2 Best places to stay in Maasai Mara National Park

Built on one of the most magnificent sites in the northern Serengeti, the Kogakuria Kopje, Lamai overlooks the area’s rolling grasslands – through which the great migration pours from July to October.

The Big Five are regularly spotted on game drives, and leopards and lions often roam the camp (hence the presence of Maasai guards with huge spears).

Rooms have been moulded around the giant rocks on the kopje, cleverly hidden in the bush to be as unobtrusive as possible. Each has a different view and shape. They feel capacious, with inviting, mosquito-netted beds – and have enough distance between them to feel cut-off and romantic, even though it’s only a five-minute walk from the furthest room to the lodge centre.

There are 12 rooms – eight set on one side of the camp, four on another for small groups who want privacy. Private ‘family’ lodges have their own pool, living space and dining areas. Interiors are simple, natural Tanzanian textures, colours and fibres: creams and tans with dazzling Masai colours in accessories, local art and tribal designs.

The rooms sit on wooden platforms – each with its own deck to enjoy views in private. Views from all rooms are stonking: over thousands of miles of bush, with windows perfectly placed to take in the sunrise from bed.

This private conservancy, bordering the Maasai Mara National Park, with just 11 camps in 74,000 acres, offers Mara game viewing and the chance to experience the wildebeest migration – without the crowds. Game here is prolific – particularly during the wildebeest migration – and often passes right through this tented camp.

The camp’s style is as impressive as the game viewing. Tents are enormous, with plenty of space from which to take in the views. Food is fresh, delicious and well-presented; on request they will pack picnics for breakfast, lunch or dinner in the bush.

It’s an exceptional traditional tented safari experience, with good food and guiding, and some unique extras like fly camping, hot air balloon trips and local Maasai village tours.