Extraordinary Africa>Kenya>Masai Mara>Speke’s Camp
Speke’s is a fantastic camp for those who want a small, characterful and good value option in the Masai Mara, where your staff and hosts are almost all from the Maasai community.
What’s Speke’s Camp really like?
The beating heart of Speke’s is the cosy mess tent, and the fire, where guests sit in the evening watching the “bush TV” and sharing stories of their day. Simple, wholesome meals are eaten communally and served outside wherever possible, and even in the Masai Mara a few modern comforts sneak in- there’s a chill out tent near the river which has basic wifi.
The eight safari tents at Speke’s are comfortable and traditional in style, giving you all of the simplicity and romance of the bush, without too much in the way of fussy interior design, or unnecessary modern frills. They have double or twin beds, a wardrobe for hanging your clothes and a trunk to tuck your things away in. You have an ensuite bathroom with flushing loos and bucket showers. Three of the tents have two double beds, so can be used for families, and there is a “Family Pod”, consisting of a double and triple tent close by, but not connected to each other.
The camp’s not far from a small village, and sits in between the Olare Orok and Mara North Conservancies, so you get to experience both the adventure of the bush, and see a little of authentic local life. In all, we’d say this is one of the best value camps in the Masai Mara. While the alternatives get ever more luxurious, Speke’s is simple, intimate, characterful and charming.
What can I do at Speke’s Camp?
Although Speke’s is located near the conservancy areas, it conducts game drives in the public parts of the Mara Reserve where it has easy access to some of the best game viewing areas. Game drive vehicles normally have pop up roofs and roll up canvas sides, so that you have plenty of options to get great photos.
If you’re visiting Speke’s Camp while the wildebeest migration is in town, you might head down to one of the crossing points for a full day’s game drive, complete with a packed lunch, or even packed breakfast if you’re really keen. Please be aware that Mara River crossings can be extremely busy with other vehicles, so if you’d rather your driver stayed away please let them know.
With advance notice we can also book a hot air balloon flight as part of your stay at Speke’s, giving you a bird’s eye view as sun rises over the savannah. And a champagne breakfast to follow, naturally.
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