Discover Olare Motorogi Conservancy in the Heart of the Greater Masai Mara - Kenya

Insights into Olare Motorogi Conservancy

A remarkable achievement in Masai Mara conservation efforts is the 142-square-kilometer Olare Motorogi Conservancy. This private conservancy is committed to safeguarding local wildlife while simultaneously providing the Masai community with benefits from safari tourism. Hosting only five exclusive safari camps with a maximum capacity of 94 beds, it ensures just one safari vehicle per 8.5 square kilometers. Prior to 2006, the area consisted of two separate conservancies: Motorogi and Olare Orok. The landscape was a beautiful mix of endless grasslands, lush riverine forests, and Acacia woodlands, dotted with rural Masai homesteads. However, overgrazing by the Masai’s extensive livestock herds created unsustainable conditions for both the Masai and the area’s wildlife.

The conservancy’s model promotes sustainable tourism, ensuring that the natural environment is preserved while providing economic benefits to the local community.

To protect the region, the conservancies merged to form the Mara Olare Motorogi Conservancy. This union enhanced conservation efforts and allowed the five local safari operators to operate seamlessly across the combined territories. For safari enthusiasts visiting the conservancy, the absence of fences means wildlife can roam freely, providing greater opportunities for wildlife viewing. The partnership between the 288 Maasai landowners and the safari camp operators also supports the Masai communities through job creation, educational investments, and other community initiatives. This community conservancy model ensures that conservation and community benefits go hand in hand.

Wildlife Viewing Encounters in Olare Motorogi

Most safari-goers flock to the Masai Mara during the peak months of July through October, but Olare Motorogi Conservancy offers spectacular wildlife viewing and rich biodiversity all year round. The hills are teeming with giraffes, wildebeests, warthogs, and zebras throughout the year. This abundance of herbivores naturally draws predators like lions, hyenas, jackals, cheetahs, leopards, and other big cats. The ‘luggas’ (small seasonal streams) that weave through the conservancy’s hills are lined with lush forest strips. This vegetation attracts a variety of leaf-eating animals, including elephants, baboons, buffaloes, and hippos. During the great wildebeest migration, the conservancy experiences heightened activity as migrating herds traverse the wildlife corridors. However, for more dramatic river crossings, you might need to head south towards the Mara Confluence.

Activities to Enjoy in Olare Motorogi

What makes staying in a Masai Mara conservancy so rewarding? The extraordinary concentration of wildlife certainly makes it a must-visit on your itinerary. Additional perks of staying at a conservancy include off-road safaris, guided nature walks, bush meals, night game drives, and night drives. All these activities unfold against the backdrop of emerald-hued riverine forests that snake along the lower valleys of the Olare Olak and Ntiakitiak Rivers, the awe-inspiring Ntiakitiak Gorge, and a breathtaking twelve-kilometer-long escarpment. The acacia woodlands beneath the escarpment are inhabited by various creatures, both large and small. Many of the safari activities mentioned above are not possible within the confines of the actual Masai Mara National Reserve. If cultural interaction is important to you, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to engage with the Masai people while staying at the conservancy. Since the Maasai are stakeholders in the conservancy, they warmly welcome those who choose to stay there.

Accommodation Options in Olare Motorogi Safari Camps

Despite its wild and untamed charm, the conservancy offers a selection of luxurious safari camps and luxury tented camps that provide guests with a sense of pampered luxury and exceptional care. These include Kicheche Bush Camp, Porini Lion Camp, Mara Plains Camp, and Olare Mara Kempinski. Each of these safari camps offers a full spectrum of wildlife viewing options, along with a wide range of additional safari and cultural activities. Whether you prefer observing the big five from the safety of a 4×4 safari vehicle or wish to immerse yourself in your surroundings during a guided nature walk, the safari camps in Olare Motorogi cater to all your safari desires. Each camp provides intimate luxury and essential creature comforts. So, if the thought of lumpy beds or cold showers is unappealing, rest assured that you won’t have to rough it in the rugged Kenyan wilderness. Each of the conservancy’s safari camps accommodates less than 24 guests, ensuring an exclusive safari experience. All safari camps are committed to conservation and make significant efforts to preserve the environment and minimize their ecological impact. The safari camps employ Masai guides with generations of experience and profound knowledge of the land, ensuring guests have a truly authentic safari experience.