Tented camp · Mara River, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Kinara

Twenty tented suites and a private villa above a bend of the Mara River, each with its own plunge pool.

Photo: Kinara Scroll

About the camp

Above a bend in the Mara River.

Kinara opened in 2026 inside the Maasai Mara National Reserve, on a stretch of the Mara River where an older lodge once stood. The name comes from a Maa word for one who carries light. Etana works with the camp and can include it in a journey you plan with us.

Every suite has a deck and a heated plunge pool facing the river and the plains, and hippos are often in view below the camp. Walking and night drives are not allowed in the reserve, so days here are built around game drives, with a spa, a pool and a hydrotherapy circuit to come back to.

Location: On the Mara River, inside the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Transfers from Ol Kiombo or Musiara airstrip
Accommodation: Nineteen tented suites, a two-bedroom family suite and a three-bedroom villa, each with a plunge pool
Game drives and more: Daily game drives, bush breakfasts and lunches, Maasai storytelling, photography sessions; balloon safaris extra
Families: Children from 6; two-bedroom family suite
Comforts: Spa, hydrotherapy circuit, pool, gym, Wi-Fi

At the camp

Ways to spend the day.

A giraffe walking past a Kinara game drive vehicle on the Mara plains

What is offered can change with the season and the reserve’s rules. We confirm the details when we plan your stay.

Game drives
Out at first light or in the late afternoon with Kinara’s guides, in Land Cruisers built for watching and photographing wildlife.
Meals in the bush
Breakfast with coffee brewed over a fire on the plains, or lunch beneath an acacia or beside the river.
Maasai evenings
Stories and song around the fire with members of the local Maasai community, and beadwork with local artisans.
Photography
Sessions on light, framing and timing, with cameras, lenses and binoculars on hand to borrow.

Gallery

Inside the camp.

Photos: Kinara

When to go

The camp through the year.

July to October

Usually the migration months on the Kenyan side, and the busiest time in the reserve. River crossings may happen close to camp, but they are never guaranteed.

April to June

The long rains. Some roads need four-wheel drive.

The rest of the year

Kenya Wildlife Service also names December to March as a high season. We help you choose the right months for what you hope to see.

Source: Kenya Wildlife Service.

Where it is