Four hillside cottages on 18,700 acres of community-owned wilderness — the only IUCN Green List conservancy in the Mara, reserved entirely for Porini's own guests.
01 / 04
Overview
Wilderness, Held in Trust
Ol Kinyei was the first community conservancy of its kind in the Mara — an 18,700-acre wildlife sanctuary leased entirely to Porini, so no other operator's vehicles ever enter its boundaries.
Tucked away on a hillside above a wildlife-rich dam, the four Ol Kinyei Safari Cottages are the newest and most private way to experience this conservancy — a "home away from home" built for families and small groups who want the run of their own four-bedroom house, private chef included, without giving up an inch of the wilderness outside the door. Ol Kinyei sits at the northernmost edge of the Loita wildebeest migration, with calving typically seen every February and March, and carries a resident pride of over twenty lions along with regular leopard and cheetah sightings.
One of three Porini addresses in Ol Kinyei. The Safari Cottages share the conservancy with the six-tent Porini Mara Camp and the six-tent Porini Cheetah Camp — all three reserved exclusively for Porini guests, with no other tourist vehicles permitted inside the 18,700-acre boundary.
4
Four-Bedroom Cottages
18,700ac
Private Conservancy
2005
First of its Kind
1
Wildlife Dam on Site
Cottages
A Hillside, A Private Dam
Each of the four cottages is a self-contained home — four en-suite bedrooms, a private kitchen and chef, and shared spaces built for a group to spread out and settle in.
Hillside Cottage — Overlooking the Dam
01
Four En-Suite BedroomsEvery cottage sleeps a full family or group of friends, each bedroom with its own bathroom, built on a hillside with sweeping views over the open plains below.
02
Private Kitchen & ChefA dedicated chef prepares every meal to order, from candlelit dinners under the stars to daily requests, with no fixed menu or mealtime.
03
Shared Lounge, Fireplace & Media RoomA fireplace for cool evenings, a media room for children, remote work or rainy afternoons, and a sunken fire pit and hammock outside.
04
The Dam, In Walking DistanceA large wildlife dam sits just below the cottages — a steady draw for elephants, lions and the plains game that pass through Ol Kinyei year-round.
Experiences
A Conservancy, To Yourselves
With no other operator's vehicles permitted inside Ol Kinyei, every drive, walk and sundowner here happens without another safari vehicle in sight.
Day & Night
Game Drives
Open-sided 4x4 drives by day and by night — night drives being a conservancy privilege not permitted inside the national reserve.
On Foot
Walks with Maasai Warriors
Escorted bush walks led by Maasai game rangers, tracking spoor and reading the grasslands at ground level.
Sunrise
Hot-Air Balloon Safari
An optional balloon safari with a champagne breakfast, drifting over Ol Kinyei and the wider Mara ecosystem.
Culture
Maasai Village Visits
Visits to a local homestead, with archery, fire-making and beadwork shared by the Ol Kinyei Maasai.
Family
Young Adventurers Programme
Guides teach children to track spoor, build a fire with sticks, and learn the Big Five — built for families staying in the cottages.
Golden Hour
Sundowners at the Dam
Evening drinks at a scenic viewpoint over the plains, timed to the light before the night drive begins.
Dining
A Private Chef, Every Cottage
There is no communal mess tent here — each cottage has its own kitchen and chef, so meals happen exactly when and where the group wants them.
01Candlelit dinner in the cottage's own dining area
02Bush picnic breakfast or lunch out on a game drive
03Sundowner snacks at the sunken fire pit
04A full English or bush breakfast, either way
Private Kitchen — Fire Pit & Hammock
Location
The Loita Migration's Edge
Ol Kinyei sits at the top of the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, where open savannah plains meet rolling hills, springs, streams and rivers — and where the Loita wildebeest migration calves every year.
18,700 acres set aside in 2005 as the first community conservancy of its kind in the Mara ecosystem.
A recognised IUCN Green List site — one of a handful worldwide meeting the standard for well-managed protected areas.
Vehicles are limited to one per 1,400 acres, keeping sightings uncrowded even in high season.
Every cottage stay pays directly into the community land-lease that keeps Ol Kinyei protected.
Fly
Scheduled flights from Nairobi's Wilson Airport land at Ol Seki Airstrip, roughly 25 minutes from the cottages.
Transfer
A short drive from the airstrip brings guests directly into the conservancy and up to the hillside cottages.
Combine
The Safari Cottages pair easily with a stay at Porini Mara or Porini Cheetah Camp for a longer circuit.
Bonus Night
Stay 3, Get the 4th Free
Combine three nights at any Porini Camp with three nights at the Ol Kinyei Safari Cottages and receive a fourth night free — valid January to June and October to mid-December.