Night one, I’ve gone to retrieve something from my “room” – one of 10 beautifully appointed tents boasting flushing loos, hot showers, woven carpets and handmade furniture – and am about to step onto the grass and follow the sound of laughter and clinking glasses back to the campfire, when I hear a branch snap… steps… heavy breathing… and catch myself. A large form comes into focus, an arm’s length away. I turn on my torch, point the beam high into the leaf canopy of the nearest giant ebony tree and wave it around, as instructed: the sign for my askari (guide), Jack, to escort me back to the party. Sure, it’s only “Eminem,” out doing his nightly rounds, and, yes, he’s just at that awkward teenage stage – ostracised by the adults, too cool for the kids’ table – but, still… stumbling into the path of a 2,000kg hippopotamus in the dark? It's not a good move.
Karibu (welcome) to the Masai Mara, south-west Kenya, the legendary savannah where, “immersion in nature” is not just a promise but a lived experience. When the Kenya-born-and-raised owners of Roca River Camp, Caro and Ross Withey, say it, they mean it.
Karibu (welcome) to the Masai Mara, south-west Kenya, the legendary savannah where, “immersion in nature” is not just a promise but a lived experience. When the Kenya-born-and-raised owners of Roca River Camp, Caro and Ross Withey, say it, they mean it.
Communal living space at Roca River Camp
Set on the banks of the Mara river on Paradise Plains, the secluded camp is a 45-minute hop by small plane from Nairobi’s Wilson domestic airport, followed by a private transfer across the Masai Mara National Reserve in an open-sided 4x4.
Technically, the drive could be done in half an hour but, allowing for pit stops to watch two lionesses tear apart their kill, a family of giraffes savour a high-end, plant-based lunch, a dozen elephants shepherd their young across the dirt track in front of us, and training binoculars on baboons, jackals, crown cranes, ostriches, zebras and topis… it takes a little longer.
Then, in the two minutes between disembarking the 4x4 and sitting down for an al fresco riverside lunch, we’d spotted a 2m-long croc slide into the chocolate-brown water of the water of the Mara, were on first-name terms with Wonder, the camp warthog, and her babies, Piggly and Wiggly, and had been made to feel as warmly welcome by Caro, Ross and their right-hand man, Flip-Flop, aka safari veteran Philip McLellan, as if we were old friends going back decades. No mean feat to pull off.
Roca might tick a lot of 2025’s “immersive, regenerative” travel-trend boxes, but this is no bandwagon jump. The camp is the legacy of Caro's late father, Willie Roberts, a hugely influential figures in African wildlife conservation and ecotourism, who made it his life’s work to demonstrate that local stewardship and transparency could make a lasting difference in preserving the country’s natural heritage.
It was Roberts who initiated the first Wildlife Conservancy on tribal trust land in the Masai Mara, allowing local landowners to benefit directly from safari revenue, and, essentially, initiating the conservancy movement that protected vast areas from being converted into farmland – a vision that endures in the more than 170 Kenyan community conservancies where his principles are still upheld today. And it’s Roberts’ former home – a wildly romantic tent adorned with Afghan carpets, white linens and sprawling collections of stones, seedpods, and driftwood gathered from around Kenya – that was reborn in 2023 as Roca River Camp, a property dedicated to reconnecting visitors with nature and community.
Set on the banks of the Mara river on Paradise Plains, the secluded camp is a 45-minute hop by small plane from Nairobi’s Wilson domestic airport, followed by a private transfer across the Masai Mara National Reserve in an open-sided 4x4.
Technically, the drive could be done in half an hour but, allowing for pit stops to watch two lionesses tear apart their kill, a family of giraffes savour a high-end, plant-based lunch, a dozen elephants shepherd their young across the dirt track in front of us, and training binoculars on baboons, jackals, crown cranes, ostriches, zebras and topis… it takes a little longer.
Then, in the two minutes between disembarking the 4x4 and sitting down for an al fresco riverside lunch, we’d spotted a 2m-long croc slide into the chocolate-brown water of the water of the Mara, were on first-name terms with Wonder, the camp warthog, and her babies, Piggly and Wiggly, and had been made to feel as warmly welcome by Caro, Ross and their right-hand man, Flip-Flop, aka safari veteran Philip McLellan, as if we were old friends going back decades. No mean feat to pull off.
Roca might tick a lot of 2025’s “immersive, regenerative” travel-trend boxes, but this is no bandwagon jump. The camp is the legacy of Caro's late father, Willie Roberts, a hugely influential figures in African wildlife conservation and ecotourism, who made it his life’s work to demonstrate that local stewardship and transparency could make a lasting difference in preserving the country’s natural heritage.
It was Roberts who initiated the first Wildlife Conservancy on tribal trust land in the Masai Mara, allowing local landowners to benefit directly from safari revenue, and, essentially, initiating the conservancy movement that protected vast areas from being converted into farmland – a vision that endures in the more than 170 Kenyan community conservancies where his principles are still upheld today. And it’s Roberts’ former home – a wildly romantic tent adorned with Afghan carpets, white linens and sprawling collections of stones, seedpods, and driftwood gathered from around Kenya – that was reborn in 2023 as Roca River Camp, a property dedicated to reconnecting visitors with nature and community.
Mara elephants
Between game drives and sundowners in the shade of acacia trees, picnics enjoyed under the watchful gaze of grazing Cape buffalo, craft market visits and birdwatching sessions, guests are invited to meet the camp’s local conservation partners. And, while close encounters with the Big Five will never be anything short of spellbinding, it’s the human encounters that often end up leaving the biggest impression. For us, these included a moonlit presentation by the Mara Elephant Project – founded in 2011 by Caro’s late brother Richard – to hear about its vital work in protecting the ecosystem’s “ellies”; a demonstration by a team of rangers who risk life and limb daily in their efforts to eradicate poaching; lunch with Dominic Sakat of the Mara Predator Conservation Programme, during which we learnt about how an expanding human footprint has resulted in increased animal-human conflict, and what’s being done to counter it; a rare opportunity to meet Willie Roberts’ former colleague, Mara Conservancy CEO Brian Heath, at the organisation’s HQ; and a few illuminating – and joyful – hours spent with members of the brilliant Masai women’s cooperative who, with the support of Roca partner the Anne K. Taylor Fund, are making reusable period pants that have, to date, enabled approximately 5,000 girls to remain in education who wouldn’t otherwise have done so.
Aside from all of this context-giving colour, though, and for a lifelong magpie such as this one, it’s the image of dawdling along the Mara riverbank at dusk, the setting sun turning the whole scene a shimmering copper-gold, that will resonate the most. With Ross leading the way, and Julius Naurori, the camp’s full-time Masai spotter, ready to give warning should the mother of the teeny newborn croc we’ve just cooed over suddenly get home, I notice something glinting in the mud; stop to pick it up.
“Ross… what’s this?”
Between game drives and sundowners in the shade of acacia trees, picnics enjoyed under the watchful gaze of grazing Cape buffalo, craft market visits and birdwatching sessions, guests are invited to meet the camp’s local conservation partners. And, while close encounters with the Big Five will never be anything short of spellbinding, it’s the human encounters that often end up leaving the biggest impression. For us, these included a moonlit presentation by the Mara Elephant Project – founded in 2011 by Caro’s late brother Richard – to hear about its vital work in protecting the ecosystem’s “ellies”; a demonstration by a team of rangers who risk life and limb daily in their efforts to eradicate poaching; lunch with Dominic Sakat of the Mara Predator Conservation Programme, during which we learnt about how an expanding human footprint has resulted in increased animal-human conflict, and what’s being done to counter it; a rare opportunity to meet Willie Roberts’ former colleague, Mara Conservancy CEO Brian Heath, at the organisation’s HQ; and a few illuminating – and joyful – hours spent with members of the brilliant Masai women’s cooperative who, with the support of Roca partner the Anne K. Taylor Fund, are making reusable period pants that have, to date, enabled approximately 5,000 girls to remain in education who wouldn’t otherwise have done so.
Aside from all of this context-giving colour, though, and for a lifelong magpie such as this one, it’s the image of dawdling along the Mara riverbank at dusk, the setting sun turning the whole scene a shimmering copper-gold, that will resonate the most. With Ross leading the way, and Julius Naurori, the camp’s full-time Masai spotter, ready to give warning should the mother of the teeny newborn croc we’ve just cooed over suddenly get home, I notice something glinting in the mud; stop to pick it up.
“Ross… what’s this?”
Sundown at Roca River Camp
“Ah,” he says, plucking the fragment from my palm. “A hippo’s jawbone… look, that’s what left of the tusks… and a couple of teeth there, still attached...”
A few footsteps further, I halt again; lift a heavy piece of what looks like bleached driftwood from the sand. “Ross… what’s this?”
“A hippo clavicle! They’re a dime a dozen around here… Look, there’s the ribcage, just over there.”
Moments later: “And this?”
“Croc tooth. A big one! Let’s put it in the bowl with the others back at camp.”
And so it goes, until, darkness upon us, we wind our way back to the flickering campfire, where Caro and Flip-Flop, cold G&Ts and traditional Kenyan games await. As beachcombing goes, it doesn’t get any better.
Accommodation comprises 10 large ensuite traditional safari tents, including one family tent, five of which face the plains, the other five overlooking the Mara river. All promise a nighttime lullaby of snuffling hippos and a morning dawn chorus more like a number from The Lion King. You’ve got a ship-style flush loo, bucket shower and hot water (arranged with a few minutes’ notice), solar-powered fans and hairdryer, luxurious linens, soft woven carpets and handmade wooden furniture throughout. Each tent also comes with WiFi, a digital safe, torch, whistle, two locally made dressing gowns in vivid prints and fresh drinking water. Washing powder is provided, plus Band Aids, bug repellant, locally made toiletries and even vases of fresh flowers: basically, everything that could persuade a traveller to hole up here for a few months and write their African opus – including a hot water bottle popped into your bed for when the temperature drops overnight. Being in tent two, overlooking the plains, makes for a beautiful surprise when my alarm goes off and I open my eyes to the sight of a hot-air balloon silhouetted against the blazing orange sun.
“Ah,” he says, plucking the fragment from my palm. “A hippo’s jawbone… look, that’s what left of the tusks… and a couple of teeth there, still attached...”
A few footsteps further, I halt again; lift a heavy piece of what looks like bleached driftwood from the sand. “Ross… what’s this?”
“A hippo clavicle! They’re a dime a dozen around here… Look, there’s the ribcage, just over there.”
Moments later: “And this?”
“Croc tooth. A big one! Let’s put it in the bowl with the others back at camp.”
And so it goes, until, darkness upon us, we wind our way back to the flickering campfire, where Caro and Flip-Flop, cold G&Ts and traditional Kenyan games await. As beachcombing goes, it doesn’t get any better.
Rooms
Accommodation comprises 10 large ensuite traditional safari tents, including one family tent, five of which face the plains, the other five overlooking the Mara river. All promise a nighttime lullaby of snuffling hippos and a morning dawn chorus more like a number from The Lion King. You’ve got a ship-style flush loo, bucket shower and hot water (arranged with a few minutes’ notice), solar-powered fans and hairdryer, luxurious linens, soft woven carpets and handmade wooden furniture throughout. Each tent also comes with WiFi, a digital safe, torch, whistle, two locally made dressing gowns in vivid prints and fresh drinking water. Washing powder is provided, plus Band Aids, bug repellant, locally made toiletries and even vases of fresh flowers: basically, everything that could persuade a traveller to hole up here for a few months and write their African opus – including a hot water bottle popped into your bed for when the temperature drops overnight. Being in tent two, overlooking the plains, makes for a beautiful surprise when my alarm goes off and I open my eyes to the sight of a hot-air balloon silhouetted against the blazing orange sun.
Views from one of 10 ensuite safari tents at Roca River Camp | Credit: Jack Swynnerton, Mobile Expeditions
Hospitality veteran Joel Muthui Kirigiai oversees an epic operation to rival that of a top city five-star – all while cooking outdoors and with the odd giraffe passing through. Think excellent coffee and teas, cereal, granola, platters of outsized fruits, salads, toast, croissants, homemade preserves (and Bovril), plus hot options including made-to-order omelettes and pancakes.
Refined yet relaxed three-course meals are served with spectacular views of either the river or wilderness, with chairs draped in bold Masai fabrics and fresh flowers and lanterns on the table. Standouts during our stay included a cold avocado soup, best enjoyed, as Caro tipped us off, with a splash of Worcestershire Sauce, an array of hearty salads and stews made with local veg, and an unforgettable iced fruit confection served with spun sugar and Jersey cream (Jersey cream!) procured from a local smallholding. All dietary requirements can be catered for: request when booking.
Yes, in the main seating area, alongside a book collection containing everything from field guides to historic memoirs, and objets d’art that include a distinguished silver crocodile sculpture, antiquated hats and wood carvings. Look for the sparkle of real crystal, and, ideally, Flip-Flop, who’s as well versed in fixing the perfect bush sundowner, aperitif or digestif as they come. While there are spirits to suit all tastes and several French and New World wines of distinction, we found that nothing could quite beat a glass of Amarula liqueur on the rocks before bed. Mobile bar supplies can also be found in any of the camp’s five vehicles. In a place where coolboxes really matter, don’t worry: you’ll never be too far from one.
What’s for breakfast?
Hospitality veteran Joel Muthui Kirigiai oversees an epic operation to rival that of a top city five-star – all while cooking outdoors and with the odd giraffe passing through. Think excellent coffee and teas, cereal, granola, platters of outsized fruits, salads, toast, croissants, homemade preserves (and Bovril), plus hot options including made-to-order omelettes and pancakes.
Lunch and dinner
Refined yet relaxed three-course meals are served with spectacular views of either the river or wilderness, with chairs draped in bold Masai fabrics and fresh flowers and lanterns on the table. Standouts during our stay included a cold avocado soup, best enjoyed, as Caro tipped us off, with a splash of Worcestershire Sauce, an array of hearty salads and stews made with local veg, and an unforgettable iced fruit confection served with spun sugar and Jersey cream (Jersey cream!) procured from a local smallholding. All dietary requirements can be catered for: request when booking.
Is there a bar?
Yes, in the main seating area, alongside a book collection containing everything from field guides to historic memoirs, and objets d’art that include a distinguished silver crocodile sculpture, antiquated hats and wood carvings. Look for the sparkle of real crystal, and, ideally, Flip-Flop, who’s as well versed in fixing the perfect bush sundowner, aperitif or digestif as they come. While there are spirits to suit all tastes and several French and New World wines of distinction, we found that nothing could quite beat a glass of Amarula liqueur on the rocks before bed. Mobile bar supplies can also be found in any of the camp’s five vehicles. In a place where coolboxes really matter, don’t worry: you’ll never be too far from one.
One of the Roca River Camp tents, left, and river flora | Credit: Julie Alpine
Minimising its environmental impact is baked in. Energy comes by way of solar power, a waste policy focuses on reduction and recycling, there are no single-use plastics, and all food and toiletries are sourced locally. The camp also supports local communities through initiatives that include empowering Masai artisans and funding education for children. Roca supports initiatives including the Mara Elephant Project, the Mara Predator Project, the Anne K. Taylor Fund and the Mara Raptor Project.
While much of the camp and some tents are accessible, walkways aren't the easiest to navigate, and the Masai Mara, in general, isn’t well geared towards wheelchair users. For further information, discuss your needs with the team in advance of booking.
Feathered, scaled and famously flatulent… This is a boutique camp so it’s largely just you, the gassy hippos, and the rest of the resident wildlife.
What are the hotel’s eco-credentials like?
Minimising its environmental impact is baked in. Energy comes by way of solar power, a waste policy focuses on reduction and recycling, there are no single-use plastics, and all food and toiletries are sourced locally. The camp also supports local communities through initiatives that include empowering Masai artisans and funding education for children. Roca supports initiatives including the Mara Elephant Project, the Mara Predator Project, the Anne K. Taylor Fund and the Mara Raptor Project.
What about accessibility?
While much of the camp and some tents are accessible, walkways aren't the easiest to navigate, and the Masai Mara, in general, isn’t well geared towards wheelchair users. For further information, discuss your needs with the team in advance of booking.
What’s the crowd like?
Feathered, scaled and famously flatulent… This is a boutique camp so it’s largely just you, the gassy hippos, and the rest of the resident wildlife.
Mara lions
You’re not allowed to walk beyond the short grass at camp (or anywhere in the Masai Mara National Reserve, for that matter), for obvious reasons, but any one of the wrought-iron seats and benches covered in traditional kanga fabric dotted along the riverbank will make the perfect vantage point from which to watch the hippos splash, birds glide and crocs look menacing from the other side.
Our Kenya expedition was expertly choreographed by Explorations Company. At the vanguard of sustainable tourism when it was founded by Nicola Shepherd in 1989, it remains so today: all of its tailor-made itineraries for wildlife-, culture- and conservation-focused luxury adventures across Africa – and the globe – come with built-in opportunities for travellers to make a positive contribution in the countries they’re visiting. From helping us figure out our safari packing – no white, it dazzles, no camouflage, it’s for military personnel only, no black, it attracts tsetse flies – to amazing on-the-ground knowledge and community connections, our specialist trip planner, Kate Pirie, was a godsend, her first-hand knowledge coming, in part, from growing up on conservancies in Zimbabwe, where she’d help with game counts as a child, and, later, working in Botswana. In keeping with Explorations Company’s ethos, any property Kate sends travellers to is guaranteed not only to be gorgeous and in an incredible location, but one that’s making a tangible contribution to its local ecosystem.
Within a short walk I can find…
You’re not allowed to walk beyond the short grass at camp (or anywhere in the Masai Mara National Reserve, for that matter), for obvious reasons, but any one of the wrought-iron seats and benches covered in traditional kanga fabric dotted along the riverbank will make the perfect vantage point from which to watch the hippos splash, birds glide and crocs look menacing from the other side.
Things I should know
Our Kenya expedition was expertly choreographed by Explorations Company. At the vanguard of sustainable tourism when it was founded by Nicola Shepherd in 1989, it remains so today: all of its tailor-made itineraries for wildlife-, culture- and conservation-focused luxury adventures across Africa – and the globe – come with built-in opportunities for travellers to make a positive contribution in the countries they’re visiting. From helping us figure out our safari packing – no white, it dazzles, no camouflage, it’s for military personnel only, no black, it attracts tsetse flies – to amazing on-the-ground knowledge and community connections, our specialist trip planner, Kate Pirie, was a godsend, her first-hand knowledge coming, in part, from growing up on conservancies in Zimbabwe, where she’d help with game counts as a child, and, later, working in Botswana. In keeping with Explorations Company’s ethos, any property Kate sends travellers to is guaranteed not only to be gorgeous and in an incredible location, but one that’s making a tangible contribution to its local ecosystem.
Safari finds at the camp, left, and unexpected encounters on bush walks | Credit: Julie Alpine
High season here is from July to October, when the Masai Mara plays host to the Great Migration, and the air becomes thick with ochre-hued dust and the sound of thundering hooves, herds of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, elands and many other species making the myth-steeped journey north in search of food. But low season brings its own rewards: in November, we found a sense of calm that invited surprising discoveries and made for relaxed bush drives – with not another vehicle in sight. It also made for relaxed evenings around the fire, sharing stories with the Roca team and hearing tales of Lake Baringo, where Caro and her father Willie both grew up. We’re bookmarking Samatian Island, the lodge that Ross and Caro run there, and the place where they raised their sons, for our next African odyssey.
High season here is from July to October, when the Masai Mara plays host to the Great Migration, and the air becomes thick with ochre-hued dust and the sound of thundering hooves, herds of wildebeest, zebras, gazelles, elands and many other species making the myth-steeped journey north in search of food. But low season brings its own rewards: in November, we found a sense of calm that invited surprising discoveries and made for relaxed bush drives – with not another vehicle in sight. It also made for relaxed evenings around the fire, sharing stories with the Roca team and hearing tales of Lake Baringo, where Caro and her father Willie both grew up. We’re bookmarking Samatian Island, the lodge that Ross and Caro run there, and the place where they raised their sons, for our next African odyssey.
The Lowdown
Doubles cost from £785 a night; mobile-expeditions.com and Explorations Company’s nine-night Kenya itinerary costs from £10,494pp, including domestic flights, airport transfers and full-board accommodation and activities at all safari lodges; explorationscompany.com