Giraffe head and neck against pale sky and acacia

Nobu / Kenya

Naboisho Conservancy.

The Mara without the noise — where the cats are many and the vehicles are few.

Start your Naboisho Conservancy journey

YOUR AFRICA, BEAUTIFULLY TOLD.

Travel stylePrivate & tailor-made

Start withYour dates and interests

Suggested paceFewer stops, more time

Your next stepA conversation with Nobu

The Nobu perspective

Naboisho Conservancy,
at your pace.

Mara Naboisho is a community-founded conservancy within the greater Maasai Mara ecosystem, known for high predator densities and strictly controlled vehicle numbers. Walking, night and off-road drives can create a more intimate safari than the national reserve permits.

Maasai landowners receive revenue in exchange for protecting connected habitat, keeping conservation and local livelihoods within the same working model. Low camp density gives guides time and space around lion, cheetah and leopard sightings.

Guided walks, after-dark drives and off-road viewing may be offered under conservancy rules, while ballooning opens a wider perspective. Community visits must be respectful, locally agreed and structured around genuine exchange rather than performance.

Walkers with guides in red crossing a green valley

NABOISHO CONSERVANCY

What to experience

Things to do here

A safari vehicle stopped beside a resting lion in Naboisho

Wildlife

Morning and afternoon game drives

Longer sightings, fewer vehicles, and the freedom to hold position when something extraordinary is happening; no rush to accommodate the next car.

Add to my conversation

A Maasai guide pointing across the plains for a walking group in Naboisho

On foot

Walking safaris

On foot with an experienced, armed guide across open conservancy land, one of the great ways to understand the Mara at a human scale

Add to my conversation

Guests around a campfire under the Milky Way

Wildlife

Night drives

Naboisho permits after-dark drives, revealing a nocturnal Mara of civets, porcupines, aardvark and predators on the move — experiences the national reserve does not allow. Availability remains subject to the current rules for the specific park, reserve, conservancy or community land.

Add to my conversation

A safari vehicle on a dirt track across open plains in Naboisho

Experience

Off-road driving

Following an animal off the track when the sighting demands it; standard in the conservancy, not possible in the reserve.

Add to my conversation

Hot-air balloons in the dawn sky over the Maasai Mara

From above

Hot-air balloon safari

Dawn flights over the wider Mara plains, with the conservancy below and the horizon stretching into Tanzania

Add to my conversation

Maasai hosts talking with walking guests in Naboisho

Culture

Community engagement

Meaningful visits with the Maasai landowners who co-founded and sustain the conservancy, connecting the wildlife story to the human one.

Add to my conversation

When to go

Best time to visit

Start with the season that suits the journey you want, then confirm conditions for your exact route.

A closer look at Naboisho Conservancy

Jul / Individual planning

Your dates, your route

Start with your preferred month. Your designer will help match the season, chosen stays and connections to your route, interests and preferred pace.

July to October

The drier months

July to October is dry and overlaps migration activity in the wider Mara, when moving herds may intensify predator action. January and February also bring short grass and clear skies. Wildlife movement and sightings are never guaranteed.

November–June

The green season

November to June is broadly greener, with photogenic grasslands, newborn animals and fewer travellers. Rainfall patterns and wildlife distribution vary considerably, but Naboisho's controlled bed and vehicle numbers preserve an uncrowded experience throughout the year.

3 places to stay

Where to stay

Compare the selection by style.

3 stays · All stays

Elevated
Naboisho Conservancy / Kenya
Encounter Mara
tented camp · private conservancy
From USD 450per person per night · indicative
Enquire about this stay
Elevated
Naboisho Conservancy / Kenya
Kicheche Valley Camp
tented camp · private conservancy
From USD 650per person per night · indicative
Discover the stay
Elevated
Naboisho Conservancy / Kenya
Naboisho Camp
tented camp · private conservancy
From USD 700per person per night · indicative
Enquire about this stay

Good to know

Know before you go

Getting there

Road and air connections depend on the wider route and current operations. Nobu confirms the suitable connection for your dates before approval.

Fees and permissions

Park, conservancy, community, activity or permit rules may apply. Nobu confirms the operative permissions and current fees in the approved quote.

Time and pace

The right stay depends on season, interests and onward routing. Nobu will recommend a pace for the individual journey rather than promise a fixed transfer or duration.

Mara Naboisho Conservancy fees and entry rules

Good questions. Straight answers.

What makes Naboisho different from the Maasai Mara national reserve?

The conservancy caps the number of vehicles allowed inside it, which means quieter sightings and longer time with wildlife. It also permits walking safaris, night drives and off-road driving — none of which the national reserve allows. Naboisho also returns revenue directly to Maasai landowners, making it a community-led model, not a state reserve. Activity rules can change and differ by reserve, park, conservancy or community land; Nobu will confirm the current permission and operator arrangement before approval.

Is Naboisho good for lion?

It is one of the best places in the entire Mara ecosystem for lion. The controlled vehicle numbers and managed land support an exceptionally dense resident population, and sightings here tend to be unhurried.

Do the wildebeest migration crossings happen in Naboisho?

The famous Mara River crossings take place in the national reserve, not within Naboisho's boundaries. However, the conservancy sits within the same ecosystem, and wildebeest and zebra move through the area during the July–October window. The quiet and the cats are here year-round.

Can you walk on safari in Naboisho?

Yes. Walking with an armed guide is permitted in the conservancy and is one of its most distinctive activities. The national reserve does not allow walking safaris. Activity rules can change and differ by reserve, park, conservancy or community land; Nobu will confirm the current permission and operator arrangement before approval.

How many camps are inside Naboisho?

The conservancy deliberately limits the number of camps to protect the low-density experience. Nobu holds access across the tiers within this limited pool — we confirm availability and match the right camp to your journey.

Suggested Naboisho Conservancy journeys