MARA PLAINS
Private Charter Flights · Exclusive Game Drives in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy Bush Spa Treatments · Women’s Wellness Circle · Sunset Champagne on the Plains Big Cat Game Drives · Maasai Cultural Experience · Private Bush Dinners
07:30 AM: Private Charter Departure — Wilson Airport, Nairobi
Your retreat begins in style at Wilson Airport, where your Drones Africa Safaris concierge escorts you to your private charter. The 45-minute flight south traces the rim of the Great Rift Valley before the golden grasslands of the Masai Mara appear below — one of Africa’s most iconic views from the air.
08:20 AM: Arrival at Mara Plains Airstrip
Touch down at the private Olare Motorogi airstrip. Your Mara Plains host, a chilled welcome drink, and the unmistakeable sound of the Mara greet you on the tarmac. A short game drive to camp — your very first encounter with the wildlife of one of Africa’s most celebrated ecosystems.
09:00 AM: Welcome Breakfast & Camp Orientation
A generous welcome breakfast on the open mess tent veranda overlooking the Ntiakatiak River. Your retreat facilitator and head guide introduce you to Mara Plains — its 33,000-acre private conservancy, its extraordinary wildlife density, and the rhythm of the retreat ahead.
10:30 AM: Check-In & Tent Suite Settle-In
Receive your private luxury tented suite — canvas walls, a four-poster bed dressed in crisp linen, an outdoor copper bathtub, and an uninterrupted view across the riverine forest. Your personal butler unpacks while you take your first long breath of Mara air.
12:30 PM: Welcome Lunch
A light, beautifully curated lunch on the camp deck — fresh salads, artisan breads, and a rotating menu of Kenyan-inspired dishes. Unhurried, nourishing, and accompanied by the sounds of the Mara river below.
02:30 PM: Arrival Wellness Ritual — Mara Plains Spa Tent
Each guest receives a 60-minute arrival treatment: a grounding full-body massage using locally sourced botanical oils — moringa, baobab, and wild herbs from the Mara ecosystem. Designed to release travel and ease you into the pace of the wild. The spa tent overlooks the river; hippos are a frequent audience.
04:30 PM: Golden Hour Game Drive — Olare Motorogi Conservancy
Board a private open Land Cruiser for your first full afternoon drive. The Olare Motorogi Conservancy is one of the Mara’s most exclusive zones — accessed only by guests of a handful of camps, meaning you will encounter vast wildlife and almost no other vehicles. Big cats, elephant herds, and golden grassland as far as the eye can see.
07:00 PM: Sundowners on the Plains
Your guide selects the perfect spot as the sun nears the horizon — champagne, canapés, and the extraordinary silence of the Mara at dusk. Giraffes silhouetted against a burning sky. A moment that stays with you forever.
08:30 PM: Candlelit Welcome Bush Dinner
A private dinner set in the open bush by lantern and candlelight — the Mara darkness surrounding you, a sky packed with stars overhead. The chef presents a 5-course celebration of Kenyan flavours: slow-braised game, roasted root vegetables, and a passion fruit finale. Wine, stories, and the sounds of the African night.
05:45 AM: Pre-Dawn Wake-Up
A gentle knock: warm spiced tea and fresh fruit delivered to your tent. Wrap up and step out into the Mara before sunrise — the air cool, the sky indigo, the first birds beginning to call. This is Africa at its most elemental.
06:00 AM: Dawn Big Cat Game Drive
The most productive hours for wildlife in the Mara. Your expert guide tracks lion, leopard, and cheetah in the first light of morning — the Olare Motorogi Conservancy is exceptional for big cat sightings, with resident prides and lone leopards well-known to the Mara Plains guides. An experience that never fails to stop the breath.
09:00 AM: Return to Camp · Riverside Yoga
Return along the Ntiakatiak River for a 60-minute yoga session on the camp’s private deck — morning light on the water, birdsong overhead, and the occasional hippo surfacing below. A grounding, open practice led by your retreat facilitator, focused on breath, presence, and gratitude.
10:30 AM: Brunch & Free Morning
A generous mid-morning brunch followed by unhurried free time. Swim in the plunge pool, read in the mess tent library, request a second spa treatment, or simply sit by the river with a cup of Kenyan coffee and the view. Retreat means rest — and Mara Plains makes rest feel extraordinary.
01:00 PM: Private Maasai Cultural Experience
A private, respectful visit to a neighbouring Maasai community — warrior dances, firestarting demonstrations, and a guided tour of traditional manyatta homes. Sit with Maasai women to learn the language of beadwork, its colours and stories, and craft a piece to take home. A genuine, moving cultural exchange made possible through the Mara Plains community partnership programme.
03:30 PM: Afternoon Game Drive & River Crossing Vigil
Return to the conservancy for a full afternoon drive — your guide positions the vehicle at the Mara River for a vigil at a known crossing point. Witnessing thousands of wildebeest surge into crocodile-filled waters is one of nature’s greatest spectacles. Even outside peak migration, the river teems with hippos, crocodiles, and extraordinary birdlife.
06:30 PM: Women’s Wellness Sunset Circle
As the last light fades over the plains, gather at a private spot for a guided reflection circle led by your facilitator. Journaling, shared intention, botanical sundowner elixirs, and a moment of communal stillness. This is the heartbeat of the retreat — an experience guests consistently describe as the most meaningful of the journey.
08:30 PM:Farewell Gala Dinner — Under the Mara Sky
The centrepiece dinner of the retreat: a lavish celebration set on the open plains, surrounded by lanterns and the immensity of the African night. The chef’s most ambitious menu — a 6-course journey through Kenyan cuisine at its finest, with champagne, sommelier-led wine pairings, and a surprise dessert delivered by lantern light. An evening that closes the day in joy.
6:00 AM: Final Dawn Bush Walk
Lace up your boots for a last guided walk on foot through the Olare Motorogi Conservancy — the most intimate way to experience the Mara ecosystem. Your armed guide and naturalist lead you through the grassland at first light: reading tracks, identifying birds, and standing in the vastness of the plains as the sun rises. A quietly extraordinary farewell to the wild.
08:00 AM : Closing Sunrise Yoga
A final, meditative sunrise practice on the deck — short, gentle, and focused on gratitude. Carrying the retreat home begins here.
09:00 AM : Closing Women’s Circle
Gather one last time over tea and fresh fruit. Your facilitator guides a brief closing ritual: reflections shared, intentions honoured, and a recognition that something — quietly, certainly — has shifted. Each guest receives a personal farewell note from the Mara Plains team and a handcrafted Maasai keepsake.
10:00 AM: Farewell Brunch
An unhurried, celebratory farewell brunch — eggs to order, Kenyan fruit platters, freshly baked pastries, and the best cup of Kenyan coffee you will have all trip. Personalised farewell gifts from the Drones Africa Safaris team are presented. Toast to the journey, the sisterhood, and the wild that changed you.
11:30 AM: Check-Out & Airstrip Transfer
Your Mara Plains host and butler accompany your luggage on a final short game drive to the airstrip. One last sweep through the conservancy — giraffe grazing at the tree line, the river glinting in the morning light, the plains stretching endlessly. And then the airstrip, the handshakes, the hugs.
12:15 PM: Private Charter — Mara Plains to Wilson Airport, Nairobi
Board your private charter for the return flight north. The Mara shrinks below as you climb — the river, the plains, the herds — until it is a golden memory on the horizon. Toast the journey with a parting glass of Krug Grande Cuvée. You leave carrying the Mara within you.
01:00 PM: Arrival at Wilson Airport, Nairobi
Land at Wilson Airport where a private vehicle awaits for your onward transfer. Your Drones Africa Safaris concierge ensures a seamless, unhurried arrival back in the city. The retreat is over — but the Mara stays with you long after the dust has settled.
COST INCLUDES
- Private Charter Flights
- 2 Nights’ Accommodation
- All Meals & Beverages
- Bush Spa Treatments
- Women’s Wellness Circle
- Maasai Cultural Experience
- Bush Dinner
- Sundowner Experience
- All Conservancy Fees
- Concierge & Butler
NOT INCLUDED
- Personal Insurance
- Items of personal nature
- Alcoholic & Soft drinks
- Tips & porterage