Our take
Cottar’s 1920s Camp combines eleven canvas tents with the Cottar family’s long guiding history in Olderkesi Conservancy. Campaign-style interiors, dedicated family tents and private-land activities offer a distinct safari on the eastern side of the Maasai Mara.
Cottar’s sits in Olderkesi Conservancy beside the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Cream canvas, antiques and traditional safari furnishings establish its 1920s character, while the camp’s location supports activities beyond reserve game drives. The setting is useful for travellers drawn to a quieter conservancy experience and the history of safari, provided the route allows time for the areas they most want to explore.
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A closer look at the accommodation, atmosphere and setting.
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Accommodation
The camp has eleven tented suites, with double, honeymoon and family categories. The family tents have two en-suite bedrooms linked by a lounge, giving parents and children separate sleeping space. Private decks extend the living area outdoors. The categories differ in layout and position, so specify whether you want a two-bedroom family arrangement or a more secluded tent for two.
02
Food & drink
Meals bring guests together in the mess area, while private veranda dining and bush meals can be arranged. The kitchen works with dietary preferences, and breakfasts or picnic lunches can fit around a longer drive. For a celebration, discuss the occasion in advance rather than assuming every private meal setting is part of the standard stay.
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What to do
Day and night drives and guided walks explore Olderkesi, with reserve visits adding a different part of the Mara ecosystem. Community and conservation experiences introduce the area beyond wildlife sightings, and children can join age-appropriate bush activities. Balloon flights are an optional extra. Migration movements depend on rainfall; a stay should be worthwhile for resident wildlife as well as seasonal herds.
Planning your stay
Two-bedroom family tents provide separate en-suite sleeping areas around a shared lounge. Children of all ages are welcomed, with activities and babysitting arranged around the family. Younger children’s needs should shape the vehicle arrangement and length of drives.
The camp’s safari heritage is visible in its furnishings and approach, but the Olderkesi setting is equally important. It permits walking and evening activities that add depth to a stay beyond daytime reserve drives.
Olderkesi is on the Mara’s eastern side. A river-crossing-focused trip needs realistic drive planning rather than an assumption that every Mara location is equally close. Ask for the specific tent category and guiding arrangement that suit your group.
Compare the alternatives
Explore the accommodation and setting of each property before choosing your combination.
Maasai Mara
Cottar’s Bush Villa is an exclusive-use house above the Olderkesi Conservancy, with five bedrooms, dedicated staff and private safari vehicles. Wide viewing decks and a 25-metre pool make it a spacious alternative to the nearby 1920s Camp.
Explore the property
Maasai Mara
Wild Hill is an exclusive-use five-suite retreat on Kileleoni Hill in the northern Mara. Panoramic views, living grass roofs, private guiding and substantial wellness facilities create a residential safari experience, with access to three surrounding conservancies.
Explore the propertyMake it part of a journey
Cottar’s can anchor a family safari or a journey focused on classic camp character. We would build the stay around Olderkesi’s strengths, then decide whether a second Mara base or a contrasting northern region would add more than simply extending the same route.
These journeys are starting points. We adapt the route, accommodation and length of stay around your plans.
Explore Maasai Mara or read our Kenya seasonal guide.
Your questions
The camp has eleven tented suites, with double, honeymoon and family categories. The family tents have two en-suite bedrooms linked by a lounge, giving parents and children separate sleeping space. Private decks extend the living area outdoors. The categories differ in layout and position, so specify whether you want a two-bedroom family arrangement or a more secluded tent for two.
Day and night drives and guided walks explore Olderkesi, with reserve visits adding a different part of the Mara ecosystem. Community and conservation experiences introduce the area beyond wildlife sightings, and children can join age-appropriate bush activities. Balloon flights are an optional extra. Migration movements depend on rainfall; a stay should be worthwhile for resident wildlife as well as seasonal herds.
Two-bedroom family tents provide separate en-suite sleeping areas around a shared lounge. Children of all ages are welcomed, with activities and babysitting arranged around the family. Younger children’s needs should shape the vehicle arrangement and length of drives.
Cottar’s can anchor a family safari or a journey focused on classic camp character. We would build the stay around Olderkesi’s strengths, then decide whether a second Mara base or a contrasting northern region would add more than simply extending the same route.
Tailor-made Kenya
We will explain how it compares with the alternatives and whether it fits your preferred dates, route and pace.
Start planning