ol kinyei conservancy

We stayed at the Porini Mara camp, which is the only accomodation in the conservancy, This quiet and peaceful setting is home to a high concentration of lions and cheetahs. Early morning game drives showed us how beautiful Kenya can be as the sun rises, and our afternoon drives were great for spotting big cats. We could not have been happier.

The title says it all. The conservancy has an abundance of wildlife but you will not see any crowds, only the guests of the Porini Camps. I highly recommend visiting the conservancies around the Masai Mara rather than the National Reserve itself.

Although we didn't get to see a leopard we saw lots of lions, cheetahs and other animals too! the more you travel around the more familiar you get with the different areas in the conservancy. Guides get to know the hangouts of the wildlife which makes it great for spotting them...day and night. The night drives are also good.

My stay in Ol Kinyei Conservancy at the Porini camp was amazing in every way. Incredible game sightings (cheetah with cubs, lions, watching hyenas devour a dead wildebeast, and so much more), superb camp, knowledgeable Maasai guides,... Stay here, not in the Mara itself. They'll take you into the Mara reserve one day if you want, but then spend the rest of the time in the conservancy for better game viewing and a more private safari experience. And by staying in the conservancy, you'll support the local community and encourage conservation. Overall terrific experience.

I booked my trip with Julie at GameWatchers Safari. Every detail was taken care of and there was nothing for me to do other than to enjoy myself.

Ol Kinyei Conservancy offers outstanding wildlife viewing opportunities in an un-congested and beautiful setting. Upon arrival in the conservancy the diversity within the landscape the area offers is immediately evident. Large open grasslands are home to large numbers of wildebeest, gazelles, giraffe and elephants. These grasslands and neighbouring shrubby areas are also the perfect place to spot one of the many cheetahs found in the conservancy. Then the woodland and riverine forest provides an experience how of lush and startlingly beautiful the Maasai Mara is. These areas are usually buzzing with activity: monkeys, many antelope, birds, elephants and more can be seen in these shaded sanctuaries. These areas are also home to the many leopards found within Ol Kinyei Conservancy. Early in the morning or as night falls it is almost guaranteed that lionesses and their cubs will be found lazily dosing on the first (or last) of the sunlight. A large pride occupies this area, overlooked by three very impressive males who are also regularly seen. On my last visit to Ol Kinyei Conservancy I experienced something I don’t believe even regular safari goers experience. Our guide took us to see an Aardwolf den where we saw two pups playing out in the open completely undisturbed by our presence, this is rare indeed! This brings me to my next point, Ol Kinyei Conservancy is exclusive. This is NOT a place where animals are harassed and encircled by vehicles. Should more than one vehicle be present in one place at one time the guides work as team ensuring that everybody gets a good view without affecting the behaviour of the animals. However this is rare, mostly no other vehicles are visible for the majority of gamedrives. Another positive is the opportunity to go on walking safaris (this is not allowed in the National reserve). Accompanied by Maasai who know this land better than anyone you get the opportunity to look at the smaller critters and learn how to track and read ‘bush signs’. Gamewatcher’s safaris the company that set up Ol Kinyei Conservancy and runs Porini camps have been instrumental in the developments and establishment of the concept of Wildlife conservancies in Kenya (see: http://www.porini.com/responsible-tourism.html). This is important as Conservancies promote responsible tourism, support the local community both economically and socially and provide much needed additional rangeland for wildlife in the Mara ecosystem. Having spent much time as a researcher in Ol Kinyei Conservancy over the last three year I would fervently recommend that anyone thinking of going on safari should consider Ol Kinyei Conservancy as a destination. It provides unparalleled quality of wildlife viewing without the presence of hoards tourist and vehicles. The concept supports the local Maasai community and is providing an important refuge for wildlife. Overall it is an excellent choice!

We visited Ol Kinyei conservancy in September as the first stop on our honeymoon and it was the most special experience we could hope for. The conservancy is so natural and open for the visitors, you can go off road at any time and have complete freedom if you are staying on the conservancy which provides a tranquil and secluded safari from start to finish. The animals seem comfortable in their natural environment without roads or lots of other cars. The landscape is incredible and varied in the large area and the sunrise and sunsets are particular highlights.We stayed at the Porini Camp and the staff were incredible. In low season it was only half full (a real shame as there should be queue round the block all year round) but the facilities were a great mix of first class luxury and environmentally friendly. The food was delicious, the drivers were very knowledgeable and patient with all passengers. We had the option of going out morning, noon and night if we chose and they would help with any request to find animals, areas or stop for photographs.Our short 2 night, 3 day stay was so tranquil our only regret is that we did not stay longer!!!

the Mara itself is now over populated with lodges and consequently vehicles - while its great to see big herds of wilderbeest, head to the conservancies if you want a much more intimate game experience with guides who really care in genuine 4WD vehicles. The game viewing is second to none and you are most likely to be the only ones there - the best for us was a lion pride of some 17 feasting on a zebra while hyenas and jackals hung in the shadows waiting for their time. Simply amazing and the new, eco-friendly way to see Africa and all its amazing sights

The Porini Camps provide the most realistic experience in visiting Kenya. You are out in a tent near the wildlife with less than a dozen other tents. Also camps are in a Conservancy where a limited number of camps are allowed and often on safaris you do not see any other jeeps. You feel like you are the original explorer! Also important is that you support the local Maasai Tribes by renting on their lands, providing employment and helping to preserve the local culture.Of the three camps I visited each had its own appeal. However, all had well designed tents with two beds and an attached shower /toilette facilities. All had lighting and spring water for washing. All camps had less than a dozen tents thereby providing very personalized service. At all camps you will have a chance to see the big 5, although the camp names give a good hint at what the camp has more of. ( Amboselli has herds of 20+ Elephants in the park and Mt. Kilamajaro Lion has more lion sightings close to camp – and good location to see Great Migration if you are lucky (from July—Sept)Rino has black and white rhinos—Maasai Mara has access to Maasai Mara National Park where there are In the early morning (defined by you) you are provided coffee, cookies and a pitcher of hot water for tea and/or washing/shaving. A full breakfast is served at 8:00am with eggs, toast, cereal etc.In each camp you spend one full day in one of the National Parks (Amboselli or Maasai Mara). Lunch and snacks are provided. On the days you do not go to the National Parks you spend time in the private conservancy close to home base. Lunch is at 1pm. After lunch on safari many predators are sleeping in the bush but other animals are out in the open. Before dinner there is a sundowner (at sundown) where there is a special location (i.e. waterhole where elephants come - wine/gin & tonic & snacks provided).The guides are all Maasai from local villages. They are very knowledgeable and great at finding local animals as they go on safari daily and know the habits. The staff at the camps are very attentive and go out of their way to know you name and give you personalized service. They enjoy your enthusiasm of your safari experiences which makes the interaction with them even better.Recommendations➢ I would consider going to two versus three camps as there is overlap –the two I would pick Is Amboselli and Lion (although I did not go to Rhino)➢ I recommend starting at 6:00am versus after breakfast so you get out in the Jeep while the prey animals are starting their hunt and then come back to breakfast at 8am➢ I recommend taking your shower in the afternoon after being in jeep most of the day➢ The guides are very knowledgeable –so do not be afraid to ask questions-some are more talkative and some wait for you to ask a question➢ The guides are not photographers –so you need to direct them for the best shot –i.e.” move up so I can shoot the face versus from the side”, “please put the sun behind me”, “can you get closer to the bird in the tree,” etc.➢ Request an open top jeep for photography (can close if needed)—as many good shots are standing up with camera supported by the roof—also can request sand bag for additional support.➢ Bring warm clothes for morning drives and evening—(in Sept. was in the 50’s in the morning) –a windbreaker with an extra layer – I used a quilted light weight down jacket from Uniglo that can be folded into a poach, a nylon long sleeve shirt and nylon long pants ( that can washed and dried overnight ), a light pair of gloves, a bandana (from REI) that I could pull over my mouth (for dust also) , a light head band over ears, a hat for the sun, smartwool socks that provide warmth and can breathe .➢ I recommend taking a plane between camps in order versus a half day in a jeep to between camps. It is important that you have light weight clothes and a required soft sided bag as you can only carry 33 pounds including camera equipment. I found that 2 pair of nylon pants , 2 nylon long sleeve shirts, 2 light long under wear (Unigo) that can be used for pajamas and as third layer in morning safari if needed, hat, gloves, bandana, 4 smart wool socks , 4 nylon underwear (REI) is all you need in clothing. It is easy to wash and hang outside tent for next days use. At night when you sit around a fire pit with other campers you might bring what you first traveled with—i.e fleece sweatshirt, cotton shirt and comfortable walking shoes, non nylon pants. Bring a flashlight (or headlight) to help walk to and from dinner—although staff will walk you for safety. ➢ Photography tips—I recommend bringing two cameras (in case one has problems) and bringing the biggest lenses that you can afford—about half my shots I took with a 70-200mm lens on an old Canon T2i cropped camera (that translates to 320mm on a full frame camera.). Often you are only 30+ yards away as the animals are used to jeeps being close. The other half of my shots I needed more reach and brought a 150-600 Tamron lens on a full frame camera. Using this lens many shots were at 500-600mm due to distance (birds in trees, great migration crossing the river or animals over 50 yards away), or because I wanted close ups of animals versus cropping later on.➢ Bring a cover that will keep dust and rain off your lens and camera. A “Storm Jacket” is not expensive and might save your lens or camera from not working properly. When I came back I had dust in my 150-600mmTamron lens and the 70-200 Canon autofocus was catching.➢ Bring extra batteries (you can charge them every night) , enough memory cards to hold 1500+ pictures as you will take multiple shots for moving subjects (if not used you can return them.) Bring a lens cleaning kit which you should use during the day and each night. Also bring a camera bag to take in the jeep to protect your equipment from dust. ➢ For non professional photographers practice ahead of time focusing on -- moving subjects, subjects far way (with telephoto lens), and one subject in a crowd—it will greatly improve your hit rate—Also set your focus to use only the center focus point for more accurate focus. Sorry for the long recommendations but I wanted to be helpful.I f you would like to see the photos I took go to--http://s1123.photobucket.com/user/Bob_Parker/library/2014%20KenyaUse password--bobparker

Spent 4 days on the conservancy back in August this year. Stayed 2 nights in the Adventure camp and 2 nights in the Porini Bush camp, and could have easily stayed longer. Felt totally safe on my own even when I was the only person in camp on a couple of nights. (Also stayed in two Porini camps near Amboseli prior to coming to Mara and they were just as fabulous)Staff were friendly, attentive and knowledgeable and the wildlife and scenery was stunning. I can't stress how different the experience is on the conservancies away from the crowds of the main Mara national park and well worth the additional cost but you still get to see all the same animals but up much closer and more intimate without thousands of other jeeps around. Although would recommend the one day trip into the Mara to see and experience it. I have come back with the most amazing memories and photos. Would highly recommend Gamewatchers and Porini camps to anyone thinking of travelling to Kenya on Safari.

We stayed in the Porini camp on this private conservancy. The wildlife viewing was excellent (thanks to our guides John and Stanley) and we saw very few other vehicles so it felt like our own reserve! I must also recommend a visit to the local school and Maasai guiding school. These are so important to keeping the conservancy as not only something that we the visitors enjoy but something that the local people benefit from now and in the future.

Our next Porini camp was Ol Kinyei Conservancy in Masai Mara. Outstanding! We loved the whole experience! Again, we stayed on the community’s land and had all the benefits of exploring the land with our guides without being committed to designated tracks. In the national park we got close to a (rare) Black Rhino. What a magnificent beast! And we spent about an hour waiting for a group of several hundred Wilderbeast to finally make up their collective mind to make their migration across the river to Serengeti. We spent a lot of time at this camp watching Cheetahs, including 5 tiny cubs. Brilliant service, as at Porini Amboseli. Beautiful atmosphere and good food. We loved the camp fire and “sundowners” on the Masai Mara plains…unbelievable! Every element of our trip to Kenya exceeded our expectations. We saw so many animals, except Leopards. Well there has to be a reason to return and we do plan to return for another Gamewatchers’ experience! Leopards next time …

It is always great to observe elephants and other wildlife on Ol Kinyei Conservancy. Every visit is an adventure! The conservancies around the Maasai Mara National Reserve are vital for the movements of animals in the bigger ecosystem - and represent a sanctuary for wildlife while also benefiting local people. We will be back soon:-)

I really can't say enough good things about our experience here and in the other conservancies booked through Gamewatchers and Porini. While this has only been my first safari, I really think staying on the conservancies is the way to go. They offer equally amazing wildlife and have far fewer people than the national parks. Another great thing about the conservancy is that you aren't really bound by the roads like you often are in national parks. Of course there are paths that are typically followed, but you can also stray from the paths to get a closer look at anything or go searching for things that may be further in the bush. This freedom allowed us to see things we never would have otherwise.And as I mentioned above, the conservancy greatly restricts the number of camps. This makes the experience much more natural in my opinion. While you may be stopping next to 10 other vehicles in a national park, it's not uncommon for there to be not even another vehicle in sight.I could go on and on about it, but to make a long story short, the conservancy is an amazing way to experience a safari. And of course, you can still go into the parks if that's what you choose, so it's not like you'd be missing that either.I'd also like to highlight that by staying on the conservancy, you are contributing to more than just the bottom-line of a hotel or lodge. The camps employ and provides income to the Maasai communities.

Our four night stay at the Porini Mara Camp, during with we explored the Ol Kinyei Conservancy, was a fantastic and incredible experience, exceeding all our expectations. The facilities are very comfortable, the Safari drives well planned and diverse, but most importantly, the Maasai staff are very friendly, courteous and knowledgeable, making the stay also a very interesting and fascinating cultural experience.