Cottar's Safaris

We went to Cottar’s for our honeymoon and truly had the most incredible time. We stayed for 5 days and every day was fantastic. From the impeccable decor of the tents to the food to our incredible guide, our stay could not have been better. The staff was like family by the end of the trip and they all went above and beyond to make us feel comfortable and accommodated. I also have a number of dietary restrictions that they were so respectful of and accommodating for. The game viewing was also great - our guide, Neebo, was fantastic. We saw 4 of the big 5 including leopards (just missed a rhino which is hard in the Mara!) we cannot wait to visit again

Had an awesome stay at cottars. It's was a perfect place to relax after I had a busy 10 days. Excellent food and friendly staff. The tent was beautiful, the biggest I've stayed in. Lots if free activities to enjoy, I did the massai warrior school and taught the staff how to play croquet.

This camp is so grossly overpriced. It's old and lazy , just like the guide Dennis, who could care more about sleeping than our safari. My husband first noticed how he just seemed to keep driving circles, up and down the same roads. He never explained in depth about the animals, just "it's an eagle", or "it's an impala". Then when we were watching some buffalo, Dennis fell ASLEEP!!! WHO DOES THAT?? We were so disgusted and disappointed in everything at this camp. Will not return and definitely will not recommend it to all of our friends who frequent Kenya.

Our guide, Enock, and our tracker, Salash, were very professional and we had great game drives. Richard, our room steward keep our room neat & tidy and got our laundry washed. Peris was the camp manager and made sure everything was running smoothly. The food was amazing. The entire staff was very friendly and helpful. I have stayed in several different properties in the Mara and found the tent could use some updating. Also, I was sharing this room with a friend and there were two beds. However, one was a double and the other a single. If the furniture was rearranged differently, two double beds would be able to fit into the tent. For the amount of money being charged for this property, the bed situation was unacceptable. That is the reason I did not give this camp an excellent rating.

We spent 5 glorious days at Cottars with a large group of friends last week. The entire trip was phenomenal! The food was delicious and all the staff are truly exceptional. This was a trip of a lifetime and we would certainly recommend Cottar’s. Our time spent at your lodge exceeded all of our expectations. Thank you so much Cottar’s for such a phenomenal experience!

This was our last, third, safari camp of our ten-day travel, and what a fantastic place to finish. The staff was extremely welcoming and attentive to all details. The accommodations were very spacious and comforting. All of the meals were delicious and very accommodating to our schedule. Our guide was very informative on all of our rides. The whole staff was exceptional. I truly cannot say enough great things about our experience at the camp. We really like that they own their own property, so you are not always competing with all of the other safaris in the area.

What an amazing experience! Our family can't say enough great things about Cottar's and the excellent service provided to us. From early morning safari drives to watch lions, cheetahs and leopards to a memorable visit to a Masai village, we were blessed!

Cottar's far exceeded our expectation. It is, without a doubt, the best safari camp in Kenya. The camp is just as pictured- elegant, comfortable, picturesque, and secluded. The service was incredible and tailored to our needs. Our guide Mako was a true professional and knew exactly where to take us on safari. The animals were stunning. Our respect for nature and Africa deepened. Everyone at the camp was friendly and lovely. We felt like we made life long friends in just a few days. Our only regret was that we didn't stay longer. Stay a minimum of four nights- and take the bush bath!

Tl:dr There are some high charges at Cottar’s that just don’t match up to the value. With so many other beautiful lodges in the Mara, spend your money elsewhere. Longer review We are residents of Kenya who have spent a lot of time in the Mara. For ages I had wanted to go to the iconic Cottar’s. Sadly, it just didn’t measure up to expectations given the high price point they charge. There were wonderful things - the food, the privacy, the guides and staff overall. However, we also had one issue that they have continued to leave I resolved to this date that I think shows how little they care about value for guests. Background: We needed to be picked up at another camp on the other side of the Mara, which is quite a long way. The Cottar’s office staff quoted us a figure of almost $600. (For comparison, you can hire a safari jeep to drive from Nairobi to the Mara for around $250, albeit not a game drive, but for comparison sake, I share that number here). I thought this was pretty high from Cottar’s, but it was supposed to include a packed bush lunch and we didn’t really have an alternate transport option planned, and I figured it would be a beautiful day. However, when they arrived to pick us up, there was no food. We were traveling with kids, so the idea that we could do a 5+ hour drive without any meals was not going to work. Luckily the other place we had been staying sprang into action and we packed lots of food and were set for the day. The drive was great, the guide fantastic and we arrived at Cottar’s. When I asked about the missing meal, it wasn’t really addressed. Before we departed, I asked again, and they said they could pack a meal to take with us on departure in lieu of the first missing one. But we didn’t need a meal then, and the idea had been to have a nice Bush lunch on the drive the first day. They said we could then follow up with the office to get reimbursement. I have sent now 5 emails on separate days and just get no response. Of course the office was immediately responsive when we were booking, so it’s clear they just don’t want to deal with this and aren’t interested to provide value to clients. I write this long review to just say, there are many, many gorgeous lodges in the Mara. After this experience I wouldn’t go back to Cottar’s, the value is just not there.