Mara Bush Houses, Mara North Conservancy

Mara Bush Houses — Private Safari Homes in the Masai Mara

Mara Bush Houses are a pair of exclusive-use safari homes — Mara House and Acacia House — tucked into the Ol Chorro Losoit Valley in the Mara North Conservancy, far from the vehicle traffic of the main Masai Mara National Reserve. Each house comes with its own private chef, dedicated safari guide, vehicle and household staff, giving guests complete control over their daily schedule, meal times and activity programme.

This is not a lodge or a tented camp — it is a fully staffed private home in the bush, and the experience is fundamentally different from a shared safari property. There are no other guests to coordinate with, no fixed meal times, no set game-drive schedule. If your family wants a sunrise drive followed by a long brunch by the pool, that is exactly what happens. If the children need a slow morning and your teenager wants a night drive, the programme adapts around you.

Location: Mara North Conservancy

The Mara North Conservancy covers 30,000 acres of prime Masai Mara habitat, directly bordering the national reserve. It is a community-owned conservation area managed by Maasai landowners in partnership with a small number of tourism operators, including Asilia Africa. The conservancy model strictly limits the number of beds and vehicles, which means game-drive exclusivity that the national reserve cannot match — off-road driving is permitted, night drives are allowed, and walking safaris are possible.

The houses overlook the popular Ol Chorro waterhole, where elephants, zebra and plains game come to drink. Lion, leopard and cheetah are resident in the conservancy, and the nearby Lemek Hills are one of the few areas in the greater Mara ecosystem where endangered African wild dogs are occasionally sighted. During the Great Migration (typically July to October), the wildebeest herds pass through the conservancy on their way to and from the Mara River crossings.

The Houses

Mara House has three en-suite bedrooms — two doubles and one twin — a lounge with log fireplace, dining room, study with TV, kitchen, a large veranda and a courtyard entrance. It sleeps up to six guests.

Acacia House has two ground-floor bedrooms (one en-suite, one with shared bathroom) and a mezzanine-level attic room that works well for children. It shares the lounge-with-fireplace and dining room layout of Mara House. It sleeps up to six guests.

Both houses share a swimming pool and barbecue area in the garden between them. The interior style is colonial-contemporary: polished stone floors, whitewashed walls, smooth wooden furniture, and colourful rugs on timber floors. The atmosphere is deliberately homely rather than hotel-like.

Activities

Game drives on the Mara North and neighbouring Lemek Conservancy are the core activity, conducted in a private vehicle with your dedicated Maasai guide. Off-road driving allows closer approaches to wildlife than the national reserve permits. Night drives reveal nocturnal species — bushbabies, genets, porcupines and hunting predators. Guided walking safaris offer a ground-level perspective on the bush. Cultural visits to local Maasai communities, including village visits and school trips, are popular family activities. Excursions into the Masai Mara National Reserve are possible at additional cost (reserve entrance fees apply). Hot-air balloon safaris over the Mara can be arranged.

Who Are Mara Bush Houses Best For?

Mara Bush Houses are purpose-built for families, multi-generational groups and small groups of friends who want complete privacy and flexibility. The private chef, guide and vehicle model removes every constraint of a shared lodge. The houses are also excellent for honeymoon couples or anniversaries where the entire property can be booked for two guests wanting absolute seclusion. The Mara North Conservancy location provides consistently strong game viewing with significantly fewer vehicles than the main reserve.