Mara Mara: Our full report
Located on a small hill close to the Mara River, Mara Mara is a smart tented camp in the northern Serengeti.
It opened in July 2019 and provides a good base for those looking to see the wildebeest migration as part of a private guided safari.Mara Mara is the sister property of Kubu Kubu and also Maramboi in Tarangire. When we visited Mara Mara in 2018 it was clear that the camp had been finished to the same high standards.
We really liked the location of Mara Mara, situated in the north east of the Serengeti, and close to the Mara River. Its elevated position provides panoramic views over the surrounding plains and it is ideally located for the wildebeest migration between July and October.
Mara Mara is split into two identical sections, north camp and south camp, each of which operate independently. Each camp consists of ten tented rooms with a separate lounge/dining area and swimming pool for each camp.
The safari tents are all named after common Swahili words such as ‘Habari?’ (the common greeting, meaning as ‘What news?’) and ‘Nzuri’ (‘good’). It is a nice touch and a fun way to help you learn some of the local language. We found the tents surprisingly spacious, with wooden floors, kingsize beds, a writing desk and couple of comfy armchairs. They feel fresh and modern, with swaths of cream fabric accented by splashes of purple and pale blue. Each tent opens out onto a wooden veranda with a couple of directors’ chairs, where you can watch for wildlife. The tents can be requested as doubles, twins or triples, and their size means that even as a triple they don’t feel crowded.
The en-suite bathrooms have free-standing baths, single wash basins and indoor/outdoor showers. Fluffy white towels and complimentary toiletries are provided.
Mara Mara also has two 2-bedroom bungalows which are suitable for a family or two couples travelling together.
The lounge and dining areas, in both the north and south camps, are circular thatched structures, reminiscent of the central area at Kubu Kubu. They’re dominated by a flagstone patio, each with a quirky hippo sculpture at its centre. On one side there are plenty of cosy sofas and low coffee tables laid out with photo books, while on the other side there’s a buffet bar. Outside, the large veranda is a lovely spot for a drink while taking in the views over the Serengeti plains.
Each camp has a sizeable infinity pool with sun loungers.
Mara Mara provides accommodation only, and most guests arrive with their own vehicle and guide as part of a privately guided safari. As the camp is located in the northern Serengeti it is too far to drive from the Ngorongoro Crater to Mara Mara in a single day. People will typically stay here as part of a longer itinerary, with a night or two in the central Serengeti before driving north to the Mara River district of the park.
Activities at Mara Mara revolve around game drives in the beautiful northern Serengeti. You can explore the rocky kopjes in search of leopards, or drive through open plains and along the banks of the Mara River keeping an eye out for lions and wildebeest. Between July and October the northern Serengeti typically plays host to the wildebeest migration, with thousands of animals gathering along the banks of the Mara. This can be a great time to visit and if you’re lucky you may see a river crossing. Alternatively, if you choose to visit in the non-migration season, the area is likely to feel even wilder and more remote, with few other vehicles around and ever-impressive resident wildlife.
Our view
If you’re looking for a comfortable camp, with beautiful views, in close proximity to the Mara River then Mara Mara is a great choice. We like the spacious tents and pool (relatively unusual in this region) and it works well as part of a longer safari combining multiple areas of the Serengeti.
Country manager: Tanzania
Geographics
- Location
- Serengeti Migration Area, Tanzania
- Ideal length of stay
- Stay three or four nights to explore the area and see the wildebeest migration
- Directions
- Mara Mara is around a four-hour drive from the central Serengeti and around a 30-minute drive from Kogatende airstrip.
- Accessible by
- Fly-and-Transfer
Food & drink
- Usual board basis
- Full Board
- Food quality
- We didn’t have the opportunity to eat at Mara Mara on our most recent visit in 2018, however we have eaten at the camp’s sister property, Kubu Kubu, and we understand the food to be comparable. We would expect copious fresh produce and tasty dishes.
Breakfast normally consists of a selection of fruit and pastries, with cooked items served as a buffet. You can also order pancakes and eggs to order.
Lunch can either be eaten in camp or taken with you if you’re going on a full-day safari. There is a lunch station set up each morning with a selection of bread rolls, cakes and fruit where guests can create their own lunch boxes. If you’re having lunch in camp, it will either be à la carte or as a buffet depending on the number of guests in camp.
Dinner is normally served ‘family style’, with dishes served to your table from which you then help yourself. You can expect a selection of fresh salads, vegetables and then a fish or meat option. Dessert is typically fresh fruit, or maybe a sticky cake. - Dining style
- Individual Tables
- Dining locations
- Indoor and Outdoor Dining
- Further dining info, including room service
- Room service can be arranged on request.
- Drinks included
- Filtered water is included. All other drinks are at extra cost, with soft drinks around $2, beer around $4 and a glass of wine around $5.
Special interests
- Wildlife safaris
- Located in the northern Serengeti, Mara Mara is in one of Tanzania’s best wildlife areas. You’ll see plenty of big cats and antelope throughout the year, and between July and October the camp is ideally located for the wildebeest migration.
- See ideas for Wildlife safaris
Children
- Attitude towards children
- Mara Mara welcomes children of all ages.
- Property’s age restrictions
- None
- Special activities & services
- There are no specific facilities for children, although there are a number of board games to play and children are likely to enjoy the large swimming pool.
- Equipment
- Cots and high chairs can be provided on request.
- Generally recommended for children
- Mara Mara feels relaxed and unpretentious, and with two swimming pools and a couple of two-bedroom family bungalows we feel it works well for families with older children.
- Notes
- The camp is unfenced and animals regularly wonder through the area. Parental supervision is required at all times, particularly around the swimming pool.
Our travellers’ wildlife sightings from Mara Mara
Since mid-2018, many of our travellers who stayed at Mara Mara have kindly recorded their wildlife sightings and shared them with us. The results are below. Click an animal to see more, and here to see more on our methodology.
100% success
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100% success
0% success
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Communications
- Power supply notes
- Mara Mara uses a combination of solar power and a generator to provide 24-hour electricity. Hairdryers can’t be used.
- Communications
- WiFi is available in the tents and central areas however this is restricted to 200MB of data per day unless you choose to purchase more via their network provider.
- TV & radio
- There are no TV’s at Mara Mara.
- Water supply
- Borehole
- Water supply notes
- There are flush toilets and plumbed showers.
Health & safety
- Medical care
- Staff are first-aid-trained and the camp has connections with a flying doctors service if needed.
- Dangerous animals
- High Risk
- Security measures
- You are accompanied to and from your room after dark by Maasai guards and the same team are on duty throughout the night.
- Fire safety
- Fire extinguishers are present throughout the central area and in the tented rooms.
Activities
4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Hot air ballooning
Extras
- Disabled access
- On Request
- Laundry facilities
- Laundry is available at a cost of around $1 per item. This is typically a 24-hour service.
- Money
- There are electronic safes in all the tents and small amounts of currency can be exchanged, including GB pounds and Euros.
- Accepted payment on location
- Mara Mara accepts all major currencies including US dollars, Euros and GB pounds. Most credit and debit cards are accepted, including MasterCard and Visa, although there is a surcharge of 5%.
Other lodges in Serengeti Migration Area
Alternative places to stay in this same area.
Olakira Camp
Comfortable, friendly and relaxed, Olakira Camp moves between the Mara River and the southern Ndutu area, in line with the wildebeest migration.
Sayari Camp
In the northern Serengeti, near the Mara River, luxurious Sayari Camp offers excellent wildife all year – boosted further by the wildebeest migration.
Nomad Serengeti Camp
Serengeti Safari Camp is a well-appointed tented camp that moves several times a year to follow the predicted path of the migration.
Dunia Camp
Dunia Camp is well located for the migration from December to March, and has excellent game viewing for the rest of the year.
Namiri Plains Camp
Namiri Plains is one of the best camps in the Serengeti and its remoteness ensures a fantastic wildlife experience away from the crowds.
Lamai Serengeti
Set high in the kopjes with fantastic views, Lamai Serengeti offers top service and guiding and good migration sightings from Jul-Oct.
Ubuntu Camp
Ubuntu Camp has several locations in the Serengeti, following the wildebeest migration, so it is often in a great location to see the herds.
Kati Kati Camp
Kati Kati is a small, very simple bushcamp, which is well-positioned to explore the wildlife-rich Seronera area.
Ndutu Safari Lodge
Large and economical, but not luxurious, Ndutu Safari Lodge is well located in the southern Serengeti, so book early to get space.
Serian Serengeti
Serian Serengeti is a mobile tented operation run by Alex Walker which moves between two locations following the wildebeest migration.
Klein's Camp
Klein's Camp, in a private area of the northern Serengeti, sets high standards. Activities include walks, nights drives and Maasai village visits.
Kimondo Camp
Kimondo Camp is based in the remote Lamai Wedge in the northern Serengeti from Jul–Oct, and on the southern Kusini plains from Nov–Mar.
Serengeti under Canvas
Two of the three Serengeti under Canvas camps move through the Serengeti National Park every few months to follow the wildebeest migration.
Grumeti River Camp
Grumeti River Camp offers a laid-back atmosphere combined with top service, first-rate food, expert guiding and an excellent location.
Lemala Kuria Hills
Lemala Kuria Hills is a luxury permanent camp that is ideally located for wildlife all year around, but especially during the wildebeest migration.
Lemala Mara-Ndutu
Lemala Mara-Ndutu is a semi-permanent camp that moves between the north and south of the Serengeti to witness the wildebeest migration.
Lemala Nanyukie
Lemala Nanyukie is a comfortable and stylish tented camp that opened in 2018 in the central Serengeti.
Lemala Ewanjan
Lemala Ewanjan is a comfortable and stylish tented camp in the Seronera area of the central Serengeti National Park.
Kubu Kubu
Kubu Kubu is a contemporary, tented lodge, well located in the central Seronera area of the Serengeti National Park.
Lobo Wildlife Lodge
The large Lobo Wildlife Lodge has simple, functional rooms in a stunning location. It's a good base for exploring the north-eastern Serengeti.
Kusini Camp
Kusini Camp is permanent, luxury camp located on a beautiful kopje in a quiet, wildlife-rich corner of the south-west Serengeti.
Mbalageti Lodge
Mbalageti is a well-run lodge in a quiet part of the Serengeti's western corridor – an ideal location during the Apr-Jun migration.
Serengeti Serena
The Serengeti Serena Safari Lodge is a large, hotel-style lodge and a good family-friendly base from which to explore the central Serengeti.
Serengeti Walking Mobile
This fairly simple camp offers only walking activities, but it's very well done and combines well with more conventional camps or lodges.
Serengeti Sopa Lodge
Serengeti Sopa Lodge is an international-style hotel offering good-value accommodation in the central Serengeti, with lovely views of the plains.
Singita Mara River
Singita Mara River Tented Camp is a luxurious camp in the isolated and rewarding Lamai wedge region of the northern Serengeti.
Serengeti Green Camp
Serengeti Green Camp is a comfortable camping experience, in your own private safari camp and at the heart of a great wildlife area.
Migration Camp
Serengeti Migration Camp is a smart tented camp, good for the wildebeest migration from Jul–Aug, or to explore the Lobo Kopjes any time.
Mkombe's House Lamai
Mkombe's House Lamai is a fully staffed private house in the Wogakuria Kopjes district of Serengeti National Park.
Faru Faru Lodge
On the north bank of the Grumeti River, Faru Faru is a small, chic hideaway in this exclusive corner of the Serengeti.
Sasakwa Lodge
On a hill looking over the Serengeti plains, Sasakwa Lodge is grand, luxurious safari camp, one of the most opulent properties in Tanzania.
Kirurumu Migration Camp
Kirurumu is a rustic tented camp which moves around the Serengeti twice a year to follow the wildebeest migration.
Sabora Tented Camp
Sabora Tented Camp is a smart tented camp – one of the most luxurious, professional and stylish properties to be found in Tanzania.
Olmara Camp
With just eight guest tents, including two family tents and three signature stargazer tents, Olmara is a simple, family-friendly camp with a wonderfully attentive team. The camp captures an authentic bush experience, welcoming travellers of every kind.
Ndutu Kati Kati
Ndutu Kati Kati is a seasonal tented camp, based in the southern Serenget from Dec-Mar, ideal for the migration as it passes through.
Olduvai Camp
Olduvai Camp lies between Ngorongoro and the southern Serengeti plains. It's a good base for the southern plains during the rainy season.
Bushtops
Serengeti Bushtops is a permanent luxury camp in the northern Serengeti, with spacious and private tents with their own hot tubs.
Esirai Migration Camp
A season migration camp, with only 8 tents and 1 family tent and plenty of character. Esirai is ideally placed for excellent wildlife and enjoys a simplistic and comfortable under-canvas experience.
Mwiba Lodge
Mwiba Lodge is a luxurious property located on a private concession on the edge of the southern Serengeti.
Nimali Mara
Nimali Mara is a luxurious safari lodge in a quiet region of the northern Serengeti with good access to the wildebeest migration.
Four Seasons Serengeti
The Four Seasons Safari Lodge is the only hotel in the Serengeti offering international facilities such as a gym, spa and children’s club.
Lake Masek Tented Camp
Ideally located for the wildebeest migration from Dec–Apr, Lake Masek Tented Camp is a good, mid-market safari camp.
Seronera Wildlife Lodge
Seronera Wildlife Lodge is large hotel-style safari lodge in the heart of the Serengeti, offering good value and a great location.
Mara Kati Kati
Mara Kati Kati is a simple bush camp in the northern Serengeti, based from Jul-Oct near the Mara River for the wildebeest migration.
Kirawira Camp
Set high on a hill, in the Serengeti's western corridor, Kirawira is a relatively large tented camp in the Serena group.
Mbuzi Mawe
Mbuze Mawe is a comfortable tented camp in a convenient, central-north location when driving through the Serengeti.
Serengeti Pioneer Camp
Serengeti Pioneer Camp is a luxurious tented camp in the central Serengeti, styled on African explorers' camps of the early 20th century.
Taasa Lodge
Taasa Lodge is a slightly quirky option offering guided walks and night game drives, which are not permitted in Serengeti National Park.
Nimali Serengeti
Opened in July 2017, Nimali Serengeti is a smart, permanent tented camp located in the Seronera area of the central Serengeti.
Nomad Expeditionary Walking Camp
Nomad Expeditionary Walking Camp is a simple camp of up to three tents, plus infrastructure, that changes location to allow guests to do substantial walks between campsites.
