The argument in favor of using filler text goes something like this: If you use real content in the Consulting Process, anytime you reach a review point you’ll end up reviewing and negotiating the content itself and not the design.
Legacy of the Wild
The Great Mara Ecosystem encompasses the Maasai Mara National Reserve, the Mara Triangle, and various Maasai Conservancies: Koiyaki, Lemek, Olchorro Oirowua, Olkinyei, Naibosho, Olare Motorogi, Siana, Olarro Maji Moto, Ol Derkesi, and Pardamat. No artificial boundaries (fences) surround these areas-the wildlife move freely between them.
It covers approximately 510 square kilometres. Bordered by the steep Oloololo Escarpment to the east, the life-sustaining Mara River to the west, and the Kenyan border with Tanzania, the Mara Triangle is characterised by astonishingly high concentrations of wildlife.Â
Witnessing the Big Five, along with abundant species such as zebras, wildebeest, cheetahs, giraffes, and many others, is a given. Limited accommodation options are available, ranging from luxurious lodgings such as Mara Serena Safari Lodge to smaller, intimate lodgings such as Little Governors’ Camp, with other high-end safari camps in the vicinity.Â
Mara North Conservancy is an impressive 69,160 acres of wilderness, a massive ecosystem, and a key piece of the Maasai Mara puzzle, as it represents the northwestern section bordering the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Its goal, according to its website, is: “To achieve a world-class standard and best-practice conservancy, undertaking long-term commitments to the environment, wildlife and local community”. The Conservancy consists of 14 member camps and 666 landowners.
The Conservancy is one of the most populated wildlife areas within the Maasai Mara. It houses Leopard Gorge, an important birthing and maternity site for the big cats, and the picturesque Lemek Hills, an important haven for the highly endangered African wild dog. The thousands of resident wildebeest are found within the Mara North Conservancy from December through May as they traverse for the Loita Hills migration.
The Koiyaki & Lemek ranch group, which is located north of the Masai Mara National Reserve, comprises Koiyaki ranch (89,000ha) and Lemek ranch (49,707ha).
The trust that operates the group ranch is completely controlled by locals (Maasai). There are 2,000 members of Koiyaki, and 1,029 members of Lemek. Some members individually own a ranch on this land. This entire land area is a conservation area managed by the Protected Area and Wildlife Service (PAWS).
The Koiyaki Lemek Ranch contains 4 lodges: David Livingstone Lodge, Mara Buffalo, African Safari Camp, and Olmakau/Royal Camp, as well as some tented camps.
To the north of the Mara Triangle is the 15,765-acre Olchorro Oirowua Conservancy, which comprises 170 landowners and 4 tourist camps.
Fairmont Mara Safari Club, which is based in the Conservancy and works with the Local Land Owners, has taken the initiative to invest in the well-being of people and wildlife to secure the surrounding habitat.
The Olchorro Oirowua Conservancy has two broad-mouthed Rhinos, Kofi Annan and Queen Elizabeth, who are being closely protected by a squad of conservancy and Kenya Wildlife Service rangers at the foot of Kileloni Hill in Maasai Mara.
The Ol Kinyei Conservancy is 18,700 acres in extent and lies within the Serengeti-Mara eco-system, north-east of the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. Ol Kinyei is renowned for its unspoilt, stunning landscapes, and its terrain includes both rolling hills and open plains.
Ol Kinyei is part of a large tract of land owned by a Maasai community and leased to Gamewatchers Safaris on a long-term basis for wildlife conservation. There are only two small safari camps on Ol Kinyei – Porini Mara Camp and Porini Cheetah Camp – which each accommodate a maximum of 12 guests. With 40,000 acres, it is one of the most exclusive eco-tourism destinations in Kenya. There are also two small mobile camps available during the high season: Gamewatchers Adventure Camp and Porini Bush Camp.
The only safari vehicles permitted within the Ol Kinyei Conservancy are those of the two small eco-camps, which means our guests can enjoy the wilderness of the thousands of acres to themselves. Our guests can also go on safari in the nearby Naboisho Conservancy, managed with support from Gamewatchers Safaris, which contributes to the land lease fees payable to the local Maasai community.
With an abundance of water sources in the form of springs, streams and rivers, along with spectacular views across the Mara plains, the conservancy is a haven for many different species. There is a pride of lions, along with various individuals, and various leopards have territories within the conservancy. They are regularly viewed by guests of Porini Mara Camp on evening or early-morning game drives. Cheetahs are also frequently seen, and it is common to encounter large herds of giraffes alongside Cape buffalo and elephants.
From the Ol Kinyei Conservancy, one has easy access to observe the Serengeti Wildebeest Migration (which is normally found in the Mara region between June and October). In addition, there is another, separate wildebeest migration that comes into the Ol Kinyei Conservancy from Kenya’s Loita Plains early on in the year, normally by January.
February and March are the periods when calving occurs within the Ol Kinyei Conservancy, and the plains of the conservancy then come alive with thousands of wildebeest. They are present on the plains until such time that they will move on through Naboisho Conservancy into Olare Motorogi and ultimately the Mara Reserve. The local Maasai make excellent guides, and their knowledge of the conservancy and what is available to view is first class.
The Mara Naboisho Conservancy is a privately managed 50,000-acre area, primarily a community pastoralist and wildlife conservation space in Kenya, carved from the Koyaki-Lemek Group Ranch. The site borders the highly regarded Maasai Mara National Reserve in the southwest, the Olare Orok Conservancy in the west and the Ol Kinyei Conservancy in the east.
By controlling the bed-to-acreage ratio and tourist numbers, visitors are spared the sight of vast numbers of other cars; in fact, they can even find themselves the sole vehicle for miles, providing stunning, uncompromised views of incredible wildlife. It is one of the highest concentrations of lions in Africa. Unlike a National Park, the Conservancy has fewer restrictions; this means more time to soak up unique moments and see and do things that are impossible in the Maasai Mara National Reserve.Â
The Guides at this conservancy are deeply invested and passionate about ensuring guests have a truly exceptional experience.
The conservancy conserves the area and its wildlife while generating revenue for Maasai landowners. Visiting the Mara Naboisho Conservancy is an opportunity to help safeguard the cultural heritage of the indigenous Maasai and enhance their access to much-needed services.
To the north of the Maasai Mara Reserve is the Olare Motorogi Conservancy (combining Olare Orok and Motorogi conservancies), an area of roughly 33,386 acres that serves as a vital buffer for the Maasai Mara National Reserve and its wildlife corridors.Â
The Olare Motorogi was developed through a community agreement with 288 landowners who moved their homes off the land and agreed to allow only controlled grazing of their cattle in limited areas. In this way, the wildlife was left completely undisturbed.
Pleasant and exclusive guided tours can be undertaken in the conservancy, a pristine environment where the diversity and density of both predators and herbivores can be experienced, including The Mara’s famous big cats and plenty of elephants. Sightings of rhino and wild dog are now frequent, and this looks to be an excellent new environment for these two endangered species, provided that sensitive tourism continues to offer them adequate protection.
There are five luxury safari camps within the conservancy, all of which can fulfil any particular tented fantasy. Porini Lion Camp and Kicheche Bush Camp are the Conservancy’s founder members, and have since been joined by Mara Plains Camp, Olare Mara Kempinski and Mahali Mzuri. All provide clients with exclusive wildlife, campfire, and canvas experiences; none are larger than 24 beds, and they have all committed to environmentally friendly construction and operating principles, as outlined in the Conservancy’s Code of Conduct.
Mara Siana conservancy is an emerging community conservancy located in the eastern part of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Mara Siana covers 10,000 acres of land, owned by 1,517 individuals and leased to 15 camps.
The establishment of Mara Siana conservancy took place in 2015, where 1,200 members from the Siana Group Ranch (subdivided) allocated 6.5 acres per member to the conservancy. They chose to come together to establish the Conservancy to capitalise on its tourism potential and maintain guaranteed pasture for livestock. They aimed to make management of the Conservancy an inclusive practice to ensure they all gain equally.
Pardamat Conservation Area is based on the integrated conservation model. It is intended to contribute to the viability of the greater Maasai Mara ecosystem and to economic benefits for local communities. Within this conservation model, the landowners (850) of the Pardamat community have officially registered their (26,000ha) of land as a wildlife conservation area.Â
Pardamat has become a critical part of the broader Mara ecosystem due to its role as the migratory route connecting the four conservation areas (Naboisho, Olkinyei, Lemek, and Mara North) to the Mara Triangle and then into the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Its mountainous, forested nature appeals to elephants for browsing, as does its open habitat, providing a vital refuge from pressures such as unplanned settlement and fencing.
Pardamat Conservation Area is based on the integrated conservation model. It is intended to contribute to the viability of the greater Maasai Mara ecosystem and to economic benefits for local communities. Within this conservation model, the landowners (850) of the Pardamat community have officially registered their (26,000ha) of land as a wildlife conservation area.Â
Pardamat has become a critical part of the broader Mara ecosystem due to its role as the migratory route connecting the four conservation areas (Naboisho, Olkinyei, Lemek, and Mara North) to the Mara Triangle and then into the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Its mountainous, forested nature appeals to elephants for browsing, as does its open habitat, providing a vital refuge from pressures such as unplanned settlement and fencing.
The Olarro Conservancy at Maji Moto on the Loita Hills of southwestern Kenya is a four-hour drive from Nairobi on the way to the world-famous Masai Mara National Reserve. Together, the Olarro North and South Conservancies measure 24,500 acres and represent a partnership between 2,200 individual landowners and 2 tented camps.
Olarro Conservancy is vital and highly proactive in all matters of conservation, socio-economic improvement, anti-poaching, wildlife/human conflict resolution and wildlife rescue, presently the elephants in particular, amongst other tasks, and has helped pioneer a model network of conservancy areas that protect key ecosystem elements.
Olarro endeavours tirelessly to preserve areas critical to ecosystem function – their critical wildlife corridors, grassland reserves, watershed areas and springs, amongst other areas – under challenging circumstances, and this sound management of their ecosystem translates directly into revenue and community development projects that enhance the local way of life. Not an idle moment.
The drive from Nairobi allows one to enjoy the spectacular views and descent down the Great Rift Valley Escarpment. Those planning to visit the Masai Mara could do no better than to rest in the Olarro and Maji Moto areas to help them adjust to the environment. It is only an hour from the Sekenani Gate, on the eastern side of the Masai Mara National Reserve.
Olderkesi Conservancy lies in the south-east corner of the Maasai Mara National Reserve and is situated just north of Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. It is a place of remarkable natural beauty, immense wildlife diversity, and inspiring, creative thought about conservation.
Managed by two Trusts, the Cottar’s Wildlife Conservancy Trust (CWCT) and the Olderkesi Wildlife Community Trust (OCWCT), the two Trusts have, working closely with each other for the past 20 years, put together a vibrant, truly sustainable conservancy management plan.
Owned by the Maasai, the conservancy is leased out to Cottar’s Wildlife Conservancy Trust. The Maasai have agreed to live in other parts of their land, where part of their livelihood depends on the Conservancy’s rental.
Enonkishu covers a vast area of 5,928 acres, along the northernmost reaches of the Greater Mara Ecosystem. It works with two tourism partners and is owned by 42 landowners. The core philosophy of the conservancy is livestock improvement, driven by modern cattle management techniques supported by an imaginative tourism endeavour. It is named after its optimal condition: the elders chose ‘Enonkishu,’ a Maa term meaning ‘a fine herd.’
Wooded acacia savannah characterises the habitat, interspersed with open plains across flat plateaus. Riverine acacia forest and undulating rocky hills add diversity to the habitat, allowing it to support several browse- and grass-hungry ungulates and to provide hiding places for predators. The Mara River runs along the boundary of the conservancy.
Giraffes are plentiful, and the region along the Olerai boundary on the Mara River holds resident buffalo. Elephants use the conservancy, and there is a lion pride based on the edge of Enonkishu and Ol Choro Oiroua.Â
Hippos and crocodiles inhabit the stretch of the river bordering the conservancy, and riverine forests attract leopards. On occasion, there are reports of unusual animals; these have included Aardvark, Caracal, Serval cat, and Aardwolf. The valleys on Kileleoni Hill are popular with colobus monkeys, and wild dogs have also been sighted.
Conservancies offer exclusive, low-density safaris with significantly fewer vehicles than in the Masai Mara National Reserve.
Yes, many of the most popular conservancies (e.g. Olare Motorogi Conservancy and Mara Naboisho Conservancy) offer dense wildlife populations and fantastic sightings.
Yes, and you can also expect to see a wide range of other wildlife, such as elephants, giraffes, and hyenas.
It provides local Maasai people with direct financial benefits, encouraging them to maintain the land as a wilderness and sustain wildlife populations.
Yes, the restrictions within conservancies have a significant impact on crowd levels and the overall safari experience, providing much greater tranquillity and privacy.
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