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Most romantic destination # 10: Bateleur Camp, Kichwa Tembo
[Location: Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya, East Africa]
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Bateleur Camp is set among the forests just below the spot where a famous scene from the romantic motion picture Out of Africa was filmed. This setting was also chosen to illustrate the motion picture's poster. The Bateleur Camp is an exclusive enclave of nine elegant tents. The magnificent appointment of the camp ensures shade from a dense forest canopy and unobstructed views of the game-rich plains. On hand is the ultimate indulgence - a personal butler service. Each luxurious, en suite tent is completely private, tucked away in its own little piece of wild Africa.
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"The décor and ambience of the camp [Bateleur Camp] recreates the adventurous decadence of a bygone era. Highly-polished floors, elegant linen, beautiful African artifacts, ceiling fans, old cabin trunks and other original antiques evoke the nostalgic writings of Karen Blixen." CCAFRICA News
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2 enchanting camps - luxury safari tents
Opened it's doors in May 2000
Shaded by dense forest canopies
Views of earth's greatest grassland system
Great migration of over 2 million animals
The 'Big Five' Game [Lion, Leopard, Rhino, Buffalo, Elephant]
Wildlife includes crocodiles and black-maned lions
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2 vervet monkey troops at camp
Blue monkey and red-tailed monkey
Day and night game drives
Guided bush walks
Maasai cultural village visits
Hot-air ballooning
Sundowners on Great Rift Valley rim
Bateleur Camp is a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World.
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 This enchanting, luxurious tented camp at Kichwa Tembo is located in the north-western corner of the richest game park in Kenya. Meaning "Head of the Elephant" in KiSwahili, Kichwa Tembo is flanked by the Oloololo Escarpment and the Sabaringo River. The camp lies deep in a monkey-rich forest on the exclusive western side of the Masai Mara National Reserve, far removed from the package tourism of the eastern Mara.
The unfenced Masai Mara covers 1 500km² and, together with the neighbouring Serengeti (combined, they form one ecosystem), is home to the greatest concentration of large mammals on earth. The great migration of over two million wildebeest and other grazing ungulates every year is the Mara's foremost attraction and one of the greatest spectacles in the animal kingdom. Each year, far south in the vast Serengeti, the wildebeest raise their heads, sniff the air, and as if of one accord, start the long trek to the Kenyan border. An endless thunder of wildebeest and zebra enter the Mara around the end of July, drawn by the sweet grass. Add to this the richness of fauna, profusion of winged beauty and untouched landscape, and you have magical Masai Mara. Here, the pastoral Ilkarekeshe Maasai proudly maintain their traditional lifestyle as cattle-herders. In contrast to almost everywhere else on our planet - where man has displaced wildlife - here, in south-western Kenya, there is a remarkable level of tolerance which allows both to exist side-by-side.The spacious tents grace this exclusive camp. The ultimate indulgence - a personal butler service - ensures you are pampered in style.
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The nine tented rooms reflect classic luxury, with wooden floors and private verandahs. The tents feature safari architecture of sweeping canvas, traditional shingle and highly polished hardwood. Underfoot lie fine needlepoint rugs. The secluded, comfortable interiors of the camp are enhanced by fine antiques, leather- buttoned Chesterfield sofas, keepsakes of distant days such as polished compasses and cabin trunks with their original passage labels, as well as a wide selection of library books. The interiors transport you to the heyday of colonial safaris, to an epoch of romance, canvas and candlelight. Inside each tent, you will find every possible comfort, including an unexpectedly expansive en-suite bathroom. There is also a writing desk, subtle lighting and ceiling fans in each tent.
The main guest area, which is shaded by a dense forest canopy, has a reception area and a comfortable lounge with a fireplace. While you are relaxing inside the camp, you can take in endless, game-filled plains with the dramatic Oloololo Escarpment as a backdrop.
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The tree-shaded lap pool, almost 13 metres, long is a refreshing feature. The camp has a small curio shop, and you are welcome to visit the larger shop at Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp. The dining area and verandah have views of the endless game-filled plains of the Mara. Pan-African cuisine is served with flair. After dinner, enjoy a glass of port in front of the fire.
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Pan-African cuisine is often served in the bush at both dinner and breakfast. Dinners are served in a clearing in the bush under a star-studded sky. The incredible effort, the surprise, the spectacular settings, visual impact and fairytale-like atmosphere of dining under the stars are an unforgettable African bush experience.
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All walks and game drives are led by Professional Kenyan guides. They have all achieved the highest scores in the Masai Mara, in the Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association examination. There are morning and afternoon game drives in open Land Rovers (night game drives are not allowed in the park). Fascinating night explorations traverse the private concession adjacent to the reserve in search of predators and other nocturnal animals. 
A fleet of ten new open sided Land Rovers were purchased in 1998, the first of their kind in the Mara. Guests may request the sole use of a Land Rover for game viewing at additional cost. The position of the camp affords the opportunity for walks along the Mara River and up the Oloololo Escarpment. Bush walks are guided by rangers and resident Maasai naturalists and are an optional extra at Main Camp but are included in the rate at Bateleur Camp.
There are a number of exciting activities as optional extras, like viewing game from the silence of a hot-air balloon, one of the finest wildlife experiences. Not only does this give you a unique perspective of the Mara grasslands, but it also enables you to spot far more game than is possible from the ground. This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Each day offers new adventures, starting with the unexpected delight of an early morning bush breakfast, followed by hours of superb game and bird-watching. There are daily lectures by a Maasai naturalist. You may also visit a Maasai cultural village and watch traditional Maasai dancing.
You can wind down another action-packed African day with sundowners at a location featuring spectacular views across the Mara. From this unique vantage point, the entire Masai Mara reserve is visible on a clear day.
Indoors, you can browse through a collection of wildlife books, magazines and videos.
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The climate is warm and dry with abundant seasonal rainfall.
Rainfall: The Masai Mara receives the highest rainfall of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem - an average of 1 000mm of rain per year, concentrated in two seasons - March to June (the so-called "long rains") and October to December ("short rains"). As a result of the rains the Masai Mara has sharp seasonal differences in terms of grass growth and numbers of herbivores. The rain has a knock-on effect on the entire landscape and ecosystem, right down to limiting the number of predators. Rain usually falls during late afternoon or at night.
Temperature: Despite being just a few degrees south of the Equator, daytime temperatures are mild due to the elevated altitude. The nights can be fairly cool. Summer extends from October to April, with December to March being the warmest months. All year minimum temperatures are 11ºC/52ºF and maximum temperatures are 30ºC/86ºF.
Overall, the climate of the Mara is gentle and it is rarely too hot. The cool season is from May to September.
Altitude: Kichwa Tembo lies just a few degrees south of the Equator, at an altitude of between 1 600 and 2 000 metres above sea level.
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Best time to travel:
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Throughout the year, although winter time, from July to September, is the best time to view game. The wildebeest migration follows a reasonably predictable pattern, dependent on when the rains come. The migration normally reaches Kenya in late July (herds mass along the Mara River), when the wildebeest disperse onto the plains of the Masai Mara for a couple of months.
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Kichwa Tembo is renowned as a vantage point for witnessing the ancient spectacle of the great migration From June each year, like iron filings drawn by a magnet, over two  million wildebeest, zebra and other grazing ungulates move through the Serengeti to the Masai Mara. The hungry herds are drawn north by the sweet grass resulting from the long rains. In the course of their journey they brave relentless predators, a shortage of food and water and the huge crocodiles of the turbulent Mara River.
Late July, August and September (dry season) are prime game viewing months, but there is an abundance of resident wildlife all year round and superb viewing is by no means confined to the migration. The black-maned Mara lions are of special interest. Cheetah, giraffe, elephant, a host of antelope and fascinating monkeys can also be seen. There are also thousands of topi, a conspicuous bronze-and- brown-coated antelope not found in other Kenyan parks, apart from Tsavo. Surrounding Kichwa Tembo is a dense forest filled with smaller mammals as well as entertaining troops of blue monkey and red-tailed monkey.
The forest embracing the camp is an "island" refuge for many birds that depend on dense cover. Thirteen years ago, the original owners fenced the camp surrounds. This was mainly to protect forest vegetation, as elephant are known to decimate forest cover. The fence preserves the full spectrum of forest-adapted species including birds such as Ross's Turaco and Narina Trogon.
Bird-watching around the camp is outstanding, with many spectacular species to be seen. Grey-capped Warbler, Ross's Turaco, Schalow's Turaco, Cinnamon-chested Bee-eater, African Blue Flycatcher and African Green Pigeon are all resident and conspicuous. The spectacular Black-and-white-casqued Hornbill and Double-toothed Barbet are occasional visitors. An extraordinary 450 bird species have been recorded in the Masai Mara, and no less than 57 species of birds of prey. Raptors include the Brown Snake Eagle, Tawny Eagle, Martial Eagle, Long-crested Eagle, Bateleur, White-headed Vulture, Lappet-faced Vulture, Hooded Vulture and African Fish Eagle. Vultures are highly sociable raptors, supreme masters of the air and a vital link in the food chains of African savannahs. Six species of vulture occur in the Masai Mara. The Egyptian Vulture is a nomad and rarely seen, while the group-foraging African White-backed Vulture is the most common. Others are the more solitary Lappet-faced Vulture and White-headed Vulture, the smaller and thin-billed Hooded Vulture and the gregarious Ruppell's Griffon.
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