Basecamp Wilderness

OVERVIEW:

Basecamp Wilderness is a classic safari camp designed for immersion in the Maasai Mara. The camp’s understated style ensures the landscape and its wildlife remain the focal point. Highlights include expert-led game drives, nocturnal adventures, cultural experiences, and walking safaris in one of Africa’s most astonishing ecosystems.

ACCESS & LOCATION:

Basecamp Wilderness is located in the wildlife-rich Mara Naboisho Conservancy, adjacent to the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Guests arrive by light aircraft at Naboisho Olseki Airstrip, which is approximately 20 minutes by car from the camp. Domestic flights from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport take approximately 45 minutes.

ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES AT BASECAMP WILDERNESS:

Basecamp Wilderness comprises seven luxury canvas tents and a dedicated family unit with two adjoining en-suite bedrooms. The interiors balance simplicity with high-end comfort, featuring twin or double configurations, writing desks, and hanging storage. Local rugs and textiles provide a distinct sense of place, while zip-up mesh panels ensure a mosquito-free environment as the breeze flows through. Each tent includes a private veranda with camp chairs overlooking the savanna. Every bathroom has a bio-flush toilet, a single basin, and a traditional safari shower, heated on request. While there’s a variable mobile signal, please be aware that Wi-Fi is not available, giving guests the option of a restful digital disconnect!

The communal tent at Basecamp Wilderness is a cosy, comfortably furnished affair in the heart of the bush. Help yourself to a drink from the informal bar, sink into the sofa for armchair wildlife viewing, or spend an hour or two with a book from the camp’s collection. Meals are served communally at the dining table or outside, surrounded by the sounds of nature. By night, the glowing campfire is lit, inviting guests to gather round beneath the stars within earshot of passing elephants. The camp also arranges private dining, from bush breakfasts beneath a lone acacia tree to romantic dinners on a dry riverbed where storm lanterns add to the ambience.

ACTIVITIES AT BASECAMP WILDERNESS:

Basecamp Wilderness offers plenty of wildlife viewing and cultural activities in the Mara, as well as a dedicated programme for young explorers.

• Game drives – The Mara is one of Africa’s most exciting wildlife destinations, characterised by its wheat-coloured plains and high predator density. Explore the Naboisho Conservancy accompanied by an excellent professional guide who’ll divulge plenty of interesting details about your sightings. Whether it’s a cheetah on the prowl, a stealthy leopard camouflaged by the trees, or a lioness ready to hunt, the Mara provides every opportunity for quality wildlife sightings. Drives typically last between 2 and 5 hours, dictated entirely by what you find on the day!
• Night drives – As darkness falls, the Mara transforms, and a new world of wildlife awakens. Night drives introduce guests to some fascinating and elusive nocturnal species, which might include genet cat, civet, bat-eared fox, honey badger, and even the shy porcupine if you’re extremely lucky.
• Walking safaris – Morning and afternoon walking safaris shift the focus to the Mara’s intricate details. Led by Maasai guides, these walks reveal the nuances of the ecosystem – from medicinal plants and seed pods to the behaviours of insects and reptiles. This is a gentle, insightful exploration of the bush that provides a perspective often missed from a vehicle.
• Cultural activities – Visit a traditional Maasai manyatta to understand the daily rhythms of life in the surrounding communities. These homesteads, secured by thorny fences to protect livestock, offer a window into an enduring way of life. In the evenings, join the warriors by the fire for storytelling and insights into a culture that remains proudly preserved.
• Conservation visits – You might like to visit a local conservation or community project during your stay. For example, there’s the Enjoolata Awareness Centre, which provides insights into Maasai culture and lifestyle, from daily tasks to key coming-of-age ceremonies. Learn about the Seedballs Kenya Regreening Project, an award-winning reforestation initiative, and purchase seedballs. Your guide will show you where to throw them so your seedling can thrive. You can also take a tour of the organic fruit-and-vegetable garden, followed by a stroll through the tree nursery.
• Young Explorers Club – The camp encourages children to learn about the environment through educational activities while allowing them to have fun. From learning bush survival skills, shooting bows-and-arrows, and beading with local Maasai ladies to learning how to track animals, and baking cakes with the chef, there’s plenty here to keep young minds entertained!
• Hot air balloon rides – For an additional fee, take to the skies over the Maasai Mara in a hot air balloon, and marvel at the landscape and roaming wildlife beneath. This is a truly iconic Mara experience and one you’ll never forget.

*Although Basecamp Wilderness offers walking safaris, these are operated without firearms and take place in big game areas. So we don't recommend our clients go on these safari walks.

**This property is unfenced and located in a wildlife area, so large and potentially dangerous animals do pass through. If you opt to stay here, always be alert when walking around the camp and request for a member of staff to escort you if you have any concerns. Any guest is escorted after dark as a matter of course.