Ten nights in a private safari villa
Ten nights at Cottar's award-winning Bush Villa, with one dedicated guide throughout. Set above the private Olderkesi Conservancy, with sweeping views across the Mara–Serengeti ecosystem, this is a beautiful and deeply personal safari built around land, sky and table. Game drives, balloon flight, conservation access, Maasai knowledge, photography, foraging, coffee and time at the villa all become part of one meaningful journey.
Cottar's carries more than a century of safari excellence. At the Bush Villa, that heritage becomes private, elegant and unhurried. The same guide remains with you, the same villa becomes home, and the same wild country begins to show itself through tracks, light, weather, wildlife, people and food. Ten nights gives the experience its rarest luxury, the time to understand where you are.
Request
Cottar's Bush Villa is a five-bedroom private safari villa with a 25-metre pool, outdoor hot tub, private massage room, dedicated staff, private chef, guide and vehicle. It is secluded, refined and made for families or private groups who want the Mara on their own terms.
The experience takes place in the private Olderkesi Conservancy, bordering the Maasai Mara and the Serengeti ecosystem. This is Cottar's country, with wide views, exceptional wilderness, excellent guiding and a conservation model rooted in community.
One dedicated guide stays with the group throughout. This gives the safari continuity. By the final days, the guide understands the group, the land already covered, the questions asked and the experiences still worth pursuing.
10 Nights • Maasai Mara, Kenya
Families, multi-generational groups, private groups of friends, conservation-led travellers, photographers, wildlife enthusiasts and guests who want a deeper, more considered safari rather than a short camp stay.
Cottar's Bush Villa. Five ensuite bedrooms, 25-metre pool, outdoor hot tub, private massage room, viewing decks, private chef, dedicated staff, guide and vehicle throughout.
Up to 10 guests.
All meals and drinks, Bush Villa for 10 nights, single dedicated guide throughout, private safari vehicle, game drives, night drives, guided bush walk, Maasai Warrior School, private balloon flight with Canon-affiliated photographer, Mara Elephant Project helicopter flight, private half-day with Dr Elena Chelysheva of the Mara-Meru Cheetah Project, forage-to-fork lunch, farewell dinner, East African siphon coffee tasting and three spa treatments.
Year-round. Balloon flight, Mara Elephant Project helicopter access and the Mara-Meru Cheetah Project session are subject to advance booking, weather, conservation schedules and operational approval. Private charter flights to the Mara are available on request.
Guests arrive by private light aircraft. The guide meets the group at the airstrip and the safari begins from there, with a field stop before continuing to the villa.
The programme is structured, but not rigid. Field decisions, timings and routes are adjusted by the guide according to wildlife movement, weather, conservation access and the group's pace.
Cottar's Bush Villa is a striking five-bedroom private safari villa set above the plains of Olderkesi. It brings together secluded luxury, sustainable design, private service and open views across one of Africa's great wilderness landscapes.
The villa has five ensuite bedrooms for up to 10 guests. It works naturally for families, close friends and private groups who want the comfort of a home with the depth of a serious safari.
The 25-metre pool faces the plains, giving the villa a calm centre between field days. It is one of the places where the Mara stays present even when the programme pauses.
A single dedicated guide stays with the group from arrival to departure. This creates continuity across every drive, walk and field decision, making the safari more personal each day.
Olderkesi is central to the experience. The conservancy borders the Maasai Mara and the Serengeti ecosystem, with open country, wildlife movement, Maasai knowledge and conservation work in one setting.
The first part of the stay is grounded in the conservancy itself. Guests explore by vehicle, on foot and at night, learning how the land changes between dawn, heat, dusk and darkness.
The middle of the stay opens the Mara from above. A private balloon flight, aerial elephant tracking by helicopter and field photography give the group a wider view of the landscape and the conservation work behind it.
The final thread brings the experience back to food, people and place. Foraging, medicinal plants, East African coffee and a farewell dinner built from gathered ingredients turn the table into part of the safari.
The programme includes a private helicopter experience with the Mara Elephant Project and a half-day with Dr Elena Chelysheva of the Mara-Meru Cheetah Project. These moments bring guests closer to the work that protects elephants, predators and the wider ecosystem.
A Canon-affiliated photographer joins selected field moments, including the balloon flight. The focus is on light, patience, composition and the visual drama of the Mara as it changes through the day.
The experience includes a guided bush walk with a Maasai warrior, the Maasai Warrior School, a village visit and a foraging and medicinal walk. These are moments of direct exchange, rooted in knowledge carried through people who know the land intimately.
Three spa treatments, the pool, the hot tub and quiet hours at the villa are built into the stay. They matter because a longer safari should have time for rest, reflection and the simple pleasure of watching the plains from home.
The experience begins before the villa. Guests arrive by private light aircraft and are met at the airstrip by their guide. The first stop is already in the field, with sundowners before continuing to Cottar's Bush Villa for dinner prepared by the private chef.
The stay is divided into three movements. The first days focus on the land through game drives, a night drive, a guided bush walk and time with Maasai warriors. The middle days move into the sky, with balloon flight, photography and helicopter access linked to elephant conservation. The final days focus on food, community and field knowledge.
The villa remains the private base throughout. Meals are prepared by the chef, spa treatments sit between field days, and the same guide remains with the group from beginning to end. By the final drive, the safari no longer feels like a programme. It feels like a place the group has begun to understand.
Request
This is a sample structure for the 10-night Cottar's Bush Villa experience. Wildlife movement, conservation access, helicopter timing, balloon conditions and guest pace may shape the final programme.
On arrival at the Mara airstrip, your guide meets the group and the safari begins there, in the field. Sundowners are served on the way to the villa, with the plains already open around you. Dinner is prepared by your private chef at Cottar's Bush Villa.
Leave before dawn for a full morning game drive across the private conservancy. The air is cool, tracks are fresh and Olderkesi is at its most atmospheric. Return to the villa for a late breakfast, followed by a private spa treatment in the afternoon. In the evening, return to the field for a private night drive. The conservancy changes after dark, with sound, spotlight work and nocturnal movement replacing the rhythm of the day. Dinner is served under the stars.
Begin with a private guided bush walk led by your Gold-rated guide and a Maasai warrior. The focus shifts from distance to detail, with tracks, plants, birds, insects and signs that are easily missed from a vehicle. Lunch is served at the villa. In the afternoon, join Maasai Warrior School, a physical practice shared with resident Maasai warriors. Children in the party are welcome to take part. The evening is spent at the villa, with the wood-fired hot tub and a private terrace dinner.
Depart before dawn for a private balloon flight over the Olderkesi Conservancy. As first light reaches the plains, the Mara opens from above, with ridges, river lines, wildlife movement and wide grassland seen together. A Canon-affiliated photographer accompanies the flight, helping guests work with light, height and movement. On landing, a Champagne bush breakfast is served in the field. Return to the villa for an afternoon by the pool, on the terrace or simply looking out across the conservancy.
Spend a full day in the field, shaped around morning and afternoon light. Your guide and photographer work together. The guide reads the land, while the photographer helps guests notice angle, distance, patience and composition. This is a day for longer sightings, waiting well and seeing the Mara as it changes through heat, shadow and dust. The day closes with a private bush dinner served in the field.
This day is deliberately unprogrammed. Stay at the villa, swim, rest, read, use the wood-fired hot tub and take a private spa treatment in the afternoon. The conservancy remains visible from the terrace, but nothing needs to be filled. Dinner is served at the villa.
Depart by private helicopter with the Mara Elephant Project. The flight focuses on aerial elephant tracking with MEP rangers and leadership, giving guests a rare view of conservation work beyond the game drive. Land at MEP headquarters for an in-depth conservation briefing before returning to the villa by helicopter. Dinner is served at the villa that evening.
Begin with a private foraging and medicinal walk led by a Maasai guide. The morning is about practical knowledge of plants, flavour, use and memory. On return, meet the villa chef for a guest-directed menu briefing. Lunch is served outdoors, shaped by what the morning brought back. In the afternoon, take a private spa treatment. That evening, the villa hosts an East African siphon coffee tasting, with Rwanda, Ethiopia and Kenya served as three origins.
Visit a local Maasai village for a private exchange around food culture, livestock and traditional cooking methods. This is not a performance, but a chance to understand daily knowledge carried through families. In the afternoon, spend a private half-day with Dr Elena Chelysheva of the Mara-Meru Cheetah Project. The session includes field tracking and a personal briefing on predator conservation in the Mara. Dinner that evening is candlelit at the villa.
Leave for a final morning drive chosen by your guide. There is no fixed route. The drive follows what the previous days have opened, whether that means returning to a particular area, following fresh tracks or spending one last morning in remarkable country. Return to the villa for a farewell lunch. That evening, the chef prepares a final dinner built entirely from ingredients foraged and gathered across the stay. The following morning, depart to Nairobi from the Mara airstrip.
On arrival at the Mara airstrip, your guide meets the group and the safari begins there, in the field. Sundowners are served on the way to the villa, with the plains already open around you. Dinner is prepared by your private chef at Cottar's Bush Villa.
Leave before dawn for a full morning game drive across the private conservancy. The air is cool, tracks are fresh and Olderkesi is at its most atmospheric. Return to the villa for a late breakfast, followed by a private spa treatment in the afternoon. In the evening, return to the field for a private night drive. The conservancy changes after dark, with sound, spotlight work and nocturnal movement replacing the rhythm of the day. Dinner is served under the stars.
Begin with a private guided bush walk led by your Gold-rated guide and a Maasai warrior. The focus shifts from distance to detail, with tracks, plants, birds, insects and signs that are easily missed from a vehicle. Lunch is served at the villa. In the afternoon, join Maasai Warrior School, a physical practice shared with resident Maasai warriors. Children in the party are welcome to take part. The evening is spent at the villa, with the wood-fired hot tub and a private terrace dinner.
Depart before dawn for a private balloon flight over the Olderkesi Conservancy. As first light reaches the plains, the Mara opens from above, with ridges, river lines, wildlife movement and wide grassland seen together. A Canon-affiliated photographer accompanies the flight, helping guests work with light, height and movement. On landing, a Champagne bush breakfast is served in the field. Return to the villa for an afternoon by the pool, on the terrace or simply looking out across the conservancy.
Spend a full day in the field, shaped around morning and afternoon light. Your guide and photographer work together. The guide reads the land, while the photographer helps guests notice angle, distance, patience and composition. This is a day for longer sightings, waiting well and seeing the Mara as it changes through heat, shadow and dust. The day closes with a private bush dinner served in the field.
This day is deliberately unprogrammed. Stay at the villa, swim, rest, read, use the wood-fired hot tub and take a private spa treatment in the afternoon. The conservancy remains visible from the terrace, but nothing needs to be filled. Dinner is served at the villa.
Depart by private helicopter with the Mara Elephant Project. The flight focuses on aerial elephant tracking with MEP rangers and leadership, giving guests a rare view of conservation work beyond the game drive. Land at MEP headquarters for an in-depth conservation briefing before returning to the villa by helicopter. Dinner is served at the villa that evening.
Begin with a private foraging and medicinal walk led by a Maasai guide. The morning is about practical knowledge of plants, flavour, use and memory. On return, meet the villa chef for a guest-directed menu briefing. Lunch is served outdoors, shaped by what the morning brought back. In the afternoon, take a private spa treatment. That evening, the villa hosts an East African siphon coffee tasting, with Rwanda, Ethiopia and Kenya served as three origins.
Visit a local Maasai village for a private exchange around food culture, livestock and traditional cooking methods. This is not a performance, but a chance to understand daily knowledge carried through families. In the afternoon, spend a private half-day with Dr Elena Chelysheva of the Mara-Meru Cheetah Project. The session includes field tracking and a personal briefing on predator conservation in the Mara. Dinner that evening is candlelit at the villa.
Leave for a final morning drive chosen by your guide. There is no fixed route. The drive follows what the previous days have opened, whether that means returning to a particular area, following fresh tracks or spending one last morning in remarkable country. Return to the villa for a farewell lunch. That evening, the chef prepares a final dinner built entirely from ingredients foraged and gathered across the stay. The following morning, depart to Nairobi from the Mara airstrip.
On arrival at the Mara airstrip, your guide meets the group and the safari begins there, in the field. Sundowners are served on the way to the villa, with the plains already open around you. Dinner is prepared by your private chef at Cottar's Bush Villa.
Leave before dawn for a full morning game drive across the private conservancy. The air is cool, tracks are fresh and Olderkesi is at its most atmospheric. Return to the villa for a late breakfast, followed by a private spa treatment in the afternoon. In the evening, return to the field for a private night drive. The conservancy changes after dark, with sound, spotlight work and nocturnal movement replacing the rhythm of the day. Dinner is served under the stars.
Begin with a private guided bush walk led by your Gold-rated guide and a Maasai warrior. The focus shifts from distance to detail, with tracks, plants, birds, insects and signs that are easily missed from a vehicle. Lunch is served at the villa. In the afternoon, join Maasai Warrior School, a physical practice shared with resident Maasai warriors. Children in the party are welcome to take part. The evening is spent at the villa, with the wood-fired hot tub and a private terrace dinner.
Depart before dawn for a private balloon flight over the Olderkesi Conservancy. As first light reaches the plains, the Mara opens from above, with ridges, river lines, wildlife movement and wide grassland seen together. A Canon-affiliated photographer accompanies the flight, helping guests work with light, height and movement. On landing, a Champagne bush breakfast is served in the field. Return to the villa for an afternoon by the pool, on the terrace or simply looking out across the conservancy.
Spend a full day in the field, shaped around morning and afternoon light. Your guide and photographer work together. The guide reads the land, while the photographer helps guests notice angle, distance, patience and composition. This is a day for longer sightings, waiting well and seeing the Mara as it changes through heat, shadow and dust. The day closes with a private bush dinner served in the field.
This day is deliberately unprogrammed. Stay at the villa, swim, rest, read, use the wood-fired hot tub and take a private spa treatment in the afternoon. The conservancy remains visible from the terrace, but nothing needs to be filled. Dinner is served at the villa.
Depart by private helicopter with the Mara Elephant Project. The flight focuses on aerial elephant tracking with MEP rangers and leadership, giving guests a rare view of conservation work beyond the game drive. Land at MEP headquarters for an in-depth conservation briefing before returning to the villa by helicopter. Dinner is served at the villa that evening.
Begin with a private foraging and medicinal walk led by a Maasai guide. The morning is about practical knowledge of plants, flavour, use and memory. On return, meet the villa chef for a guest-directed menu briefing. Lunch is served outdoors, shaped by what the morning brought back. In the afternoon, take a private spa treatment. That evening, the villa hosts an East African siphon coffee tasting, with Rwanda, Ethiopia and Kenya served as three origins.
Visit a local Maasai village for a private exchange around food culture, livestock and traditional cooking methods. This is not a performance, but a chance to understand daily knowledge carried through families. In the afternoon, spend a private half-day with Dr Elena Chelysheva of the Mara-Meru Cheetah Project. The session includes field tracking and a personal briefing on predator conservation in the Mara. Dinner that evening is candlelit at the villa.
Leave for a final morning drive chosen by your guide. There is no fixed route. The drive follows what the previous days have opened, whether that means returning to a particular area, following fresh tracks or spending one last morning in remarkable country. Return to the villa for a farewell lunch. That evening, the chef prepares a final dinner built entirely from ingredients foraged and gathered across the stay. The following morning, depart to Nairobi from the Mara airstrip.
On arrival at the Mara airstrip, your guide meets the group and the safari begins there, in the field. Sundowners are served on the way to the villa, with the plains already open around you. Dinner is prepared by your private chef at Cottar's Bush Villa.
Leave before dawn for a full morning game drive across the private conservancy. The air is cool, tracks are fresh and Olderkesi is at its most atmospheric. Return to the villa for a late breakfast, followed by a private spa treatment in the afternoon. In the evening, return to the field for a private night drive. The conservancy changes after dark, with sound, spotlight work and nocturnal movement replacing the rhythm of the day. Dinner is served under the stars.
Begin with a private guided bush walk led by your Gold-rated guide and a Maasai warrior. The focus shifts from distance to detail, with tracks, plants, birds, insects and signs that are easily missed from a vehicle. Lunch is served at the villa. In the afternoon, join Maasai Warrior School, a physical practice shared with resident Maasai warriors. Children in the party are welcome to take part. The evening is spent at the villa, with the wood-fired hot tub and a private terrace dinner.
Depart before dawn for a private balloon flight over the Olderkesi Conservancy. As first light reaches the plains, the Mara opens from above, with ridges, river lines, wildlife movement and wide grassland seen together. A Canon-affiliated photographer accompanies the flight, helping guests work with light, height and movement. On landing, a Champagne bush breakfast is served in the field. Return to the villa for an afternoon by the pool, on the terrace or simply looking out across the conservancy.
Spend a full day in the field, shaped around morning and afternoon light. Your guide and photographer work together. The guide reads the land, while the photographer helps guests notice angle, distance, patience and composition. This is a day for longer sightings, waiting well and seeing the Mara as it changes through heat, shadow and dust. The day closes with a private bush dinner served in the field.
This day is deliberately unprogrammed. Stay at the villa, swim, rest, read, use the wood-fired hot tub and take a private spa treatment in the afternoon. The conservancy remains visible from the terrace, but nothing needs to be filled. Dinner is served at the villa.
Depart by private helicopter with the Mara Elephant Project. The flight focuses on aerial elephant tracking with MEP rangers and leadership, giving guests a rare view of conservation work beyond the game drive. Land at MEP headquarters for an in-depth conservation briefing before returning to the villa by helicopter. Dinner is served at the villa that evening.
Begin with a private foraging and medicinal walk led by a Maasai guide. The morning is about practical knowledge of plants, flavour, use and memory. On return, meet the villa chef for a guest-directed menu briefing. Lunch is served outdoors, shaped by what the morning brought back. In the afternoon, take a private spa treatment. That evening, the villa hosts an East African siphon coffee tasting, with Rwanda, Ethiopia and Kenya served as three origins.
Visit a local Maasai village for a private exchange around food culture, livestock and traditional cooking methods. This is not a performance, but a chance to understand daily knowledge carried through families. In the afternoon, spend a private half-day with Dr Elena Chelysheva of the Mara-Meru Cheetah Project. The session includes field tracking and a personal briefing on predator conservation in the Mara. Dinner that evening is candlelit at the villa.
Leave for a final morning drive chosen by your guide. There is no fixed route. The drive follows what the previous days have opened, whether that means returning to a particular area, following fresh tracks or spending one last morning in remarkable country. Return to the villa for a farewell lunch. That evening, the chef prepares a final dinner built entirely from ingredients foraged and gathered across the stay. The following morning, depart to Nairobi from the Mara airstrip.
On arrival at the Mara airstrip, your guide meets the group and the safari begins there, in the field. Sundowners are served on the way to the villa, with the plains already open around you. Dinner is prepared by your private chef at Cottar's Bush Villa.
Leave before dawn for a full morning game drive across the private conservancy. The air is cool, tracks are fresh and Olderkesi is at its most atmospheric. Return to the villa for a late breakfast, followed by a private spa treatment in the afternoon. In the evening, return to the field for a private night drive. The conservancy changes after dark, with sound, spotlight work and nocturnal movement replacing the rhythm of the day. Dinner is served under the stars.
Begin with a private guided bush walk led by your Gold-rated guide and a Maasai warrior. The focus shifts from distance to detail, with tracks, plants, birds, insects and signs that are easily missed from a vehicle. Lunch is served at the villa. In the afternoon, join Maasai Warrior School, a physical practice shared with resident Maasai warriors. Children in the party are welcome to take part. The evening is spent at the villa, with the wood-fired hot tub and a private terrace dinner.
Depart before dawn for a private balloon flight over the Olderkesi Conservancy. As first light reaches the plains, the Mara opens from above, with ridges, river lines, wildlife movement and wide grassland seen together. A Canon-affiliated photographer accompanies the flight, helping guests work with light, height and movement. On landing, a Champagne bush breakfast is served in the field. Return to the villa for an afternoon by the pool, on the terrace or simply looking out across the conservancy.
Spend a full day in the field, shaped around morning and afternoon light. Your guide and photographer work together. The guide reads the land, while the photographer helps guests notice angle, distance, patience and composition. This is a day for longer sightings, waiting well and seeing the Mara as it changes through heat, shadow and dust. The day closes with a private bush dinner served in the field.
This day is deliberately unprogrammed. Stay at the villa, swim, rest, read, use the wood-fired hot tub and take a private spa treatment in the afternoon. The conservancy remains visible from the terrace, but nothing needs to be filled. Dinner is served at the villa.
Depart by private helicopter with the Mara Elephant Project. The flight focuses on aerial elephant tracking with MEP rangers and leadership, giving guests a rare view of conservation work beyond the game drive. Land at MEP headquarters for an in-depth conservation briefing before returning to the villa by helicopter. Dinner is served at the villa that evening.
Begin with a private foraging and medicinal walk led by a Maasai guide. The morning is about practical knowledge of plants, flavour, use and memory. On return, meet the villa chef for a guest-directed menu briefing. Lunch is served outdoors, shaped by what the morning brought back. In the afternoon, take a private spa treatment. That evening, the villa hosts an East African siphon coffee tasting, with Rwanda, Ethiopia and Kenya served as three origins.
Visit a local Maasai village for a private exchange around food culture, livestock and traditional cooking methods. This is not a performance, but a chance to understand daily knowledge carried through families. In the afternoon, spend a private half-day with Dr Elena Chelysheva of the Mara-Meru Cheetah Project. The session includes field tracking and a personal briefing on predator conservation in the Mara. Dinner that evening is candlelit at the villa.
Leave for a final morning drive chosen by your guide. There is no fixed route. The drive follows what the previous days have opened, whether that means returning to a particular area, following fresh tracks or spending one last morning in remarkable country. Return to the villa for a farewell lunch. That evening, the chef prepares a final dinner built entirely from ingredients foraged and gathered across the stay. The following morning, depart to Nairobi from the Mara airstrip.
Cottar's began in 1919, and today remains one of Africa's oldest continuing safari families. More than five generations have shaped its way of guiding, hosting and caring for the land. That history gives the place a feeling that cannot be manufactured. It is not a new idea dressed as heritage. It is heritage still being lived. The early safari world was built on expedition, canvas, long journeys and the romance of the unknown. Cottar's still carries that atmosphere, but the meaning has changed. Today, its most important work is conservation-focused travel, beautiful guiding, respect for wildlife, partnership with Maasai landowners and the protection of wild places.
Olderkesi is where that promise becomes real. The conservancy sits beside the Maasai Mara and the Serengeti, with open plains, wildlife corridors and community-led protection at its centre. It is not only where the safari happens. It is the reason the safari has depth.
The Bush Villa is the most private way into that world. For 10 nights, one group lives within Cottar's heritage, with the comfort of an elegant home and the seriousness of a safari shaped by people who know the land. By the end, the memories are not only of animals seen. They are of voices, routes, meals, stories, weather, tracks and the quiet work required to keep this place wild.
Starting from USD 109,460
Select your preferred dates and number of guests to check availability. Our team will confirm the villa, guide, conservation access, flight logistics and programme details ahead of your arrival.
Request
English and Swahili are official languages in Kenya. The local currency is the Kenyan shilling, though safari lodges and private arrangements may also quote in US dollars.
East Africa Time, GMT+3.
The Maasai Mara can be visited year-round. July to October is known for migration season, while quieter months can offer excellent game viewing with fewer visitors. Balloon flights and helicopter access remain subject to weather and operational approval.
Visa requirements depend on nationality. Guests should check current Kenya entry requirements before travel and allow time for any required electronic travel authorisation.
International guests typically arrive into Nairobi. A light aircraft to the Mara is the standard onward connection, with your guide meeting the group at the airstrip for the transfer to the villa.
Neutral safari clothing, comfortable walking shoes, a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, a warm layer for early mornings, swimwear and suitable camera equipment. Soft-sided luggage is recommended for the domestic flight to the Mara.
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