Calvin Cottar is Director and Owner at Cottar’s 1920s Safaris, an award-winning luxury 1920s safari camp and private bush villa located in the famous ‘seventh’ natural wonder of the world, the Maasai Mara in Kenya. Offering a bespoke safari experience, it’s owned and managed by the oldest established and continuing safari family in Africa. In 1919, together with his sons, Mike, Bud and Ted, Charles established ‘Cottar’s Safari Service’, one of the very first registered safari companies offering superior big game hunting and film safaris outfitting throughout Africa, India and Indochina. Cottar's is proudly associated with The Long Run, Classic Safari Africa and Pack for a Purpose, and together with the Olderkesi Maasai Community, run the Cottars Wildlife Conservation Trust.
You can never truly say ‘goodbye’ to Kenya because even when you are miles and miles away, the memories made there are good tinder that are always just a spark away from a new safari adventure! If you’ve been on a safari in Kenya, you will know that ‘farewell and see you soon’ is a […]
If you were to leave civilisation behind, round up 10 of the best people in your life, and all retreat to the wilderness, where would you go? Most of us have thought something like this at some or several points in our life, and for many, a wonderfully wild spot in Africa is the answer […]
We can say – with the certainty that comes from years of living here – that when travelling to Africa the famous proverb ‘you can’t have your cake and eat it’ can be firmly put to one side. Because, at least in the case of East Africa, you most definitely can indulge in the best […]
Expectations are high when choosing a romantic couple’s getaway for you and your loved one. Only an exceptional experience will cut it, and rightly so! Be it a honeymoon, birthday or simply the chance to get away from it all, an escape to the privacy and tranquility of the bush is one of the best […]
The elephant, lion, leopard, Cape buffalo and rhino came to be known collectively as the ‘Big 5’ in the 1800s when big game hunters found these animals to be the most dangerous and difficult in Africa to successfully – and safely – bring down. Now, many decades later and after significant conservation work, going on […]
Love, romance and adventure are all part of a timeless story best experienced through the hidden delights of the luxury Kenya safari. While it might have changed in many ways over the last 100 years, the magic of safari is still very much alive and intimately connected to the essence of the original safari. Falling […]
To visit the Maasai Mara is to experience the original spirit and essence of ‘safari,’ reminiscent of a golden era of romance, professional guiding, adventure and elegance. The Mara is a timelessly unspoiled wilderness with endlessly beautiful views, boundless game animals, and colourful birdlife. It remains the home of the Masai people and small clans […]
To experience a safari in Kenya is to enjoy incredible biodiversity and natural beauty, luxury and private camps, and some of the highest standards of professional guiding in Africa, along with a warm welcome and personalised hospitality from genuinely friendly people. Kenya lies on the equator and shares common borders with Tanzania and Uganda, which […]
Trade the traditional 4×4 game vehicle for a guided bush walk or short walking safari in the remote wilderness of Kenya’s Maasai Mara, and experience a thrilling adventure that you won’t soon forget. Rambling on foot through one of the most internationally celebrated and beautiful natural areas – and recognized as the Seventh Natural Wonder […]
Set apart as one of the most spectacular wonders of the natural world, The Great Migration is the annual journey taken by millions of wildebeest, zebras and other plains game animals migrating clockwise through the Serengeti in Tanzania and Kenya’s Maasai Mara in search of good water and green pastures. It is an iconic event […]
Exciting news arrived last month as it was announced that Kenya was opening its doors to international travellers once again. So, in order to get you prepared for planning and booking your Kenyan safari experience in the world-famous Maasai Mara, we put together a guide to help you choose what luxury safari camp or lodge […]
Kenya is ready and waiting to welcome you safely! The Kenyan government has recently opened up the airspace for international flights and has lifted quarantine requirements for travellers coming in from 16 countries, with a Covid-19 negative certificate required to enter. This is excellent news as travel to Kenya is now a real possibility and […]
Kenya, and the internationally acclaimed Maasai Mara National Reserve in particular, are considered the birthplace of the traditional wildlife safari. Kenya is still celebrated today by people worldwide as the ultimate destination for an authentic safari experience, although now with the contemporary luxuries and greater investment in a tourism model that is environmentally, socially and […]
We are hungrier now more than ever before to marvel at the wonders of the world as the ‘travel drought’ has made our wanderlust that much stronger and given us itchy feet. The time will come when the new normal will once again include some of your old holiday favourites as well as different and […]
All across the world, people have experienced fundamental changes in their lives due to the COVID-19 outbreak. We have been plunged into a new ‘normal’ that, for most of us, is very different from what we were used to. These shifts in our lifestyles have made us realize how much we may have taken things […]
During this time when travel has been halted across the world, we have an opportunity to reflect on why travel to Africa is important to us and how we can continue to do so, without harming the environment and people that live within the safari destinations we visit. There is an almost endless list of […]
