Nestled at the foot of the dramatic Oloololo escarpment within southwestern Kenya’s iconic Masai Mara National Reserve, the andBeyond Bateleur Camp has earned global recognition, voted the No. 1 hotel in the world by Travel + Leisure readers in their 2025 World’s Best Awards. This esteemed camp offers an intimate and low-key atmosphere with only 18 tented suites and one deluxe family suite, thoughtfully split between two locations. The seamless safari experience begins the moment guests touch down at Kichwa Tembo Airstrip, where their dedicated guide and safari vehicle await, immediately immersing them in the vibrant wildlife of the Mara—often spotting hippos, zebras, warthogs, and giraffes even before checking in.

The property itself provides a sense of the Masai Mara's vastness, with the main building and most guest tents boasting breathtaking 180-degree views of the expansive plains. The attentive and friendly staff, many of whom have worked at the camp for over a decade and 70 percent recruited from neighboring Masai villages, contribute to an air of confidence and camaraderie. Their genuine hospitality is evident through warm Swahili phrases like “karibu sana” (you’re very welcome) and “hakuna matata” (no worries). Guest itineraries are exceptionally flexible and customized daily, allowing visitors to set their own safari schedules, a key distinction from more rigid lodge offerings.

Accommodation at Bateleur Camp features 18 luxurious tented suites and one Luxury Family Tent (two joined tents with an additional living space), all overlooking the stunning Masai Mara plains. Each tent is decorated in a classic campaign style, complete with trunks, leather furniture, and brass light fixtures. Guests can enjoy private canopied outdoor decks with upholstered seating, and for those who wish to be awakened by the rising sun, rollaway canvas screens with mosquito netting can be left open at night. The large, luxurious bathrooms include Jack-and-Jill sinks, a walled toilet, an indoor shower, and a grand, roll-topped brass tub—which butlers delight in filling with bubbles after an afternoon safari. An additional outdoor shower and a well-stocked bar area with local beers, spirits, South African wines, and Kenya’s Amarula liquor complete the in-tent amenities.

The culinary journey at Bateleur Camp, led by Chef “Magic” Jackson Mutuku, is a highlight. Despite the camp's small size, dining options are diverse, with new lunch and dinner menus presented daily. Chef Jackson personally consults with guests after breakfast to discuss their choices, ensuring imaginative, fresh, and consistently excellent meals, ranging from chicken shawarma boards and fish tacos to steak or duck confit. For younger guests, the kitchen is happy to prepare favorites like pizza, cheeseburgers, or spaghetti al pomodoro. A particularly memorable experience is the lamp-lit dinner in the surrounding woods, featuring spit-roasted lamb and local dishes. However, for many, the simplest pleasure is the pre-dawn delivery of piping-hot tea and coffee through a tent hatch, signaling the start of a new safari day.

Beyond game drives, the camp offers a variety of activities and experiences. On-site, guests can relax at the infinity-edged pool overlooking the Mara, utilize the gym, or indulge in spa treatments at the “massage sala.” Access to the nearby, larger andBeyond Kitchwa Tembo lodge provides an even larger pool and a boutique selling safari-appropriate clothing and local handmade items. Interactions with the Masai community are handled with sensitivity and respect. The camp’s full-time Impact and Community Officer, Alex Oloonkishu, organizes song and dance performances around campfires or in the dining area, after which Masai villagers sell their exquisite handmade beadwork, textiles, and wood carvings. Oloonkishu also leads walking safaris, offering a chance to stretch one’s legs and delve deeper into Masai culture. For an unforgettable aerial perspective, early-morning hot-air balloon rides over the Masai Mara can be arranged through Governor’s Balloon Safaris.

The andBeyond WILDChild program ensures younger guests, like the reviewer’s children aged eight and eleven, have enriching experiences tailored to the local culture. Kids can learn traditional fire-making from Masai bushmen, practice with handmade bows and arrows, and create Masai-style beaded bracelets. The staff's exceptional warmth and comfort with children are evident in their willingness to accommodate family needs, such as waking children with hot chocolate and driving them to a bush breakfast to meet their parents after a hot-air balloon safari.

At its core, andBeyond operates on three founding principles: Care of Land, Care of Wildlife, and Care of People, embodied by its 30-year partnership with Wild Impact. This program has conserved over one million acres of land in Africa and drives significant social and environmental sustainability efforts around Bateleur. In the local area, andBeyond and Wild Impact have established several schools for Masai children, including a boarding model that educates nearly 600 kids with conservation lessons. They also support medical facilities, partnering with the Kenyan government to run a hospital that opened a maternity ward in August 2024, delivering 61 babies by March 2025. Furthermore, a conservation trust works to restore degraded forests, installing cameras to protect existing trees and establishing a nursery with close to 35,000 indigenous tree seedlings. Guests are encouraged to visit and support these vital projects.

While rooms at Bateleur are not ADA compliant, some are wheelchair accessible with assistance. The camp's convenient location is just a 15-minute drive from Kichwa Tembo Airstrip, which is an hour-long flight from Nairobi, sparing guests a six-hour road journey. Nightly rates start from $1,210, all-inclusive, for this truly exceptional and world-renowned safari destination.