Kenya in Contrast at andBeyond Camps

andBeyond Bateleur Camp

Lions, giraffes, khakis, and open-air Land Cruisers: these quintessential safari images remain deeply tied to the East African experience. At andBeyond Bateleur Camp, this Out of Africa fantasy still holds strong within Kenya’s famed Maasai Mara National Reserve.

While the Maasai Mara is defined by vast, tree-speckled plains—“Mara” means “spotted” in the local Maa language—Bateleur occupies an unexpectedly lush pocket of forest filled with blue monkeys, warthog families, and prolific birdlife. It’s an ideal fit for both safari first-timers and seasoned returnees, thanks to strong Big Five sightings and adrenaline-filled days. While some newer safari camps emphasize community workshops, wellness offerings, and slower-paced itineraries, Bateleur remains an unapologetic soundtrack of “Can You Feel the Love Tonight” moments and riveting game drives from sunrise to sundown. It’s easy to understand why the camp remains one of conservation-minded outfitter andBeyond’s flagships.

That approach extends to the camp’s design. Bateleur channels the nostalgic glamour many travelers associate with traditional safari luxury: billowing canvas curtains, director’s chairs, worn plaid couches, colorful area rugs, wooden furnishings, explorer-inspired accents, and bars stocked with vintage crystal glassware for sundowners, aperitifs, digestifs, and everything in between. Meals move between candlelit tables under canvas and dinners beneath the stars, reinforcing the ritual of high-end safari life without feeling staged.

The camp itself is divided into two mirrored sections: North Camp, with 10 tents, a shared dining tent, a swimming pool, and a boma, and South Camp, which swaps one guest tent for a gift shop, gym, and massage tent. All 19 guest tents share an outward-facing layout, centered around king-size beds with leather headboards and footboards, cocktail stations, double vanities, and glass-enclosed bathrooms featuring Victorian soaking tubs and outdoor showers. Private decks with sunken lounges overlook the Mara, however, an electric fence keeps elephants and large predators from wandering directly into camp.

While Bateleur embraces a timeless safari formula, the wildlife-rich Maasai Mara has also become one of Africa’s busiest destinations, particularly during the Great Migration from late July through early October. Vehicle congestion can impact sightings, though weekday drives and off-season visits tend to feel markedly lighter.

And the wildlife drama hardly disappears outside migration season. During my February visit, we spent more than two hours tracking the Maji Chafu lion pride as they stalked a dazzle of zebras before successfully ambushing two. Moments later, five hyenas emerged seemingly from nowhere, triggering a tense standoff over the fresh kill. The next day, we found ourselves stalled by elephant traffic before abruptly reversing course during a high-speed chase sparked by a bull elephant in musth—except this time, we were the ones being chased.

Even with the Mara’s popularity, Bateleur succeeds at delivering the kind of safari people fly halfway around the world hoping for: long game drives with real stakes, big-cat encounters that derail all sense of time, and campfire retellings that somehow become more entertaining by dessert.

andBeyond Suyian Lodge

Rocky, rugged, and far removed from the classic East African safari circuit, Kenya’s Laikipia region offers a striking counterpoint to the Maasai Mara experience. At andBeyond Suyian Lodge, travelers trade dense clusters of safari vehicles for dirt tracks, kopjes (steep-sided rocky hills), and stretches of wilderness where you can go hours without seeing another human being.

Opened in July 2025 within the 44,000-acre Suyian Conservancy, Suyian Lodge is just a 60-minute prop-plane flight from Nairobi, but it all feels considerably removed. Dramatic elevation changes across relatively short distances create a diverse range of ecosystems, from savanna and grassland to riverbanks, dense Vachellia woodland, and rocky escarpments. More than 55 mammal species and upwards of 260 bird species have adapted to these shifting landscapes, though one animal has rapidly placed Suyian on the safari map: the melanistic leopard, more commonly referred to as the black leopard or black panther.

With only around 10 such leopards believed to exist across the Laikipia region, sightings can feel almost absurdly unlikely. I struck out, though guests directly after my stay saw one, as did two colleagues who visited months earlier.

Black leopard sightings aside, Suyian Lodge more than justifies a trip. A harmonious marriage of architecture and environment, it blends naturally into the surrounding granite kopjes through organic materials, rounded roofs, and curved lines that echo the terrain. A soaring central lodge and 14 suites draw inspiration from the beadwork, handmade tools, and craftsmanship of the local seminomadic Samburu tribe, with furnishings and pottery sourced from Kenyan artisans. Beginning at around 1,900 square feet, the suites boast rain showers with skylights, window-facing soaking tubs, plunge pools, fireplaces, and reading nooks.

While game drives remain a major draw—whether for black leopard hopefuls or sightings of Grévy’s zebras, giraffes, lions, and tiny dik-diks—additional activities range from walking, camel, and horseback safaris to botany walks, fishing excursions, and visits to archaeological sites. Guests can also spend time with local pastoral communities and their Boran cattle, gaining a better understanding of daily life in this remote part of Kenya.

That broader perspective is central to Suyian’s identity. Conservation here exists largely outside the national park system, within a Laikipia model where private and community conservancies play an increasingly important role in wildlife protection and rewilding land historically tied more to ranching than tourism. In fact, Suyian Conservancy itself was once a sheep farm before later operating as a family-owned cattle ranch.

But much of the pleasure at Suyian comes from inhabiting a part of Kenya that still feels genuinely remote. Meals stretch for hours against sweeping valley views and fast-changing weather, while nights are spent outdoors beneath unusually clear skies deep in the bush. And while the possibility of spotting a black leopard heightens the anticipation surrounding every game drive, Suyian ultimately succeeds because the lodge and landscape are satisfying enough on their own.