Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya
Rekero Tented Camp lies in the Masai Mara Game Reserve at the end of solitary track that looks like it is going nowhere. Driving through a clump of bushes, you are suddenly confronted by an open glade along the Talek River. This has to be one of the most beautiful wilderness settings for a camp. The camp is run by Jackson, a local Masai, who owns 20 per cent of the camp with the Beaton family of Rekero Farm.
At Rekero Camp, there are no permanent structures. The meeting place throughout the day is a patch of grass in front of an open-fronted canvas mess tent which stands under tall indigenous trees, overlooking the Talek River. This is the hub for all camp activities and it is a fun place to be. Meals, camp fires, sundowners, cocktails, story-telling are all enjoyed from here, unless rain or wind forces the use of the spacious mess tent which has a simple bar with all the essential safari drinks.
World renowned for the breathtaking spectacle of ‘the greatest wildlife show on earth', the awe inspiring annual migration of the wildebeest, the Mara is Kenya's most visited protected area. Technically an extension of Tanzania's renowned Serengeti National Park, the Mara constitutes only 4% of the entire Serengeti ecosystem but its rolling grasslands, meandering rivers and towering escarpments offer one of the world's most rewarding and evocative wildlife arenas.
Kenya hotels and accommodation
Amongst the wide range of Kenya hotels, some make the ideal Kenya safari destination. Choose a safari lodge, safari hotel, bush camp, luxury lodge, safari camp, tented camp or bush lodge. National park accommodation usually takes the form of a traditional safari lodge or tented camp, but numerous other options exist on the park boundaries. Luxury lodges and luxury camp options are also offered in the private wildlife conservancies.
Location
The Masai Mara is 270 miles from Nairobi (5-6 hours by road). All weather air strip - less than an hour from Nairobi by plane. Rekero Camp is situated at what is recognized as the prime site within the world famous Masai Mara Game Reserve, close to the confluence of the Mara and Talek rivers. The Reserve and the adjacent Conservation area totals 750 square miles and forms the northern tip of the Serengeti - Masai Mara eco-system.
Guests fly into Intrepids airstrip and are collected by Rekero vehicles. Game drives are conducted in 4x4 vehicles by an expert driver guide and a native Ndorobo guide, who also accompanies the guests on guided nature walks outside the game reserve. Access
• From Nairobi - twice daily schedules to Ol Kiombo airstrip.
• From Nanyuki - daily morning flight to Ol Kiombo airstrip.
• Private air charters also land at Ol Kiombo airstrip, which is 15 minutes from the Camp.
The Background
The Masai Mara National Reserve
When it comes to game-viewing, there is nowhere in Africa richer in wildlife or more eventful in encounters than the Mara. A pristine wilderness of haunting beauty, it promises its visitors a profusion of wildlife, prolific bird life and the unprecedented opportunity of catching up with all the members of the ‘Big Five' in one morning.
As to scenery, the 1,800 sq kilometres of this veteran reserve offer the classic mix of African imagery; miles of lion-gold grasslands, shoals of lilac-misted hills, a meandering river, acres of thorn-bush and mile upon mile of undulating wilderness.
The Miracle of the Migration of the Wildebeest
Between the end of July and November, over one and a half million wildebeest accompanied by half again as many zebras and gazelles, migrate from the short-grass plains of the Serengeti to fresh pasture in the grasslands of the Mara; thus creating one of nature's grandest spectacles. Moving in groups of up to 20,000 at a time they thunder across the plateau hesitating only briefly to cross the Mara River, where many fall prey to the waiting crocodiles. Towards the end of October they begin crossing back into Tanzania. The actual timing of the migration, however, is dictated by the weather and does not always ‘run to schedule'.
Accommodation
Seven spacious tents, all of which have the capacity of being a double, twin or triple - all with terraces overlooking the Talek river and en-suite bathrooms with flush loos and safari showers. Solar lanterns and kerosene lamps are provided in each tent. An inverter is available to charge video camera batteries, and there is a satellite telephone.
The double beds are generously sized, flanked by wicker bedside tables, and covered in Indian-elephant bedspread. In one corner lies an open clothes wardrobe, while in the other a writing table. The bathroom with a bucket shower, flush loo, wash stand and a stool is linked to the main tent which can be separated by a canvas curtain for extra privacy.
Wildlife highlights
Offering an abundance of herbivores, the Mara makes the ideal hunting ground for Kenya's famous ‘big cats' and hosts her largest population of lions. It also offers the best chance of spotting a leopard in the wild. Other predators include cheetah and spotted hyena. Historically teaming with wildlife, the Mara is famous for the large herds of elephant and buffalo that meander its plains; also for the fat pods of hippo that wallow in its mud-brown rivers. Other stars include the distinctive Masai giraffe, plum-coloured topi, Coke's hartebeest, Grant's and Thomson's gazelle, zebra, impala, Kirk's dik-dik, bushbuck, waterbuck and red duiker. The Reserve also boasts plentiful Nile crocodile, monitor lizard, baboon, vervet, blue and red-tailed monkeys, nocturnal bush babies, and tree hyrax. There are over 550 resident and migratory species of birds.
Child-friendly
The camp welcomes children.
What to see and do
Activities
• Wildlife viewing and bird watching can be done on foot with experienced Il Dorobo and Masai guides, or in custom-built four-wheel-drive vehicles, which allow intimate yet unobtrusive access to the animals. Picnics in the bush and sundowners also feature.
Optional Extras
• Hot air balloon safaris
• Day trip to Lake Victoria for fishing day
• Scenic flights over the Masai Mara
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