The brief for andBeyond Bateleur Camp was to reinvigorate a much-loved traditional African explorer safari camp. The existing lodge - consisting of two main areas and eighteen guest tents - is nestled in a beautiful forest teeming with birds and monkeys overlooking wide-open grassland typical of the Masai Mara. We were careful to minimise extensions to the existing lodge footprint in this precious ecosystem. New decks, covered dining decks and a new gin bar were added to the main areas to improve the views. The idea was that the new structures seamlessly blend into the lodge and forest as if they had always been there. Each guest area has a new pool and pool deck carefully designed and positioned to harness views, sun and shade. 

 

We attempted to work the same magic with the guest tents. A glass box popping out of the back of the tent plays games with the notion of a greenhouse, where the evergreen equatorial forest becomes the greenhouse outside the glass box housing a luxurious brass-clad bath. A lower level deck was added to the front of the guest tent, creating a built in day-bed without interrupting the breathtaking views of the savannah from the centrally-located bed. The new features were intended to enhance and embrace the spirit of the original safari tents, whilst bringing the forest and the savannah into the tents without compromising luxury and safety.