Overview of Lerai Safari Camp

Lerai Safari Camp is the only permanent safari accommodation in the 5,000 acres Olerai Conservancy of the greater Masai Mara ecosystem of southern Kenya. Barely 15 miles north of Tanzania’s Serengeti National park and just west of Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve, it’s an area teeming with African wildlife with migratory pathways for wildebeest, zebra, elephant, and antelopes. Lerai Safari Camp was built slowly throughout 2018 to allow the wildlife breathing space to co-exist with us. Enveloped within a cluster of acacia trees (Lerai means yellow and Olerai describes the acacia tree), there is a nearby riverine forest stream drawing elephants towards camp.

Accommodation

Our six safari suites are made from Canvas with interiors that express the beauty of traditional East African safari style. They are stylish and supremely comfortable, yet unpretentious, with a genuine sense of real Africa safari. Lerai serves as a sanctuary for you to restore balance to a life that is often too busy. A good dose of Africa Time and African hospitality will soon have you feeling rebalanced and renewed.

Olerai Conservancy

Lerai Camp is in the Olerai Conservancy in the Greater Masai Mara region and is the only camp in this 5,000-acre private conservancy of unscathed virgin bush.

The Conservancy was set up through the goodwill of tribal landowners to expand wildlife ranges and migration routes. The whole gambit of African wildlife is here and it now has the largest concentration of giraffe and eland in the local eco-system. Giraffes is known locally as “cool tall guys” and Masai Giraffe differs from other subspecies by their distinctive jig-saw puzzle splotched pattern. Lion and cheetah move in and out of the territory but are often sighted since the Olerai plains are perfect hunting grounds. The reserve provides an elephant corridor and with lush marshland grasses, the elephant is using it as a feeding ground as well as a dispersal area.

Proclaiming areas for the protection of wildlife must also consider local communities and their traditional ways of life. With cattle and goats forming the major livelihood and sustenance of the local Maasai around this Conservancy, the Conservancy Manager Mr. Mandela introduced Time Zoning for grazing during certain low season months of the year based on a 7-year study showing that wildlife is most active in the early hours of the day up to about 9 am and the evening after 4 pm, he allowed grazing of livestock on the open plains from 9 am to 3.30 pm. The local wildlife has habituated well to this circadian rhythm time zoning, although it’s not unusual to see a mixed group of wild and domesticated animals grazing in close proximity.

Activities

• Day and evening game drives (until 10 pm)
• Guided Bush Walks
• Cultural visits (village, market, local school during term time)
• Sundowners and bush meals
• Hot air balloon safaris (bookings must be made in advance, and this is an additional cost)

Access

Masai Mara is 260 km from Nairobi and takes 5 ½ hours drive by road and 40 minutes by air.

Transfer from the airstrip to the camp takes 20 minutes.

The airstrip is serviced by:

• Safarilink – from Nairobi twice daily
• Air Kenya – from Nairobi twice daily
• Charter flights as scheduled

Climate

Mainly humid, with temperatures averaging 26°C during the day and 12°C at night.  Long rains are anticipated from mid-April to May and short rains from November to early December.