Best hotels in Kenya

Think Masai Mara, think Governors' Camp. The small collection of properties has become synonymous with the Masai Mara and none more so than the original Governors' Camp. Set in the shade of the riverine forest along the banks of the iconic Mara River and overlooking the vast, rolling plains, the camp was originally built in 1972 to set the standard for a new breed of luxury camps. Save for a few (welcome) changes here and there, the camp remains largely as it once was. Entirely under canvas, in a magical location and with an excellent selection of activities on offer, this is a classic and hard-to-beat Mara safari.

Located in its own private conservancy just one kilometre from Kenya's famous Masai Mara Reserve, Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camp was created by Calvin and Louise Cottar in the mid-1990s. You're in the hands of experts – the owners are the fifth generation of a family recognised as the oldest established and continuing safari family in Africa. So you'll experience the perfect combination of adventure, adrenalin and comfort. The plains are alive with animals, the Masai guides are gold-star professionals, the tented rooms offer relaxation in luxurious style and the food is fresh and fabulous.

Set inside the world famous Laikipia Plateau at the foot of Mount Kenya, Enasoit House is located in the Enasoit Private Game Sanctuary, part of the Laikipia Conservation Project in which ranches and communities work together to preserve essential wildlife corridors. Previously a private home (built specifically for catering for lots of friends - lots!), the house itself is warm, welcoming and totally bohemian, and can sleep up to 12 guests in the charming tented cottages plus a further two in the Pool House. As a guest, the 4500 acre private game sanctuary is yours to explore on day and night game drives, guided walks, horse safaris and even helicopter trips. A fabulous experience if ever we saw one!

Ol Malo is a privately owned game sanctuary and working ranch in northern Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau, spanning 5,000 acres of rugged hills and valleys overlooking Mount Kenya. Once an overgrazed cattle farm, Ol Malo has been transformed into a conservation area, literally teeming with wildlife. Ol Malo House is a stunning six-bedroomed homestead perched on a rocky outcrop with sweeping views of the valleys and hills beyond. With a range of fabulous (and some totally unusual!) activities, this is the perfect bush break for anyone looking for excellent game-viewing and a whole lot of fun. For families and groups of friends, the house can be booked exclusively.

Il Ngwesi is one of Kenya’s most pioneering bush camps. Lying within a vast community conservation and livestock region north of the wildlife-rich Lewa Conservancy, the lodge is one of the first of its kind to be entirely owned and staffed by members of the local Masai tribe. This small camp, with just six rooms, sits on the thickly forested slopes of a hill in a remote corner of the conservancy. We appreciate the authentic, all-round Kenyan experience, and the focus that's equally weighted between the region’s traditional culture and heritage and the abundant plains game and birdlife.

Taking the Governors' tried, tested and truly excellent formula to the next level, Il Moran is the one for honeymooners, couples and anyone looking for a little piece of secluded privacy. In a quintessential and wonderfully romantic Mara picture, the 10 tents wind their way down a bend of the Mara River in the beautiful Musiara Sector of the reserve, shaded by the branches of ancient fig trees. With handsome Victorian bathtubs to fall into at the end of an active day and long, lazy candlelit dinners under a starry sky to look forward to, you might find yourself never wanting to leave.

Saruni Mara Camp and its sister tented camp, Saruni Wild, lie in the Mara North Conservancy, a private wilderness covering more than 30,000 hectares outside the Masai Mara Reserve. The sanctuary is a partnership between conservationists, investors and 800-plus Masai landowners, for whom this is the first time they have received income from wildlife. The camps lie in the path of the Great Migration (July to November) and the less well-known Loita Hills migration (December to May), which sees thousands of wildebeest arriving at the conservancy. So there's plenty to see and, to top it all, this boutique lodge offers top-quality service.

Tucked into a quiet corner of the Mara North Conservancy, Acacia House is your very own country house in the bush. A charming three-bedroom house, it’s perfectly positioned looking out over a busy waterhole and those iconic Mara plains, with nothing but birdsong, warthog grunts and the occasional lion roar to disturb the peace. With a dedicated team, your own guide and vehicle, and a wonderfully relaxed, do-as-you-please rhythm, it’s made for families and friends who like their freedom – and a good dollop of wildlife, too.