Best hotels in Masai Mara

You'll want to be in the iconic Masai Mara National Reserve between June and October to witness the Great Migration, as hundreds of thousands of wildebeest and zebra brave the crocodile infested waters of the Mara River and cross into Kenya. And you'll most definitely want to be at Tipilikwani! The pretty thatched lodge is perched on the banks of the Talek River and offers some of the best seats in the house for the thundering herds. There aren't many lodges that can boast one of the natural world's greatest phenomenons in their back yard, that's for sure...

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.

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.

For the best seats in the house to annual Great Migration, Serian's Nkoromobo is the place to be. Perched right on the banks of the Mara River, the five tents are far from the madding crowds yet still in the heart of the Masai Mara with its spectacular concentrations of game and, from June to November, wildebeest. Watch in awe as the herds plunge across the Mara River in some of the most exciting, chaotic and utterly phenomenal game viewing in the world before spending a few nights in one of owner Alex Walker’s permanent camps in the Mara North Conservancy for a slightly slower pace of safari! A winning combination if ever we saw one…

The Masai Mara is Kenya's safari headliner, but the main reserve can feel like rush hour when the migration's on. Mara North Conservancy, where Hemingways River Camp Mara sits on the banks of the Njageteck River, is the antidote: 73,000 acres of community-owned wilderness with a fraction of the vehicles. Founded by late conservationist Richard Roberts, the camp has just had a top-to-toe refurbishment under the Hemingways Collection, who've kept the old-school safari soul intact. Eight canvas tents, a resident lion pride that hunts within earshot, and guides who'll happily revolve the whole day around you. Safari the way it used to be done.

Sanctuary Olonana is an elegant tented camp in the heart of Kenya’s finest safari region. It's situated within a private concession alongside the Masai Mara Game Reserve, overlooking a stretch of the Mara River with a resident pod of hippos. A mix of classic safari elements – canvas tents, timber and thatch – together with a strong Maasai influence gives this camp an authentic African feel, with luxury all round. Game viewing is excellent, and one of the highlights is the chance to spend a day at a Maasai village, and participate in some of the daily rituals and routines.