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OVERVIEW:
Karen Blixen Camp is an excellent option for guests who like the idea of a peaceful base from which to explore this part of Kenya. We love that Out of Africa influence!
ACCESS & LOCATION:
This is a beautiful location! Guests to the Camp receive a warm welcome into a private conservancy area that provides a whole host of opportunities to see some of the world’s best wildlife up close. Approaching from the airstrip at Mara North, guests arrive at Camp via a plain alongside the famous River Mara and through thick bush. It is then that the excitement can begin, out in the true wild of Africa!
?ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES AT KAREN BLIXEN CAMP:
The communal areas of Karen Blixen Camp are housed in a large L-shaped building. The front of the property boasts some gorgeous terraces where guests can sit and enjoy the view, as well as a central campfire for gathering around and sharing stories while stargazing at night. The Camp’s lawns are laid along the riverbank and offer a secluded place for spending quality time with loved ones, with safety from the resident hippo and crocodile provided in the form of a natural boundary of vegetation! This is also a popular spot for watching buffalo and zebra saunter by. The main building is under cover, with a pitched roof made of Kilgoris grass tiles, and contains a friendly and welcoming Reception, plus the lounge diner and bar, the mess area of Camp. Finally, the small swimming pool is a great place to cool off in the heat of the African day.
Guest accommodation at Karen Blixen Camp comprises 22 spacious and permanent tents, all spread out along the riverbank. Each tent is mounted on a wooden platform to provide some privacy and views of the River below. Heavy canvas, roll-up window flaps and mosquito screens bestow a traditional safari feel – and when it comes to the interior décor, the Camp lives up to its name with a real focus on furnishings that look like they have come straight from the pages of Out of Africa, circa 1920s! The deep red wooden floors are complemented by stylish armchairs and a chaise longue, while hurricane lamps complete the authentic vibe. Comfortable beds ensure guests get a good night’s sleep, while a writing desk provides somewhere to sit quietly with your thoughts before penning your safari memoirs. A partly open-air bathroom can be found to the rear of the tent, featuring a shower and bathtub in the great outdoors!
ACTIVITIES AT KAREN BLIXEN CAMP:
There are plenty of things to do at Karen Blixen Camp due to its stunning location in the private Oloisuk Concession, a conservancy area. Whereas the Maasai Mara can feel overcrowded, travelers staying in the surrounding conservancies can expect to see the same wealth of wildlife without encountering all the traffic!
- The Camp’s guides can take guests on game drives around the conservancy during the day and the night. In addition to lots of herbivores, big cats frequent the area – you might get really lucky and see some lion!
- For an interesting look at the Camp’s conservation efforts and the general cultural importance of the local population, we recommend that guests take a trip to any one of the local Maasai villages. And guests can head out into the MMNR too, for a full-day game drive featuring a picnic!
- Another way to see the local plant life and birdlife is via a guided nature walk, but currently, these walks are not led by someone carrying a firearm. Due to the densities of wildlife in this area we consider walking without a firearm to be dangerous, so we advise our travelers not to take part in this activity from Karen Blixen Camp.
*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.
