reserve and Olare Motorogi Conservancy. It’s about a 45-minute drive through the bush from Ol Kiombo Airstrip and about an hour’s flight from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport.

Private aircraft can be arranged, but guests may also use the safari airline Safarilink, which typically stops at other airstrips en route to your final destination. For game drives, camp guests have access to the Maasai Mara National Reserve, which it borders, and Mara North Conservancy, which is about an hour’s drive away, through the conservancy.

How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay

Great Plains only accepts bookings via its trusted travel advisors, and at the very top of the list are the ultimate safari specialists Natural Migrations, which — due to their longstanding relationship with Great Plains — offers the best possible rates, as well as special extras, such as bush dinners under the African stars, hot bush breakfasts, or surprise “room drop” gifts, as well as room upgrades based on availability.