Cottar's Bush Villa

ELEGANT AND UNFORGETTABLE, THE ONLY REAL LUXURY PRIVATE VILLA IN THE MAASAI MARA.

The award-winning Cottar’s Bush Villa borders the latest addition to the ‘7 Wonders of the World’, the Maasai Mara and Serengeti game reserves. The Bush Villa provides a luxury private stay option for up to 12 guests and comes complete with its’ own private 25 meter swimming pool. Offering an abundance of wildlife, a guarantee of privacy, and the highest standards of professional guiding in a luxurious and elegant safari environment.

The villa was designed by Louise Cottar and built by hand using indigenous and eco-friendly materials. The villa is managed within the same area as Cottar’s 1920s Safari Camp, and guests can enjoy the same levels of service and standard for which the camp is known. For those that want absolute privacy in the Maasai Mara, combined with dedicated and discrete staff, award-winning guides, and an abundance of wildlife, Cottar’s Bush Villa offers the only real private luxury home in the Maasai Mara.

Cottar’s Bush Villa has a breathtaking view onto the savannah plains that carry the great annual wildebeest migration, and is set amidst a backdrop of the Olderkesi Hills. Guests can enjoy privately guided game drives, night game drives, bush walks, swimming and fishing. Cottar’s Bush Villa is rented only on an exclusive basis, and comes with a dedicated staff of 8. The villa is over 10,000 square feet in size, and features a large living room, dining room, a magnificent viewing deck, and 5 en-suite bedrooms, all with stunning views. The villa has internet access throughout, satellite TV and DVD, and is powered with electric and solar energy. A dedicated game drive vehicle(s) and guide(s) are provided to guests throughout their stay.

Cottar's Bush Villa
The contemporary African style house can be rented only on an exclusive basis and comes with a dedicated staff of 8. The house has a large living room, a dining room, a magnificent viewing deck and 5 en-suite bedrooms, all with stunning views.

Day and Night Game Drives
We visit both inside the Masai Mara National Reserve and outside, in our Olderkesi Conservancy. You can do either morning, evening or all day game drives. Please note that viewing the main migration river crossings requires a full day out as they are located some way from camp. We believe that wildlife viewing should be a private , special and un-rushed experience.

Guided Bush Walks
All walks are led by a professional guide and accompanied by a licensed gun bearer. Bush walks can start from camp or can be a part of a game drive. They give you the chance to view the unique ecosystem from a completely different perspective, and to learn about botany and entomology, and how to interpret animal tracks and signs. The walk can be as long or as short as you wish.

Massage Treatments
We have a number of treatments available at the Spa which is located near the main Mess Tent area. We only use organic ingredients and allow our guests to choose the ingredients to make their spa experience truly bespoke.

Swimming
The Bush Villa each has a swimming pool for guests to enjoy as and when they wish.

Running with a Maasai Warrior
For the more energetic travellers, morning or evening runs can be arranged with a local Maasai warrior as your guide.

Life of a Hunter-Gatherer walk
A journey into the vanishing world of Letilet the Maasai/Dorobo hunter-gatherer.

Spend a few hours roaming the surrounding bush and savannah with Letilet and let him take you into his world of wonder, listen and learn from him about multiple facets of El Dorobo and Maasai traditions and everyday life. Discover his encyclopaedic knowledge of plants, particularly their medicinal uses which he learnt from his mother, who was a popular healer for most of her life.

Seedball Dispersal
You are given packets of Seedballs and as you drive or walk on your safari, please throw the seedballs out, one at a time. They are encased in a special coating which will activate at the right time for germination. Your packet contains approximately 225 indegenous tree, or grass or plant or flower seeds that are critical to the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem.

We are replenishing the tree species that are endangered in our area. Indirectly, we are also supporting species such as elephants, butterflies, bees and other insect life that is key to the biodiversity in this area. This year, our aim is to plant 30,000 indigenous trees. Your complimentary packet will help us get towards our target, thank you for helping our local ecosystem and helping Cottars become net positive!

Local School Visit
Spend a few hours visiting our local primary school, you will get to meet the children and sit in on a few classes if you wish, or join in on the daily football game. Something for those seeking a more engaging and immersive safari experience.

Swimming and or fishing at the Waterfall (seasonal)
A 45 minute drive away to the sand river with your guide where you may swim under the falls, dive of the rocks and do some fishing for catfish with local style fishing rods and hooks.

Maasai Warrior School (all ages)
Children and families are invited to learn the ways of a warrior with the African bush as your classroom. A session includes spear throwing ; bow and arrow practice; Maasai jumping, dancing and singing and tracking, depending on age and ability.

Traditional Canvas Bath
After a day out game driving, soak and relax in our unique canvas bush bath: A traditional style canvas bath is set up in the open-air outside your tent, as you bathe, you can enjoy the wild beauty of the Masai Mara.

Maasai Singing and Dancing
Under the vast African sky, while enjoying an evening cocktails by the fire, guests get to enjoy the time-honoured celebration of song and dance by our local Maasai warriors.

Maasai Village Visit
Visit a Maasai Village and experience their rich culture. This involves a trip to their Manyattas (mud huts), village setup (security, healthcare, education and management of resources e.g. meals, water, firewood), local market with wonderful Maasai artefacts/attire for sale, their live-stock and much more. You will learn about ancient traditions as well as contemporary struggles and adaptations to modern life.

e-bikes
On the e-bike one sees the same wildlife but one can get closer to giraffe and plains game than one can on foot, and yet be outside in the open air, it's a quality wildlife experience. It also reduces our CO2 emissions, so we encourage our guests to go on an e-bike ride during their stay instead of a game drive and help us become net positive. Additional cost.

Balloon ride over the Masai Mara
The day begins with an early morning wakeup call at 3.30am with tea and coffee followed by a 4am departure to the launch site to enjoy a balloon safari over the Maasai Mara. The drive from camp to the balloon site takes about one and a half hours.

At dawn you will board and take off, rising as the sun rises, floating in whichever direction the winds of the morning take you. The pilot can precisely control the altitude of the balloon, sometimes flying at treetop height, sometimes lower. At other times he will ascend to one thousand feet or more to see the enormous and wonderful panorama of the Masai Mara, offering a unique perspective and great photographic opportunities of the wildlife below. The flight will last about an hour and upon landing, you will enjoy a full breakfast with a traditional Champagne toast. Additional cost.

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10 Day Exclusive Flying Safari

Borana Conservancy, Laikipia - Lengishu

Olderkesi Conservancy, Masai Mara - Cottar’s Bush Villa

Diani Beach, Kenyan Coast - Alfajiri Villas

Highlights:

• Experience three privately owned properties, while covering three very different, but renowned ecosystems.

• Encounter the tribal inhabitants of the areas, whose authentic, traditional and colorful tribal ways remain relatively untouched.

• On Borana Conservancy, enjoy uninterrupted game viewing and discover how poachers are kept at bay by the Anti-poaching Team.

• On Olderkesi Conservancy, learn from the renowned guide, Calvin Cottar, about the intricacies of the Mara ecosystem and the wildlife and people found therein.

• Considered the best beach in Kenya, Diani offers all of the activities of a beach visit in the seclusion of a lavish, opulent private villa.

Itinerary:

Days 1-3:  Arrive Nairobi, fly to Borana - 3 NIGHTS at Lengishu House

Days 3-6: Fly to the Masai Mara - 3 NIGHTS at Cottar’s Bush Villa

Days 6-9:  Fly to Ukunda, Diani - 3 NIGHTS at Alfajiri Villas

Day 10: Fly to Nairobi, transfer to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA)

* Please contact us for rates and arrangements.