Mara Intrepids Tented Camp

Mara Intrepids is located in a special Leopard spotting zone of the Maasai Mara. This camp is just a short drive from the Mara River, where over a million wildebeest and zebra make their perilous migration crossing every year. Outside of the migration, period, the camp still offers some of the world’s finest game viewing, with large local populations of plains game including, elephant, rhino, buffalo, and all the Big Cats. In 2004 for example, some 75% of the footage for the BBC’s famous Big Cat Diary was shot in the vicinity of the camp.

The camp is run on strict eco-principles, with hot water generated by burning used coffee husks, biodegradable waste mulched for compost, and all wastewater recycled through our own on-site constructed wetland.

Mara Intrepids is 298 kilometers from Nairobi and is served by an all-weather airstrip that enables guests to be at the camp within 45 minutes of leaving the capital city of Nairobi. Daily scheduled flights are available from the Wilson airport and other safari destinations on your itinerary.

Activities

Game drives are always a delight here as they don’t get much better than in this central triangle of the Maasai Mara. Lion, cheetah, buffalo, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, bat-eared fox, and various antelope are conspicuous in the plains that divide the rivers, whose confluence lies close to the main crossing point used by tens of thousands of wildebeest during the annual migration. This part of the reserve receives fewer visitors than the eastern part and as such it is possible to drive long periods without seeing another vehicle.

The lodge offers nature walks and cultural visits to local Maasai villages. They can also arrange hot air balloon safaris, leaving before dawn.

Mara Intrepids is specially recommended for families on safari with children. There is an Adventurers Club for children which offers a special family programme at no extra cost designed for children accompanying their parents on safari. This provides the chance for children to learn about the wilds from Maasai naturalists who specialize in plants, wildlife and survival skills. Children participate in various activities at the camp including an obstacle course that portraying the challenges faced by wild animals.For children aged under 12 years activities include:

• Build your own mini Maasai homestead
• Have a close brush with a toothbrush tree
• Learn to make a fire with a pair of sticks
• Catch and study the brightest butterflies
• Plant a tree and help bring back the rains
• Cast big cat tracks from the real thing
• Make friends quiver with your own bow
• Learn how to identify birds of all feathers
• Stalk victory in the bush treasure hunts

For older children (aged 12-17 years) activities include:

• Bush orienteering
• First aid
• Snake and bird identification
• Tree identification
• Mammal behaviour studies
• Guided bush walks

Mara Intrepids in the CommunityAs one of the Mara’s most established camps, Mara Intrepids enjoys a very close relationship with the local Maasai community, from which most of the camps staff hail. Together with a sister camp, Mara Intrepids channels part of income into local community initiatives, including environmental awareness training, the establishment of medical clinics, and financial support for primary schools, churches and women’s groups.