T+L Hotel Review of andBeyond Camp in Kenya

The stay at andBeyond Bateleur Camp started the moment we touched down on Kichwa Tembo Airstrip in Masai Mara National Reserve, located in southwest Kenya. Isaac Kimani, our andBeyond Safari guide, was waiting in front of the plane. A few yards behind him sat the sleek safari vehicle that my family and I were going to use for the next three day’s exploration.

As soon as we arrived at Bateleur Camp, the safari began. “There is a Hippo!” Kimani cut the engine to allow us to observe the creature slowly sinking into the creek that we were crossing. Only its eyes could be seen above the water. As we turned the next corner with luggage bouncing all around us, we saw a group of zebras in a leafy glade. The warthogs in front of the zebras snuffled through the grass. A group of giraffes peered over the trees on a hill just to our right. This was all before we had checked in.

Only when we arrived at Bateleur Camp did we get a true sense of how vast and dramatic the Masai Mara is. The property is located at the base of the Oloololo Escarpment which forms the natural border to the 580 square-mile park’s northwestern edge. The main building, and the majority of the 18 tents that make up the property, have 180-degree panoramic views of the plain.

My husband, my two children, and I were admiring the view on the main building’s deck when the staff from Kenya came to introduce themselves. Grace Mwaisaka the unflappable Guest Relations Manager; Chef Jackson Mutuku wearing his tall white hat in the picture; Joel Kariuki, our always gracious waiter.

It’s an oft-used travel writing cliché to say that a hotel feels like staying in somebody’s home, but never has it felt more applicable than at Bateleur Camp. Many of the lodge’s staff have been working there for many years. Up to 70 percent are from the Masai community. The first half of Bateleur Camp was opened in 2000, and the second half in 2007. Swahili is constantly used.Karibu sanaYou’re welcome, “hakuna matata,” The word “as” is used to describe the term. The Lion King Promises means “no worries”

The guests are encouraged to create their own daily schedule, which is a major difference from some of the larger safari lodges that have more rigid itinerary. You don’t want to get up early in the morning for a game-drive? You can go straight after breakfast. Want to take a hot-air ballon ride tomorrow morning, but you’re not sure when? No problem. Kimani’s jeep was stocked with blankets and Swarovski binoculars. Field guides were well-worn, as was a cooler full of ice cold drinks.

Bateleur Camp is a great place to stay, but the Masai Mara, itself, is the real star. During our stay, the Masai Mara was alive with wildlife. We saw a new-born baby elephant being cared for by its mother. There were also a coalition or cheetahs tearing across the plains and a pride lions sleeping under a branch. The lodge was a great choice for a stay in the park, with its excellent service and stunning location. T+L readers voted it the No. 1 hotel in the world Our 2025 World’s Best Awards.

Here is my review on andBeyond Camp Bateleur.

The Rooms

Bateleur Camp has 18 Luxury Tents, which are distributed in two different locations. All of them overlook the Masai Mara Plains. There is also one Luxury Family Tent—essentially two tents joined together by an additional living space.

Each tent comes with a covered outdoor deck, a table and chairs as well as a padded seating area. Wildlife is allowed to roam freely in front of camp, even though predators are rarely seen. (As we sat outside on our deck in the afternoon, a group or giraffes walked by only 100 yards from us.

The interiors of all tents are decorated with classic campaign style. Think trunks, leather furnishings, and brass light fittings. There are two rollaway canvas mosquito net screens at the front. They can be left open or lowered depending on whether the sun is rising in the morning.

The bathrooms are spacious and luxurious. There are Jack-and Jill sinks as well as a walled shower and toilet. At the back of the tent is a large, roll-topped brass tub, which our butler would draw—and fill with bubbles—ahead of our return to camp after each afternoon safari. The tent has a large shower outside.

The bar is stocked with South African wines, local beers and spirits as well as my favorite, Kenyan Amarula liquor.

Food and Drink

Due to its small size it is not surprising guests at Bateleur Camp spend most of their time in the main lodge’s dining area. It’s not that the dining options are monotonous.

Chef “Magic Jackson” and his team presented a different menu every day for lunch and dinner: Jackson checks in with guests at breakfast and discusses their choices. The food was always delicious, inventive, and fresh. Everything tasted good, whether it was a “board” of chicken shawarma with pita bread, dips and fresh vegetables served in small glass jars or fish tacos.

The chef prepared almost everything our children asked for. From pizza, cheeseburgers, and classic spaghetti al pomodoro.

A dinner served under the light of a lantern in the forest surrounding the camp was one of the highlights of our trip. Jackson and his crew roasted the lamb and cooked local dishes such as vegetables, beans, rice and rice.

Our favorite moment of food and beverage was the most simple: pots of hot tea and coffee brought to us by our butler in the darkness of the early morning, just in time for our safari.

Activities and Experiences

The Bateleur Camp features an infinity pool with views over the Masa Mara. It also has a gym, a massage room and a fitness center. Sala” or small home, where spa treatment are performed. Kitchwa Tembo, a second andBeyond Lodge, is located a short distance away. Here you will find a larger, more luxurious pool and a boutique with safari-appropriate clothing and handcrafted pieces from the Masai Mara and elsewhere.

Bateleur handles interactions with the Masai Community in a sensitive manner. A full-time Community and Impact Officer is employed by the camp to act as a link with the Masai communities around the camp. The camp hosts regular song and dance performances for its guests. During our stay, we saw one around the campfire at a sundowner in the plains, and another in the dining room of the lodge.

The Masai villages then sold their handmade woodcarvings, textiles and beadwork. My family and I felt inspired and enriched by these encounters. They were not forced or overly performative. The Impact and Community Officer, Alex Oloonkishu, also conducts walking safaris around the camp—a nice way to stretch vehicle-weary legs and learn more about Masai culture.

Many companies offer early morning hot-air balloon flights over the Masai Mara. Bataleur is a partner of Governor’s Balloon Safaris and can arrange transfers to Governor Safari Camp where the balloon rides depart.

Offers for Families

WILDChild, a program by andBeyond, is available at all of the company’s lodges. It is customized for each location to reflect its culture. At Bateleur my children aged 8 and 11 learned how to create fire from dry wood the same way Masai Bushmen have for generations. Oloonkishu taught them to use a bow and an arrow made by hand and guided them in making a beaded Masai bracelet. Although they are not fans of children’s clubs, these were all wonderful experiences.

The staff was exceptionally warm and friendly with our children. When my husband and I decided we wanted to do a hot-air balloon safari (which involved waking up at 4:30 a.m.—something our kids were not keen to do) the staff offered to wake them up, bring hot-chocolate to their room, and drive them to meet us for a bush breakfast when we landed.

Accessibility, Sustainability and Sustainability

Care of Land is the first of three principles that underpin andBeyond’s impact model. The other two are Care of Wildlife and Care of People. The company has been working with Wild Impact, a development organisation for over 30 years. In that time, &Beyond has established a world-wide reputation for its efforts in wildlife conservation and social and environmental sustainability, and has been responsible for directly conserving over one million acres of land, most of it in Africa.

Wild Impact and andBeyond have opened several Masai schools in the Bateleur area. This largest school, which educates around 600 children, is based on the three-month boarding system to better serve those whose homes are further away. In all its schools, conservation lessons are taught.

Since the camp’s opening in 2007, andBeyond and Wild Impact has supported medical facilities around Bateleur. They now work with the Kenyan Government to run the nearby hospital which opened its maternity ward on August 20, 2024. By the time we visited in 2025, there had been 61 births. The lodge has a small store and a craft center.

Deforestation also affects the region. andBeyond and Wildlife Impact have recently formed a trust to restore the degraded forests around nearby Masai villages. The project involved installing cameras to protect the existing trees in the forest and creating a nursery with close to 35,000 indigenous tree seedlings.

The lodge encourages guests to visit and support some of these projects.

The rooms at Bateleur do not comply with ADA standards, but some are wheelchair-accessible.

Location

Bateleur Camp in Masai Mara National Reserve is 15 minutes away from Kichwa Tembo Airstrip. The airstrip is accessible by flight from Nairobi. This hour-long flight saves guests from a six-hour journey.

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All-inclusive nightly rates start at $1,210.

Each T+L Hotel Review is written by a reporter or editor who has visited the hotel. The hotel chosen must also align with our standards. core values.