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A friend + I stayed at Olarro Plains for four days in end of July. We spent a long time researching different all-inclusive safari options and were hoping to see the Great Migration in the Mara. We had a wonderful stay at Olarro & wanted to share some more info of what to expect: Lodging: - Benjamin + his staff are all incredibly welcoming, & our guide Dominic was very knowledgable. You'll be assigned a guide once you arrive at the Conservatory; if you're a smaller group, you will likely share one (we shared a guide + car with a Canadian couple for 3 of the days). - The view of the Plains is stunning from the common area - There is no heating at night (we were there during Kenyan winter), so definitely pack down jacket + a couple of sweaters / hoodies. At night, they provide hot water bottles to sleep with. I ended up wearing either my down jacket or rain jacket most of the days, since the game drives are early morning and night. - Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner is all-included and you choose before each meal from a prix fixe menu. The chef is really good & it's mostly Western options. - The rooms are nice, eco-lodge style; we had no bugs or cleanliness issues. There is also no AC (which was not a problem for us b/c it was usually cool / chilly). Safari Vehicles: - The safari vehicles are basically modified Land Cruisers. They can fit 8 px maximum; the first four seats are the best. There are no side windows; the sides are fully exposed (open-air), which is great for animal viewing. However, there is no sunroof (you cannot stand up and look through the roof). There are also no doors, so you have to climb into the vehicle each time. Safari: - Conservancy: We spent most of our days here; there are lots of giraffes, zebras, wildebeasts, gazelles, etc. a couple of lions, and one elusive cheetah. There are elephants (but we didn't see any). Important FYI: You cannot see the Great Migration at the Conservancy (we didn't know this when we booked), it's only in the Mara. - Maasai Mara: Olarro is about 1.5 hours away from the park; we did a full day trip at the Mara., would definitely recommend. - The Mara is significantly more crowded; at Olarro, it's a private conservancy so you will (1) usually see no other vehicles, (2) can go off-road and get out of the vehicle, (3) do a walking safari / ATVs. At the Mara, there will be a bunch of cars crowded around the same lion / elephant / etc. taking pictures + you will seldom be alone. Also - there's no guarantee of seeing a river crossing or large part of the Great Migration (we saw a bunch of wildebeasts running, but no crossing. We also met folks who'd been staying at the Mara for 3+ days and didn't see the Migration). Overall: It was a great experience and we really appreciated the privacy and amazing views. If I were to go again during the Great Migration, I'd probably spend a couple of days at the Mara itself first before going to a conservancy, but definitely recommend Olarro as that choice!

What an amazing location - waking up to see giraffes, wildebeest and other native animals crossing the plains every day. A truly special place approximately 1 hour from the Masai Mara National Park. The food was exceptional and the staff made you feel so special. Nothing was too much trouble and it was evident that you could have whatever you wanted, whenever your wanted it. Early morning game drives in private vehicles, quad-biking and swimming in the infinity pool were all highlights of a wonderful 4 night stay. A day trip to the Masai Mara was definitely worth the commute, and we also had an incredible hot air balloon trip which was absolutely worth the 3.30m alarm call. It was possibly too quiet when we were there, but the knowledge of the safari guides and the warmth of welcome from the hosting team were exceptional. Highly recommend.