Complementing the charm of Leopard Hill at Mara Naboisho is our crowning centerpiece – the magnificent double fig tree that sits right in front of the camp. It has been in existence for decades offering astounding views over the savannah.
This particular fig tree has not only witnessed history but has shaped it. Its branches are dense and arch downward, therefore providing good shelter and seclusion to people seeking a bit of privacy.

The Maasai community considers Fig trees to be very special with massive spiritual significance to the extent that nobody is allowed to cut down a Fig tree. They used to conduct rituals and ceremonies under the Fig trees. Maasais would bring goats and cattle to the fig tree, drain them of blood, and leave them overnight under the tree alongside a fire’s glowing embers as a form of sacrifice. By morning the carcasses had gone.This meant that the gods had visited and they had accepted their sacrifice.
The Maasai also believed in the healing power of fig trees and developed medicines from the bark, leaves, roots, and fruits of the fig tree. This would be used to treat abdominal pain, especially among their children.
The fig tree at Leopard Hill is no exception. The Maasai living around Naboisho believe that this tree was struck by lightning in the 1950s splitting it into two. The mystical nature of the tree made it possible for it to continue growing despite the split that left a huge hole right in the middle of it and that is where it got its name ‘Double Fig Tree’.

The Maasai community considers Fig trees to be very special with massive spiritual significance to the extent that nobody is allowed to cut down a Fig tree. They used to conduct rituals and ceremonies under the Fig trees. Maasais would bring goats and cattle to the fig tree, drain them of blood, and leave them overnight under the tree alongside a fire’s glowing embers as a form of sacrifice. By morning the carcasses had gone.This meant that the gods had visited and they had accepted their sacrifice.
The Maasai also believed in the healing power of fig trees and developed medicines from the bark, leaves, roots, and fruits of the fig tree. This would be used to treat abdominal pain, especially among their children.
The fig tree at Leopard Hill is no exception. The Maasai living around Naboisho believe that this tree was struck by lightning in the 1950s splitting it into two. The mystical nature of the tree made it possible for it to continue growing despite the split that left a huge hole right in the middle of it and that is where it got its name ‘Double Fig Tree’.

Today as it sits within the camp’s environs, weather permitting, our guests can savour the unique ambiance of dining alfresco under its dense canopy and soak up the atmosphere as they dine by candlelight beneath its majestic boughs.