Emboo River Camp
Maasai Mara — Kenya
- Rural
- Forest
- Wildlife
- Nature
- Luxury
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Solar powered Mara camp with silent electric safari vehicles
Emboo sits on a forested bend of the Talek River in the heart of the Maasai Mara National Reserve, with eleven tented suites tucked into riverine woodland. Each has a private deck over the water, a plumbed bathroom with solar heated water and open canvas walls, and the camp is unfenced, so hippo, elephant and baboon move freely through it. There is an infinity pool above the river, a spa using Mara botanicals, and a hydroponic garden feeding the kitchen.
What sets Emboo apart is the fleet. It was the first camp in Kenya to convert its Land Rovers and Land Cruisers to electric, so game drives are silent and fumeless, and you get closer to animals for longer. Emboo means community in Maa, and the camp runs on Maasai guiding, storytelling and bushcraft, from tracking and fire making to medicinal plant walks. The whole operation is fully solar powered.
Sustainability
How this escape gives back
Climate & conservation
- Renewable energy - The camp runs on 100 per cent solar power around the clock, including charging the vehicle fleet.
- Sustainable transport - Old Land Rovers and Land Cruisers were converted to electric, making Emboo the first Kenyan camp with a full electric fleet.
- Local or organic food - Hydroponic and kitchen gardens at camp supply much of the produce for a farm to fork menu.
- Limits plastic use - Water is treated and bottled on site, rainwater is harvested and single use plastics are removed.
Community & culture
- Employs local people - The team is largely Maasai, from communities around the reserve, with training and career paths in camp.
- Women-led initiatives - Emboo works with local Maasai women on employment, crafts and cultural experiences.
- Preservation of cultural heritage - Guests learn tracking, bushcraft, storytelling and plant knowledge directly from Maasai guides.
Commercial
- Reinvests back into the community and or environment - The camp partners with the Mara Elephant Project and contributes reserve fees that fund conservation.
Details
- PRICE BRACKET
- £££
- Type of property
- Eco safari camp
- No. of rooms
- 8 tented suites (6 River Rooms, 1 River Suite Bella's Tree, 1 River Suite Firefly)
- Max guests per room
- Tents sleep 2, family rooming on request
Best time to visit
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Year round wildlife viewing; the Great Migration river crossings peak from July to October
Kids
Children of all ages are welcome; the youngest guest to date was just four weeks old
Accessibility
The camp strives to be wheelchair friendly with natural pathways; two River Suites have no staircase at the entrance
Location
Maasai Mara, Kenya
Guide price · £ <£100 · ££ £100–300 · £££ £300–800 · ££££ £800+ pp / night
