Situated on the banks of one of the greatest rivers in Africa – The Mara.
The name of our camp is “Enkishui”, the Maasai term for “life”.
The name was decided upon, as the position of our camp was a notoriously dangerous crossing point that the wildebeest used and, due to the exit from the river being rocky and steep, many animals would drown. Now that our camp is set up, the wildebeest no longer cross at this point, saving countless lives. Bringing with it life.
This idyllic piece of Africa will give you an authentic African safari experience in an intimate setting, totally immersed in nature and truly escaping from the realities that are happening in our current lives.
This seasonal camp is open from the end of June through to the end of November and our packages are 6 night and 7 day long scheduled departures.
The camp only accommodates 12 guests, each Land Cruiser has a maximum of 3 guests at any given time, (during these uncertain times this will give you comfort of greatly reduced cross contamination risks).
Each well-appointed tent has mahogany beds with comfortable mattresses and cotton sheets and duvets, an en-suite flushing toilet, clothing racks, baggage benches and a shaded veranda.
Hot bucket showers are enjoyed under the African sky at only a moment’s notice. The camp is powered by our solar farm and we use generators as a backup if needed.
Lying in your bed at night listening to the sounds of the night – roaring of lions, whooping hyena, sawing of a leopard and the constant grunting of hippo in the river below, makes for an unforgettable safari experience.
A media tent is provided for charging camera batteries & electronic equipment, downloading your images and post processing assistance from our photographic facilitators.
A central dining area offers a space where meals can be enjoyed under canvas or beneath the stars. A bar and lounge area is located adjacent to both the dining area and the open fireplace.
All these luxuries are small in comparison to the beauty of the position of the camp next to the mighty Mara River, the companionship of our friendly Maasai family members and the knowledge that you are spending time in one of the greatest game reserves in the world, it is truly a bucket list experience.
Age Restriction:
Children under the age of 16 will unfortunately not be accommodated at the Wild Eye Mara Camp for safety and operational reasons.
Exclusive Use of Camp for Younger Children:
For families with children under the age of 16, exclusive use of the camp can be arranged upon request. This ensures a private and tailored experience for families with younger children, with special activities and accommodations suitable for their age group.
Camp Layout
Flames dance from a fire where the sounds of the night await those who wish to have a cold beer in hand, a slight tilt back in the chair and a closing of the eyes in order to hear the never quiet plains of the Mara before the bantering that always accompanies a campfire before a deliciously prepared meal is served.
5 Guest tents are situated downstream from the main areas and provide guests with views onto the Mara River and opposite bank.
The Media Tent with WI-FI awaits those who can’t wait to see what they captured during the day, edit their images under the guidance of Wild Eye guides and show it to the world.
The bar and dining tent houses a large dining table with an adjacent lounge and bar area where our friendly staff are always on hand to assist you with an ice-cold refreshment or snack.
5 Guest tents are situated upstream from the main areas and provide guests with views onto the Mara River and opposite bank. Powered by our own solar farm this media tent, the lounge and our guest tents are kept alit consistently and sustainably.
Why The Wild Eye Mara Camp?
Location:
Our prime location on the banks of the Mara River in the southernmost reaches of the Mara Triangle Conservancy makes it possible for us to explore the banks of the Mara River at first light. This puts us in the perfect position to photograph the massive herds of wildebeest as they build up and ultimately start crossing the Mara River. The Mara Triangle Conservancy is separate to the Masai Mara National Reserve and rules and regulations around the number of vehicles in a sighting as well as sitting on rooftops are strictly enforced, making for a far more enjoyable guest experience.
Exclusivity:
With a maximum of 12 guests spread across 4 vehicles, the Wild Eye Mara Camp is one of the smallest and most intimate camps anywhere in the Masai Mara. This size makes it ideal for families and groups of friends looking to take exclusive use of the camp. Our location, well away from some of the larger and more permanent lodges in the region also sees us enjoying a large number of wildlife sightings all to ourselves as the other vehicles are either still making their way out or have had to return to camp already.
Flexibility:
We understand that your journey to the Masai Mara is a trip of a lifetime and want to make sure that you experience as much of the region as possible. With that in mind we generally opt to take a packed breakfast with us each day, giving us the flexibility to spend the majority of the morning exploring the region. Should you wish to spend the entire day out in the field (watching cheetah on the hunt or perhaps a herd of wildebeest waiting to cross the Mara River) we will endeavour to have lunch brought to you in the field – ensuring that you don’t miss out on any of the action.
The Mara Experience
The Mara Triangle is home to an incredible array of wildlife, even outside of the Great Migration season. As the long rains fall, afternoons in the Mara are dominated by massive thunderstorms, providing dramatic backgrounds and some of the most incredible light you could ever wish for.
Combined with the lush, short green grass, this is a photographer’s dream as the washed out brown tones so often seen during the migration season are replaced by a vibrant array of colour. Without the permanent presence of the migratory herds, predators tend to be more active, making for excellent game viewing and photographic opportunities. Whether you’ve visited the Mara many times before or you simply want to experience this incredible destination outside of the peak season, this safari will showcase the magic of the East African plains and provide you with incredible photographic opportunities. By combining the exclusivity of the Wild Eye Mara Camp and the passion, knowledge and experience of our team in East Africa, we have taken the Masai Mara experience to a whole new level.
The Great Migration
The Great Migration of wildebeest, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle is one of nature’s greatest spectacles. It’s a thunderous event that’ll take your breath away and this tour is designed to bring you right to the front seat of this impressive spectacle.
This migration takes place annually and peaks from middle of July through to middle of October in the Masai Mara. Forced to constantly stay on the move in order to find fresh nutritious grass, the herds arrive from Tanzania’s Serengeti and spend 2 – 3 months in the Mara during the rainy season. The Mara river takes centre stage as the large herds need to cross the river several times during this period in order to access prime grazing locations. This is where predators thrive, most notably the massive Nile crocodiles. Nearly 500,000 gazelle and zebra accompany the 1.5 million wildebeests on this journey. Our Wild Eye Mara Camp is located less than 10 minutes from some of the most epic river crossing points and this puts you in the best position to experience this incredible spectacle. This is an experience that’ll you’ll never forget.
Highlights of The Wild Eye Mara Camp
Genuine Maasai Culture
Maasai culture, stories of old and lessons of new are spoken through true Maasai warriors and elders around the fireplace. They are not staff, they’re family and this is their camp. Our Maasai family herd cattle and tend to their farms out of season, none of them are hospitality trained, their authentic manner is honest and their hospitality genuine. In addition to a dedicated cultural evening hosted by our Maasai team, guests are encouraged to connect and share in a more informal way with our Kenyan family at any stage during their stay with us.
Authentic Tented Accommodation
Our 12 tents are all equipped with their own en-suite bathroom, flushing toilet and mahogany beds, ensuring a combination of exemplary comfort and an authentic experience that safely embraces nature’s wonderings instead of walling it out. Bucket showers are filled upon request and hold more than enough water, hot or cold. It is almost unbelievable to think such comfort, so far removed from cities and crowds, lies at such easy reach.
Dedicated Media Tent
The Media Tent with WI-FI awaits those who can’t wait to see what they captured during the day, edit images under guidance of our Wild Eye hosts and show it to the world. Powered by our own solar farm this media tent, the lounge and our guest tents are kept alit consistently and sustainably.
Bar & Dining Tent
The bar and dining tent houses a large dining table with an adjacent lounge and bar area where our friendly staff are always on hand to assist you with an ice-cold refreshments. Our chefs produce menus out of a camp kitchen, hearty food, which is welcomed after long days in the field.
Solar Power
Given the seasonal nature of the camp we’ve tried to keep our footprint in the region to a minimum – you wouldn’t even know that there was a camp set up on the site once we’ve packed up for the season. A series of solar panels charge up a sophisticated battery and inverter system which provides light to all the tents and communal areas, power to the media tent, and even runs the fridges in the bar area. This system is backed up by a generator system should we experience prolonged periods without sunshine.
Purified Borehole Water
Wild Eye assisted the area and the conservancy by sinking a borehole near our camp in 2019. The borehole is used by the rangers of the conservancy throughout the year for their needs, and it assists Wild Eye and other campers in the area during the season, as all water for the camp is derived from this borehole. No more long transport expeditions to outside the park to collect water. We also have a filter system that purifies the water for consumption. Your water bottle is yours to use in the camp, to fill up with pure borehole water, and afterwards to take home as a reminder of your time in the Mara.
Easy Access by Air
The Wild Eye Mara Camp is a short 45 minute flight from Nairobi and sees our guests landing at the Mara Serena Airstrip in the Mara Triangle Conservancy. From here, a 30 minute drive to the south will see you arrive to a warm welcome from the Wild Eye East Africa family. There are regular flights from Mara Serena which allow guests to extend their time on safari to include destinations as Amboseli, Samburu and even further abroad into Uganda.
Experiences At The Wild Eye Mara Camp
Full Day Drives
At Wild Eye we understand that the safari experience is of the utmost importance to our clients. After all, this is why you’ve travelled all the way to our camp in the Mara Triangle. We have a fleet of 4 custom Toyota Land Cruiser safari vehicles, all 4×4 & very capable. The vehicles were designed with game viewing & wildlife photography in mind. Special adjustments have been made in order to facilitate this. The roof of the vehicle pops up so that you can stand upright & enjoy a higher vantage point. The windows also detach & give you a clear view of your subjects when seated. Each vehicle has only 4 seats which means there’s ample space for you to move around within, and also enough space to accommodate your camera bags & equipment. Equipped with a power point, you can charge cameras & phones within the vehicle itself. The vehicles also have electric coolers keeping your drinks icy all day long. Our drivers/guides are experts & understand vehicle position for the best possible view/photographic opportunity.
Out of Africa Breakfast
Breakfast on the edge of the Oloololo escarpment overlooking the plains of The Masai Mara may trigger memories of that iconic scene from the movie “Out of Africa”. You’re not wrong, this is the exact location where so many of the scenes from this iconic movie were shot and it’s where you’ll enjoy a hot breakfast prepared by our chefs as you soak up the sheer scale of this diverse ecosystem.
Bush Dinner
On one of the 6 nights of your stay our Wild Eye East Africa team will treat you to a memorable dinner set beneath a blanket of stars. Guests will share stories of the days adventures over refreshments before being treated to a hybrid of the South African “Braai” and Kenyan “Nyama’Choma” – a highlight of any stay at the Wild Eye Mara Camp.
Hot Air Balloon Safaris
Can you imagine seeing the great plains of the Masai Mara from a bird’s point of view? Well, you can do exactly this whilst enjoying your Mara safari experience with us at the Wild Eye Mara Camp. See the Mara from the skies above with a hot air balloon safari. This balloon flight will give you a different perspective & showcase the true vastness of these open plains to you. The flight is approximately 1 hour in total and takes off minutes before the sun rises, the perfect time for incredible photo opportunities. You’ll end the experience with a champagne breakfast experience on the open plains themselves. Soon afterwards your Wild Eye guide will collect you in order to continue the safari experience on land. Your balloon safari can be booked directly with the Wild Eye office. The balloon safari will take place towards the latter half of the 6 night tour, as per the itinerary above.
Maasai Cultural Evening
Maasai cultural evening, will take your stay at the Wild Eye Mara camp to a new level, as our team share traditional songs, dances and even a meal in honour of your stay with us. We don’t want to give too much away but suffice to say that this is one of the most authentic and memorable cultural experiences on offer in the whole of the Masai Mara.
In House Photographers
Each of our departures to the Wild Eye Mara Camp will be hosted by a Wild Eye photographic guide. Regardless of your level of interest or skill, our guide will be on hand to assist with any and all things photography. All of our guides have had first-hand experience working in Africa’s premier lodges and camps and are guaranteed to add value to your safari experience even outside of photography.
