Karen Blixen Camp

Balloon safari

There is nothing like flying high above the magnificent African Savannah in a Hot Air Balloon; seeing nature at its best from a bird’ perspective is unimaginable. Until you’ve actually tried it. The thrilling adventure begins as the first pink rays of light are seen on the sky. As the silent inflation system fills the balloon with hot air, the captain will ask you to climb into the basket, suspended below the balloon. Your anxiety will be replaced with a rush of adrenaline and excitement as the balloon silently lifts from the ground and the Masai Mara will fall away under your feet and a whole new and amazing view appears with herds of elephants tottering beneath you. After an hour of fascinating slow balloon cruising, you will land and a lavish champagne breakfast set amidst the bush awaits you. This is a truly magical and unforgettable safari experience.

Bird watching is an important and interesting element of every game drive and with over 550 bird species in the Masai Mara, endemics to East Africa, watching birds’ behavior is really an adventure on its own. Take time to enjoy the birdlife of the Masai Mara. Birds are an important part of the Masai Mara Ecosystem. You can expect to see many different species from the larger cranes and bustards to the colorful rollers and bee-eaters. One can also enjoy the rich bird life around the camp. The shady trees and shrubbery in the garden provide a lovely avian habitat that attracts birds all year round. The birds around the camp are used to people and this makes viewing them at close range easier than out in the field. The combination of the riverine habitat which attracts water birds like hamerkops, herons, geese and sandpipers and the shady garden which is a haven for purple grenadiers, weavers, starlings, mousebirds, white-browed robin-chats, sooty chats and scarlet-chested sunbirds makes Karen Blixen Camp the ideal place to enjoy the wonder of Kenyan ornithology.

Game walks are serious matters as you will be walking right in middle of the big game land. Stand close to the mighty termite hills. Try and get a close to the abundance of plain games inhabiting the savannah, watching you with timid curiosity as you slowly approach them. Game walking is an amazing experience. It gives you an intense feeling of the greatness and the astonishing Masai Mara Ecosystem. Walk almost quietly through the diverse arrays of grasses and enjoy the fresh smell of the plains and the prickly heat of the sun. We will track and try to come close to the plain game as giraffes, wildebeests, zebras, topis, Grant’s gazelles, Thompson’s gazelles, yellow baboons and Kirks dikdik. Learning about these fascinating animals and to understand the very unique behavioral and anatomical adaptations helps fit them into their role in the Mara ecology. For security reasons we avoid any contact with the big five as the elephants, buffalos or any of the big cat predators.

Celebrate your wedding at Karen Blixen Camp with a romantic ceremony held at the impressive Masai Mara savannah and enjoy a private dinner party overlooking the Mara River. The wedding at Karen Blixen Camp is truly a romantic experience for the two who wish to celebrate their love with family and friends in the midst of the beautiful Masai Mara. Arrive at camp, experience thrilling game drives, perfectly set lunches, relax at the beautiful pool and enjoy cozy ‘before dinner drinks’ at the fireside beneath the African starlight night. Upon the day for the wedding the bride and her maids of honor are pampered with wellness treatments before driving to the plains of Mara were the groom and the party is waiting together with the District Commissioner of Narok who will perform the ceremony.

Experience how the Masai people live in the middle of the bush with zebras grazing and lions roaring just outside their homes and get to know their culture and customs on a visit to the traditional Maasai village, the local primary school or the busy market day. The majority of Maasai still practice their traditional way of life and live as pastoralists with cattle at the centre of their culture and social life. They are very proud to welcome guests and tell about their everyday life in the bush. Karen Blixen Camp supports the local Maasai community and guests are able to visit the Mararienda Village, the local primary school and the busy Maasai market.

Karen Blixen Camp invites our guests for game drives within the Mara North Conservancy for the outmost exclusive and private safari experience. Visit the Leopard Gorge, a vital nursery area for lions, cheetahs and leopards, made famous by BBC’s Big Cat Diary. Guests of Karen Blixen Camp are able to enjoy early morning game drives, afternoon game drives, full day game drives and thrilling night game drives within the Mara North Conservancy. We encourage you to explore the northern corridor of our conservancy area with the majestic Lemek Hills; a highly important wildlife refuge particular to a pack of threatened African wild dogs. During the migration season (or on request) guests are offered the opportunity to go for a full day game drive to the Masai Mara National Reserve or the Mara Triangle to have a chance to see the thousands of wildebeests and zebras crossing the Mara River. Please note the additional park fees. For the ultimate safari experience Karen Blixen Camp is using open Toyota Land Cruisers as our preferred safari vehicles. Game drives are undertaken with a highly experienced driver guide who is committed to share his or her knowledge on wild animal behavior and the complexity of the Mara Ecosystem. No more than six guests in each game vehicle assure the most comfortable experience with attention given to every visitor’s wildlife interest. Game driving at Karen Blixen Camp is an outstanding safari experience.

A unique customized conference tent located within the Karen Blixen camp, set on the banks of Mara River and is well suited for meetings and events with extensive facilities and a wide array of dining options including bush dining. The Kikao Centre can comfortably accommodate up to 60 persons in a theatre style set up . It is fully equipped with all requisite meeting equipment like LCD projector, wall large screen, White Boards and stationery. It can also accommodate 40 persons in either board room or a class room set up.