Mara Naboisho Conservancy: Lions, Night Drives and Where to Stay

Mara Naboisho Conservancy is a community-owned wildlife area of about 200 square kilometres on the north-eastern edge of Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve. It offers lion-rich game viewing with few vehicles, plus night drives and walking safaris that the reserve itself does not allow, from a handful of small tented camps.

Choosing where to stay in the Mara is confusing: the reserve, a dozen conservancies, hundreds of camps. This guide explains what makes Mara Naboisho Conservancy different, what you can do there, which months suit it best, where to stay and how it compares with the main reserve, so you can decide whether it belongs in your safari.

Photo: Divulge Adventures

What Is Mara Naboisho Conservancy?

Mara Naboisho Conservancy is private land owned by Maasai families who lease it, as one block, to a small group of safari camps. The camps pay lease fees and conservancy fees, and in return the land is kept for wildlife and controlled grazing rather than fenced plots and farms.

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The conservancy was set up in 2010, with the Basecamp Explorer group as one of the founding partners. Naboisho means “coming together” in Maa, which describes how hundreds of individual plots were combined into one wildlife area. Basecamp Explorer reports that tourism partners together pay around US$900,000 a year in lease fees to landowners, giving families a steady income from wildlife.

According to Conservation International’s African Conservancies Facility, Mara Naboisho Conservancy now has 609 landowners, 46 rangers and 8 camps with roughly 130 beds run by 5 tourism partners. That works out at a very low number of guests for the area, which is the main reason game drives here feel so uncrowded.

Where does Mara Naboisho Conservancy sit in the Greater Mara?

Mara Naboisho Conservancy lies north-east of the national reserve, which borders it to the south-west. Olare Motorogi Conservancy lies to the west and Ol Kinyei Conservancy to the east, so wildlife moves freely between all of them. The landscape mixes open grassland, whistling-thorn acacia, rocky outcrops and seasonal river forest.

Why Choose a Conservancy Over the Main Reserve?

A conservancy gives you more privacy and more freedom than the national reserve. Vehicle numbers at sightings are limited, only guests of conservancy camps may drive there, and you can do activities the reserve bans, such as night drives and guided walks.

Photo by Nk Ni on Unsplash

The trade-off is cost and the river. Conservancy camps are generally more expensive than reserve lodges, because the conservancy fee and the low bed numbers are built into the rate. And the famous Mara River crossings happen in the reserve and the conservancies along the river, not in Naboisho, so crossing-focused travellers need a day trip into the reserve or a split stay.

For a full side-by-side comparison of fees, rules and experience, read our reserve versus conservancy guide. The table below sums up the key differences for Naboisho specifically.

What Wildlife Can You See in Mara Naboisho Conservancy?

Mara Naboisho Conservancy is best known for lions. Basecamp Explorer describes it as having one of the highest lion densities in Africa, and large prides are regularly seen. Elephant, giraffe, zebra, buffalo, wildebeest, hyena, leopard and cheetah are also present, along with excellent birdlife.

Photo by Wade Lambert on Unsplash

Lions and big cats

Because only a few vehicles are out at once, you can often stay with a pride for as long as you like: watching cubs play, lionesses setting up a hunt or a coalition of males patrolling at dusk. Cheetahs use the open plains, while leopards favour the rocky outcrops and the thickets along seasonal streams. Night drives add a chance of seeing the cats when they are most active.

Plains game and the migration

Resident herds of zebra, topi, impala, gazelle and giraffe stay year-round. During the dry season, wildebeest and zebra from the Great Migration spread into the conservancy; Asilia, which runs Encounter Mara, says migration viewing here is most likely in August and September, but never guaranteed. Our Great Migration month by month guide explains where the herds usually are each month.

Smaller and nocturnal species

After dark, spotlights can pick out hyenas, bat-eared foxes, genets, white-tailed mongooses, springhares and owls, species that daytime visitors rarely see. If night drives are high on your list, our guide to where night game drives are allowed in Kenya explains how they work and what they usually cost.

What Can You Do in Mara Naboisho Conservancy?

Mara Naboisho Conservancy offers four main activities: morning and afternoon game drives, night drives with a spotlight, guided bush walks and visits to nearby Maasai communities. Some camps also offer sundowners on the plains, bush breakfasts and balloon flights booked through a balloon operator in the wider Mara.

Game drives in Mara Naboisho Conservancy

Drives usually run early in the morning and again in the late afternoon, when animals are most active, with a long lunch and rest at camp in between. Many travellers take a picnic and stay out all day. Guides follow a code of conduct on distances from animals and vehicle numbers at sightings, which keeps encounters calm.

Walking safaris

Guided walks change how you see the bush: tracks in the sand, dung beetles, medicinal plants and birdsong you would miss from a vehicle. Walks are led by experienced guides, often with Maasai trackers, and usually last two to three hours in the cool early morning. Minimum ages apply, so check with the camp if you are travelling with children.

Cultural visits

Because the land belongs to Maasai families, a community visit here feels connected to the place you are staying. Encounter Mara, for example, lists cultural visits at US$30 per person (checked October 2026). Ask your camp how the visit benefits the community before you book.

When Is the Best Time to Visit Mara Naboisho Conservancy?

The best time to visit Mara Naboisho Conservancy is the dry season from late June to October, when grass is short, animals gather near water and the migration herds may arrive. January and February are a quieter, drier window with good predator viewing and often lower camp rates.

Photo: Divulge Adventures

The long rains, roughly April and May, make tracks muddy and some camps close; Encounter Mara, for instance, is closed in May. The short rains in November and early December usually fall as afternoon showers, and the green season brings newborn animals and fewer visitors.

Where to Stay in Mara Naboisho Conservancy

Mara Naboisho Conservancy has around eight small camps, most of them tented, and all are guest-only. Rates are usually full board and include conservancy fees, game drives and often transfers from the airstrip, so they are best compared on what is included rather than headline price.

Photo by Meg von Haartman on Unsplash

Encounter Mara

Encounter Mara is a 10-tent camp run by Asilia Africa, including two family tents, each with an en suite bathroom and hot showers. It is open from June to April, welcomes children aged 5 and over, and includes night drives and airstrip transfers in its rates. The Mara Ol Seki airstrip is about 45 minutes’ drive away (checked October 2026).

Ol Seki Hemingways Mara

Ol Seki Hemingways Mara sits on a ridge, with tents raised on platforms and wide views over acacia country towards the Ngama Hills. It suits couples and travellers who want a more polished, design-led camp with a strong sense of space.

Several other camps operate in the conservancy, and openings and ownership change, so we confirm current options when we build your itinerary. For a wider view across the whole ecosystem, see our guide to Masai Mara camps by budget.

How Much Does a Mara Naboisho Conservancy Safari Cost?

A Mara Naboisho Conservancy safari usually costs more per night than a stay in the main reserve, because conservancy fees, low guest numbers and inclusive activities are built into each camp’s rate. Expect mid-range to luxury pricing, with the highest rates from July to October and over Christmas.

Conservancy fees are normally included in your camp rate rather than paid at a gate, but any day spent in the national reserve adds the reserve entry fee. Our guides to Kenya park and conservancy fees and what a Masai Mara safari costs break down current figures. Flights from Nairobi add to the total, though they save a long drive and give you more time in the bush.

Many travellers split their stay: two or three nights in the reserve for the river, then three nights in Mara Naboisho Conservancy for space and night drives. Our 7-Day Luxury Mara River Crossing Safari is a good reserve-based starting point, and we can add conservancy nights to it or design a route from scratch as part of our tailor-made Kenya safaris.

How Do You Get to Mara Naboisho Conservancy?

Most visitors reach Mara Naboisho Conservancy on a scheduled light-aircraft flight from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport to a Mara airstrip, usually Mara Ol Seki, where the camp collects them. Travelling by road from Nairobi is possible but takes most of a day.

Flying suits shorter trips and anyone who prefers not to spend hours on rough roads; our fly-in safari packages combine the Mara with other parks by air. Driving suits travellers combining the Mara with Lake Naivasha or Lake Nakuru on a road circuit, and it lets you keep the same guide and vehicle throughout.

Whichever way you travel, pack in soft-sided bags. Light aircraft into the Mara usually allow about 15 kg per person including hand luggage, and Encounter Mara gives the same limit for its guests.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is Mara Naboisho Conservancy?

Mara Naboisho Conservancy lies on the north-eastern edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve in Narok County, south-west Kenya. The reserve sits to its south-west, Olare Motorogi Conservancy borders it to the west and Ol Kinyei Conservancy to the east. Most visitors fly from Nairobi to the nearby Mara Ol Seki airstrip.

Can you do night game drives in Mara Naboisho Conservancy?

Yes. Night game drives are one of the main reasons to choose Mara Naboisho Conservancy, because they are not permitted inside the Masai Mara National Reserve. Camps run them with a spotlight after dark, looking for hyenas, leopards, lions on the move and smaller nocturnal species. Some camps include night drives in their rates; others charge extra, so check when booking.

Can you see the Great Migration from Naboisho?

You can, but it is not guaranteed. The main herds spend most of their Kenyan season in the reserve and the conservancies closest to the Mara River. Asilia, which runs Encounter Mara, says migration sightings in Naboisho are most likely in August and September. Conservancy guests can also drive into the reserve for river crossings, paying reserve fees for that day.

How many days should you spend in Mara Naboisho Conservancy?

Three nights in Mara Naboisho Conservancy is a good minimum. It gives you two full days for morning and afternoon drives, a guided walk, a night drive and a cultural visit without rushing. Four nights works well if you also want a day trip into the main reserve, or if photography is your priority and you want repeat time with the resident lion prides.

Is Mara Naboisho Conservancy suitable for families?

Mara Naboisho Conservancy suits families with children of school age. Encounter Mara, for example, welcomes children aged 5 and over and has two family tents. Walking safaris usually have higher minimum ages, so younger children stick to vehicle activities. The small number of vehicles and relaxed pace make game drives less stressful for families than busy parts of the reserve.

Final Thoughts

Mara Naboisho Conservancy is one of the best places in Kenya to watch lions without a crowd, and it adds night drives and walks that the main reserve cannot offer. Pair it with a few nights near the river in peak season, or stay longer in the quieter months.

If you would like help choosing camps and dates, send us your travel window and budget and we will suggest the right mix of reserve and conservancy nights.