Mara Plains Camp

The camp’s main area is perfectly positioned to face the horizon, outstanding views availed by the stilted design. Indoors all is luxury, with a boutique and curio shop, a dining area (with cuisine to delight your heart and wine from the cellar), a comfortable lounge and a library in which to settle back and read, edit your photographs or spy on the hippo below. The floors are teak, the fabrics are softly draped and the open spaces are cool - including the spa, which provides rejuvination on tap.

A raised wooden walkway leads between curved acacia branches to the seven canvas tents. Each has a canopied canvas ceiling, wooden floors and accents redolent of East Africa’s fascinating safari history – rich colours, plush beds and leather trims. The en-suite bathrooms are gloriously spacious, with a deep bath and shower of copper (the water is heated using solar power). Outside is a private veranda for admiring the huge expanse of wilderness. For an added dose of luxury, book the two-bedroom Jahazi Suite, complete with its own dedicated butler, vehicle and guide. The tents have both wi-fi and cellphone connectivity.

Take various game drives in a Landcruiser customised for photographers, with fold-down screens, photographic bars and multi-plug invertors. Look out for lion (especially the magnificently dark-maned males), giraffe, hyaena, cheetah, wildebeest and birds. Ask about the camp's projects to preserve the region's wildlife and ecosystems, such as the Big Cats Initiative. Walk through the bush with a guide, visit a Maasai village, take a photographic workshop (with camp equipment or your own), or float above it all in a hot air balloon.