Safari so good: making tracks in the Masai Mara

Our adventure began on a 12-seater plane setting off from Nairobi Wilson Airport. The plane was so small the pilot herself checked our names off her list with a pencil before presenting us with safety cards, but the short flight was spectacular. Our eyes widened with wonder as we ascended from a bustling capital city, hovered over snowcapped mountains and then descended to vast, green and apparently inhabited lands. We touched down at Keekorok ‘airport’, a loose term in this instance, and were struck by how verdant it all was. We were greeted by some Masai warriors, impressive in their traditional red robes, earrings and jewellery, which, despite having feminine connotations in our culture, here looked remarkably macho. One of them introduced himself as Mako, a young employee of Cottar’s, our camp for the next few days, and our official guide. He and his fellow warriors relieved us of our holdalls, placed them in an open-top nine-seater Land Cruiser and then told us we were going on a safari. It’s probably a good time to mention that I was still in my high-heeled boots and none of us had been expecting this.

As we set off in the 4x4, our excitement mounted with the anticipation of seeing ‘the big five’ (lion, rhino, elephant, buffalo and leopard), especially when the spotter saw something animal-shaped. Every game drive at Cottar’s comes with a guide and a spotter, another Masai who stands at the back and shouts to the driver when he’s seen something. They have binoculars, but even so their spotting skills are ridiculously impressive: ours saw a lion, which turned out to be five minutes’ drive away; when we got closer (so close I could feel the hollow roar in my chest) we were transfixed. There was a pride of lions feasting on a buffalo in an exhilarating show of Darwinism we are rarely privy to. We carried on and excitedly spotted hyenas, a cheetah, a buffalo (alive), giraffes, zebras, an ostrich and a glimpse of an elephant. After two giddy hours, the light began to fail and Mako drove us to the camp.

Our first sight of Cottar’s was magical, the camp lit only by candles and a roaring fire. We were greeted by more Masai, hot towels, drinks and warm smiles from the owners, Louise and Calvin. The main tent is magnificent in its 1920s splendour, yet remarkably homely. Established in 1919, Cottar’s continues to provide a safari experience reminiscent of a romantic, Karen Blixen-style golden era of travel. It is made up of six 1920s-style tents, one honeymoon tent and four family tents, all in an unspoilt area bordering the reserve. There’s so much more to the camp than stylish façades, though: most of the employees are Masai from the local community and the camp supports various development and conservation initiatives, including a low-carbon philosophy.

After a basic pep talk — don’t walk alone at night — we were each escorted to our shared tents by two Masai, both reassuringly equipped with a spear and gun, and the news that they would be guarding our tents throughout the night (we were in the middle of a game reserve after all). Inside each tent, the attention to detail was remarkable, with four-poster beds and expertly chosen furniture and rugs; there was even a hot-water bottle in the bed.

Communal eating is encouraged at Cottar’s and so we headed back to the main tent, where we were greeted by a veritable feast and the excellent company of our fellow travellers. The following morning began with monkeys running over our tent, then with a plate of lion-shaped cookies and hot tea. Our tents were unzipped to reveal an awe-inspiring sunrise outside and the beginning of three days of fashion photography, accompanied by the Masai.

The hospitality at Cottar’s is just one of the many things that make it worth visiting. Each guest is catered for individually; you can be as sociable or as solitary as you like, and build as much or as little into your day as you wish. It’s no surprise to learn that the camp has played host to royalty, tycoons and celebrities, including Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and their clan.

On our journey back we stopped off at Giraffe Manor near Nairobi for dinner, where a herd of residents regularly pops in. We stayed at Hemingways hotel, a mansion with pillars, imposing spiral staircases, impeccably manicured lawns, a pool, and soothing rooms in which to refresh ourselves before we embarked on our return flight with heavy hearts.

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Cottar’s rates from $520 (£310) pp per night excluding conservancy fee (00 254 733 773378; cottars.com). Kenya Airways (020 8283 1818; kenya-airways.com) operates daily overnight flights from Heathrow’s Terminal 4 to Nairobi with return fares from £726.55. Contact the Kenya Tourist Board on 020 7367 0931 or visit magicalkenya.com. Hemingways hotel (hemingways-nairobi.com)