We stayed at cottars camp for 3 nights during our 2 week trip to Africa. I will say the place is JUST ok. Nothing special and honestly way overpriced for what you get. We stayed at other camps that were in the price range and everything was phenomenal. I would say everything at cottars is just “fine” nothing special but not the worst…. But I suppose you could stay at lesser expensive places and have the same mediocre experience.

I say skip this place if you are a high end traveler. Perhaps if you have a family and don’t mind things not luxury standard this place is fine for you. But for me I expected more.

We just came back from Kenya and I am still dreaming of our four nights under canvas at Cottars. My husband and I have been to Kenya over forty times since 1995 and yet we still had some surprises in store on our most recent safari. First of all the camp itself is set up in a wonderful way. There are two gorgeous big tents full of antiques , old books, silver candelabras , British colonial furniture and lots and lots of old photos.Instantly you are taken back to a bygone day of the first safaris ( hinting ones and then photographic ). It was so nice to have time almost stand still for four days and to forget all the trouble of the outside world as we immersed ourselves in nature.

Both of our guides were simply outstanding......we had been recommended Matura ; but together our two guides were an incredible team. After being on safari too many times to count we were amazed to see three leopards together and spend a couple of magical hours watching this leopard family interact Never have we seen that before. Another cool highlight was having twenty lions walk towards us and then lie down all around us......they were looking for shade not us. We just loved the landscape and never tired of the drives ....the mountains, the sand river, the rocky areas and the long grass were all intoxicating. And, how nice to come back to absolutely the most fantastic meals cooked by Boniface.
Our tent opened up to an open grassy area so it was not dark like some tents can be. Each morning we woke up to a herd of grazing leaping impalas and the resident very friendly eland. Nothing is more delightful than waking up to the smell of coffee and watching animals through the netting. Another highlight was "the canvas bath".Thank you Lucie for wiping up all the bubbles that spilled out and for the bubbly too. We are still laughing about that bubble bath in the wild.
Our servers Gladys and Joseph were always there to get us whatever we needed to eat or drink and the manager Bruce was always nearby if anyone needed anything. Next time we will try the honeymoon suite since I heard it was a little newer and more updated. Our tent had a great view and nice space but could use a little refresh, We were lucky that no one was in the tents near us; so it was truly a peaceful retreat. A BIG shout out to Laurent who helped get us to Cottars.....and flew up for lunch at the very lovely pool site. I will make it a priority to sit by that beautiful pool when we come back.....there just was not enough time even being there four nights. Asante sana to ALL!

Cottar’s 1920s camp, as the name suggests, is a safari camp. What that means is that unless you’re staying in the amazing 5-bedroom, brick-and-mortar Bush Villa, you will be staying in a very large and beautifully decorated canvas tent. We were coming to the camp from incredibly nice and more modern accommodations elsewhere in Kenya, so it took us a bit to adapt. But altogether, we really enjoyed our stay and the overall experience. Some comments:

Lodging: we stayed in a family tent, which comfortably sleeps four people. As a plus, it has 2 separate, full bathrooms, which is handy for getting ready for the early morning drives. As a con, it has no views. Our tent just opened up to a grassy area. For killer views, you’ll need to stay in one of the honeymoon suites (for 2 pp) up the hill. I also thought that it was a bit too dark inside the tent at night but, alas, it is a tent.

Experiences: While game drives are main attraction, they provided a variety of fun activities during our stay. We didn't get to do all of them, but there was beading (lovely older Masai lady teaches it without speaking a word of English); a quick but interesting typical dance show; outdoor ‘bush bath’ in canvas bathtubs (definitely a highlight if your tent has a view…); archery; massage; electrical bike rides (charged extra); or just lounging in the Disney-esque main hall. A highlight was a visit to a nearby Masai village (also a small extra charge), where we got to learn a bit more about the local culture. With a full camp, there was a bit of competition for some of the more scarce resources (e.g., massage, outdoor bathtubs, or bikes), so it might be wise to plan and book those ahead in spite of their advice to let your days just flow flexibility.

Staff: This is where Cottar’s really shines. Everyone there is soooo nice and friendly. You have a dedicated safari guide who will manage your day-to-day activities (and eat most meals with you, which was perhaps a bit too much for us...). The tent comes with an assigned housekeeping person, laundry is done daily (same day), the wait staff is super nice, the office and shop staff is very helpful - and it looks like they really enjoy working together. They do try to go above and beyond.

Game: We were there in June before the start of the ‘great migration’, which meant fewer tourists, but we didn’t get to see the hordes of zebras and wildebeests that come from the lower part of the ecosystem (Serengeti in bordering Tanzania) to the upper part (Mara in Kenya). But we did see everything else you would expect in a safari (except for a rhino - next time!), including lions, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, antelopes, and tons of elephant families. The latter won’t be there once the migration starts so there is a trade off. There is a lot to see close to the camp itself, but the actual Masai river is over four hours away on a loooong and bumpy (but beautiful) jeep ride.

All said, Cottar's was a great stop. Highly recommend it!