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Entumoto
Entumoto
Entumoto
Entumoto
Entumoto

About Entumoto

Opened in August 2010, Entumoto is a Swedish-Maasai owned, permanent tented camp in the Siana Group Ranch ...

... (Siana Conservancy), on the north-east border of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The camp is located on the Megwarra escarpment, in a tranquil dell swathed in bush, at a point where three valleys meet, looking west towards the main Mara reserve.

Entumoto means ‘meeting place’ and it’s quite an appropriate name for a very civilised, permanent camp, with high standards of comfort and service and particularly good food. Although the camp isn’t fenced, with its paved paths, tent platforms and swimming pool, it feels like an area that has been thoroughly tamed. We think Entumoto has high appeal for comfort-seeking, first-time safari-goers, and particularly for honeymooners and older families.

Our view

Entumoto means ‘meeting place’ and it’s quite an appropriate name for a very civilised, permanent camp, with high standards of comfort and service and particularly good food. Although the camp isn’t fenced, with its paved paths, tent platforms and swimming pool, it feels like an area that has been thoroughly tamed. We think Entumoto has high appeal for comfort-seeking, first-time safari-goers, and particularly for honeymooners and older families.

Richard Trillo

Richard Trillo

Kenya expert

Accommodation

9 tents

Children

Best for 8+

Open

All year

Activities

4WD Safari

4WD Safari

Birdwatching

Birdwatching

Cultural excursion

Cultural excursion

Fly-camping

Fly-camping

Guided walking safari

Guided walking safari

Hot air ballooning

Hot air ballooning

Night drive

Night drive

Private activities

Private activities

Entumoto: Our full report

Opened in August 2010, Entumoto is a Swedish-Maasai owned, permanent tented camp in the Siana Group Ranch ...

... (Siana Conservancy), on the north-east border of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The camp is located on the Megwarra escarpment, in a tranquil dell swathed in bush, at a point where three valleys meet, looking west towards the main Mara reserve.

Entumoto’s nine, platform-mounted tented rooms, including four designed for families, are ranged up the hill. They are all extremely well spaced, and some of the family tents are a good five-minute walk from the mess tent and lounge – anyone not up to a fairly steep walk would struggle in places here. The tent décor and furnishings are comfortable and stylish, albeit with a slightly austere mood. Seating in the regular tents consists of leather directors’ chairs, while the family tents also have cushioned benches and a chaise longue.

The back of each tented room forms the heavily built, solid-walled and whitewashed bathroom, with polished hardwood surfaces, neat, double handbasins, wrought-iron towel horses and small rugs. It is probably the lack of floor covering that gives the tents an unnecessarily cool feel – one that we think would soften with the introduction of more rugs and mats. Similarly, the exposed toilet cubicles are due to be given some screening for privacy’s sake. Designer toiletries are provided in flasks.

The rain showers have good pressure (the sweet water is pumped from a spring), but hot/cold water-mixing can be problematic. Solar panels supply much of the power but Kuni boosters (efficient wood stoves) provide extra hot water for each occupied tent. There are three-pin, UK-style plug sockets in the tents that can be used for charging at all times.

The four enormous family tents, formed of two regular tents linked by a central tent, each have two double bathrooms, and a large lounge in the middle, with an alcove containing a fireplace. We felt this was something of a triumph of style over substance and can’t imagine a fire is requested very often.

Large cement decks at the front of each tent are furnished with a pair of deckchairs and a comfy sofa. One of the highlights of our stay was sitting here at dawn and watching the morning’s balloon-safari Montgolfiers drifting above the low mist and clouds in the national reserve.

Entumoto’s swimming pool is a relatively rare facility in the Mara. Being outdoors and unheated, the water can be chilly, especially early in the morning, and during the migration season from July to October, but it’s a really pleasant area on a hot afternoon – and there’s normally a trained lifeguard on duty.

Entumoto’s main activities are game drives, for which the camp has three, open-sided Toyota Land Cruisers, normally taking a maximum of six guests. They go out with one driver/guide and invariably conduct their game drives in the national reserve, entering through Sekenani Gate and then heading southwest into the reserve.

When we visited in April 2012, we didn’t have the opportunity to go on a game drive with the guides from Entumoto, but we got the impression that the team here would be very able. We were told that game drives for each group of guests would be private when possible, but also that first-time visitors to Kenya would be positively encouraged to join a group of other guests. Exclusive guaranteed use of a vehicle will normally cost extra.

There is a possibility of doing drives and walks closer to camp, within the Siana Group Ranch area, but the thick bush in parts can make visibility difficult. Moreover, we understand that Entumoto’s walks are not done with any armed escort (apart from a guide with traditional weapons), and we consider that walking in this area, with its prolific and unpredictable elephant and buffalo, is highly inadvisable until a properly trained escort with an appropriate licensed firearm is available. Only when we are happy that the walks are safe, would we be comfortable recommending them.

For evening sundowners guests are driven to a rocky outcrop – Lion’s Rock – near the camp.

In common with all properties in the Mara, early-morning balloon safaris can be booked. These last approximately one hour, followed by a bush breakfast with sparkling wine and then a game drive, arriving back at camp around mid-morning. There are several launch areas and you can expect to be woken as early as 4.00am.

Entumoto’s swimming pool is a relatively rare facility in the Mara. Being outdoors and unheated, the water can be chilly, especially early in the morning, and during the migration season from July to October, but it’s a really pleasant area on a hot afternoon – and there’s normally a trained lifeguard on duty.

Geographics

Location
Maasai Mara Conservancies, Kenya
Ideal length of stay
Three nights, to cover all activities
Directions
Keekorok airstrip is 25km from Entumoto, taking about an hour by game vehicle.
Accessible by
Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis
Full Board & Activities
Food quality
Entumoto offers a set menu, but they invariably check nationalities and dietary requirements of guests as well as actual food preferences. Their organic vegetable garden provides green vegetables, salad crops, herbs, passion fruit and pawpaws. Guests are encouraged to visit and pick and choose their own fruit and veg.

Guests would normally have a standard lunch menu on arrival and thereafter discuss lunch and dinner with the maître d’. We were very late for our first lunch and a storm had just blown up, but we were served an excellent, creamy, peppery onion soup, a variety of salads (including avocado, tomato, potato), baby steaks, lamb chops, pizza and tasty olive rolls. That lot was followed by a passion soufflé and accompanied by very cold beer, and good coffee.

For dinner, we had butternut squash soup, and a deliciously moist roast chicken with rice and vegetables.

Breakfast was also unusually good and included very nice yoghurt and well-presented fruit, good coffee and eggs, and a cooked breakfast that included baked beans mixed with coriander and red and green peppers.
Dining style
Individual Tables
Further dining info, including room service
Yes, at no charge.
Drinks included
Local soft drinks, Kenyan beer, house wines and local spirits are all included, but premium wines and spirits are payable extra.

Children

Attitude towards children
For security reasons, children under the age of seven are not usually accepted.
Property’s age restrictions
Minimum age 7
Special activities & services
None
Equipment
None
Generally recommended for children
Perhaps not ideal: although they have four ‘family’ tents, we got the impression that they certainly wouldn’t want lots of splashing and screaming around the pool if there were honeymooners or older couples in camp. However they do market the camp for families, and the tents are very spaced out, so this will depend on the guests in camp.
Notes
Some of the drop-offs from the tent decks are very high so children will need to be under control.

Communications

Communications
The camp has a VSAT (satellite phone) connection. There’s decent cellphone coverage and there’s WiFi in the lounge. Laptops are available in the office.
TV & radio
Only in staff quarters, but they are happy to share with guests for major sporting events.

Health & safety

Malarial protection recommended
Yes
Medical care
There’s a first-aid kit on site, and the manager is first-aid trained, with annual refresher courses with St Johns’ Ambulance. The head guide is also first-aid trained, though his training hasn’t been refreshed.

There’s a government clinic at Sekenani Gate (20 minutes’ drive). In an emergency a helicopter could land behind camp.
Dangerous animals
High Risk
Security measures
Askaris with traditional weapons patrol day and night. The camp is unfenced, and guests are escorted after dark to and from their tents by uniformed askaris.
Fire safety
There are fire extinguishers at every tent, and there are fire assembly points by the pool and behind the dining tent. Fire drills for staff take place every six months.

Activities

  • 4WD Safari

    4WD Safari

  • Birdwatching

    Birdwatching

  • Cultural excursion

    Cultural excursion

  • Fly-camping

    Fly-camping

  • Guided walking safari

    Guided walking safari

  • Hot air ballooning

    Hot air ballooning

  • Night drive

    Night drive

  • Private activities

    Private activities

Extras

Disabled access
On Request
Laundry facilities
Full Laundry Service - Included
Money
There is a safe box in the office. No currency exchange.
Accepted payment on location
Cash payments may be made in US dollars, euros, pounds sterling (rate checked on the phone) or Kenyan shillings. Visa and MasterCard are accepted with a 5% surcharge.

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Entumoto's location

Look closer at the environment and surroundings of Entumoto.


Excursions from Entumoto

Optional extra day-trips and excursions possible whilst you're staying at Entumoto. Talk to us: these are usually best arranged before you go.


Balloon flight over the Mara

Balloon flight over the Mara

3 hours in total - morning only

With the sun rising over the Loita Hills, you scramble into the balloon basket for the start of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. You’re about to go drifting with the breeze above the trees and plains of one of the world’s greatest wildlife regions.

More about Balloon Safari
96% (35 reviews)
Safari in Maasai Mara National Reserve

Safari in Maasai Mara National Reserve

All day from sunrise to sunset

If you're not staying in the Maasai Mara National Reserve itself, you're likely to be staying in one of the outstandingly wildlife-rich Maasai-owned private conservancies just outside the reserve boundary. A full-day game drive in the reserve gives you the chance to visit the Mara River and see some of the reserve's fabled wildlife locations.

More about Maasai Mara Safari
87% (21 reviews)

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When to go to Maasai Mara Conservancies

Our month by month guide: What it's like to visit Entumoto in Maasai Mara Conservancies


Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Kenya in January

Clear, hot days and warm nights make this high season a popular time for safaris and it’s also good for diving and snorkelling as water clarity is excellent and gets better as the dry season progresses. Most lodges and tented camps treat January after the New Year week is over, as mid-season, making it a good compromise in terms of value for money with reasonably reliable, dry weather and some greenery left in the landscape.

Expert Africa bases its description of climate and weather in January, like the other months of the year, on the climate records of roughly the last 100 years, and it's fair to say that the weather and seasons since the beginning of this century have been highly irregular and unpredictable.

  • On average, January is the second driest month of the year
  • Elephants dig waterholes in the dry riverbed in the Samburu reserve.
  • Wildebeest and many antelope have their calving season, to February.
  • Migrant birds are seen in huge numbers, especially in the Rift Valley.
  • Sea water clarity around the coral reefs generally good.

Our view

Fantastic: the very best time to visit

Weather in January

Kenya in February

With the short dry season well established, the grass grazed down and wildlife gathering close to water points, this is still a good time for a safari. Good water clarity in the Indian Ocean's coastal waters makes for excellent diving and snorkelling conditions.

Expert Africa bases its description of climate and weather in February, like the other months of the year, on the climate records of roughly the last 100 years, and it's fair to say that the weather and seasons since the beginning of this century have been highly irregular and unpredictable.

  • On average, February is the driest month of the year.
  • It’s sometimes possible to swim with whale sharks at Diani Beach.
  • Migrant birds are still seen everywhere, especially near water.
  • This is usually peak calving season for wildebeest and many antelopes.
  • This month is often the hottest of the year, especially on the coast.

Our view

A very good time to visit

Weather in February

Kenya in March

Hot, increasingly humid weather – with good diving and snorkelling conditions at the start of the month – gives way to rains and lower accommodation costs. Expert Africa bases its description of climate and weather in March, like the other months of the year, on the climate records of roughly the last 100 years, and predicting the seasons since the beginning of this century has been difficult.

March is the month when – traditionally – intensely hot conditions build up until a cloudburst finally happens at the end of the month or in early April, to relieve the humidity. As ever, regional variations across the country can greatly impact on visitors' experiences.

  • Sea-water clarity is best for diving before the long rains start.
  • Visitor numbers are low, though the Easter holidays can be busier.
  • Night skies can be scintillatingly clear in early March.
  • Cropped down savannah grasses can make it easier to see the wildlife.
  • Temperartures climb high, especially at lower elevations.

Our view

A good time to visit, with pros & cons

Weather in March

Kenya in April

April sees the full onset of the southeast monsoon wind or kusi, which heralds the long rains. Temperatures drop soon after the rains are established and you’ll often have facilities largely to yourself in this more affordable low season, sometimes known as the "green season". The bush quickly springs to life, with greenery sprouting almost before your eyes. While you're likely to get a fair number of heavy showers, the breaks in the rain can yield sparklingly clear conditions.

With the dust settled and bright sun piercing the clouds, conditions can be sublime for photography, especially first thing in the morning or in the late afternoon with another storm brewing. You may be lucky, or you may find conditions very wet and muddy.

  • A wet month, the coast often gets more than 300mm (12in) of rain.
  • Sunny spells can provide great light for photography.
  • Buffalo and zebra calving season often happens in this month.
  • Baby crocodiles hatch, for example on Central Island in Lake Turkana.
  • Palearctic migrant birds gather to fly north to breeding grounds.

Our view

A time to avoid if possible

Weather in April

Kenya in May

While game viewing can be trickier as vegetation runs riot, between the cloudbursts the colours and light are great for photography at this time of year. Expert Africa bases its description of climate and weather in May, like the other months of the year, on the climate records of roughly the last 100 years, and while it's reasonable to expect heavy rains in many parts during this month, especially on the coast, the rains don't always come evenly or in some areas come at all.

In an El Niño year, the so-called long rains that normally are established across much of the country by May can be meagre, to the despair of farmers. On the other hand in a La Niña year, the long rains can bring floods. On the coast, the monsoon winds make the climate much more predictable, with heavy rains common throughout this month.

  • Frogs breed in the ponds in the Arabuko Sokoke Forest near Watamu.
  • Wildebeest, impala and other grazers are in rut (the breeding season).
  • Kilimanjaro looks its best as heavy rain falls as snow on the summit.
  • There's a sharp peek of rainfall on the coast with many rainy days.
  • Accommodation prices are uniformly low, while some camps close.

Our view

A time to avoid if possible

Weather in May

Kenya in June

The rains give way to cloudy, cooler weather, often making for comfortable conditions by the end of the month, especially in the highlands. Starting from mid-June or the beginning of July and running until the end of October, this is the high season, and accordingly has higher accommodation rates and – at least until early September – higher numbers of visitors.

While the early part of June can often be rainy on the coast, it can be a great time to go on safari, with fresh greenery, many young animals and good photographic conditions with clear air.

  • The Taru Desert, inland from the coast, is carpeted with flowers.
  • The Lake Turkana Cultural Festival is held in Loiyangalani.
  • Madaraka Day (commemorating self rule) is 1 June.
  • The annual Lewa marathon runs a course through the wildlife.
  • The Diani Rules "sports" event rips up the rulebook at Diani Beach.

Our view

A good time to visit, with pros & cons

Weather in June

Kenya in July

Kenya’s “winter" season sets in (winter is a misnomer but locals feel the change), and the highlands can be rather grey. Skies are often cloudy and the days can be surprisingly cool, with an average daytime high in many highland safari areas of 15-20°C and night-time temperatures dropping below 10°C in Nairobi and the highlands. Lower parts of the country and the coast are usually warm and dry, typically reaching highs of around 25°C with lows in the high teens.

As this is the start of the high season, coinciding with the usual arrival of the wildebeest migration in the Maasai Mara, July is a busy month. Ask your Expert Africa specialist to advise on how to avoid the crowds, which is not that difficult to do.

  • The wildebeest migration usually reaches the Maasai Mara in July.
  • Simbi Lake (Kisumu) and Crater Lake (Naivasha) can attract flamingoes.
  • Watersports start to pick up and some surfing is possible at Malindi.
  • Afternoon thunderstorms are a common feature in the Maasai Mara.
  • The sea can be choppy along the coast, making diving difficult.

Our view

A good time to visit, with pros & cons

Weather in July

Kenya in August

The Great Migration fills the plains of the Maasai Mara, and school’s out, so the park roads are full of tourists – ask your Expert Africa specialist for advice on crowd avoidance tactics. Choose a private conservancy rather than a public national park or national reserve for quieter conditions.

Like July, August is generally mild and relatively dry in the safari areas, but it can be very chilly in the highlands, even in the middle of the day, and hail occasionally falls above altitudes of around 2,400m (8,000ft). Nairobi can be disappointingly overcast, with low cloud.

  • Apart from Christmas holidays, this is the busiest month of the year.
  • Late August sees peak wildebeest drama at the Mara River crossings.
  • Coastal winds are good for kite- and wind-surfing.
  • Few mosquitoes are around at this generally dry time of year.
  • The annual Camel Derby takes place in the Samburu capital, Maralal.

Our view

A good time to visit, with pros & cons

Weather in August

Kenya in September

The skies clearing of cloud signals the start of hot, dry weather with little chance of rain – and, after the first few days of the month, far fewer visitors – making the latter part of September a good time for a quieter safari. While early September is often good for dramatic migration crossings along the Mara River, you might consider deliberately postponing your trip until later in the month, when the migration can still be very impressive and visitor numbers fewer.

If tourist surges are somewhat predictable, however, the patterns of the wildebeest migration are more volatile, and like all of Expert Africa's climate and weather assessments, they are based on accumulated years of experience rather than guaranteed certainty.

  • This is still high season, with prices to match.
  • Many river crossings take place on the Mara river in both directions.
  • Natural bush fires flush out insects and small animals for predators.
  • The Rift Valley Music Festival takes place by Lake Naivasha.
  • With school holidays over by early September, late-month is quieter.

Our view

Fantastic: the very best time to visit

Weather in September

Kenya in October

Still hot, mostly dry and not too busy, this is many people’s preferred month for a safari, and it’s also good for diving and snorkelling. The wildebeest and zebra herds of the great migration are often still to be seen, though in dwindling numbers. The swamps of Amboseli attract thirsty wildlife including large herds of elephants.

While we wouldn't expect much rain across most of the country this month, the climate has become so unpredictable that you can never say never, and the possibiity of the short rains – usually associated with November to mid-December, starting early, can't be discounted.

  • This month sees the tail end of the great migration in the Mara.
  • Palearctic migrant birds start to arrive, staying until March.
  • Turtle nests hatch at Watamu, until November.
  • Amboseli elephants focus on the swamps for their daily water.
  • The Indian Ocean monsoon winds turn from southeast to northeast.

Our view

A very good time to visit

Weather in October

Kenya in November

The northeast monsoon wind or kaskazi heralds the start of the “short rains", usually some time in the second half of the month. From November to mid-December, this is the low season, and accordingly has lower accommodation rates and lower visitor numbers. Across most of the country you can expect warm, somewhat cloudy weather, with occasional heavy showers and localised flooding.

Expert Africa bases its description of the climate in November, like the other months of the year, on the records of roughly the last 100 years, and it's fair to say that the seasons since the beginning of this century have been highly irregular and unpredictable: some years the short rains don't come at all, or don't reach every part of the country. In an El Niño year, the November short rains can be very heavy, but in a La Niña year, they can fail completely.

  • Swimming with dolphins in Lamu can be done from now until April.
  • Birders gather at Ngulia in Tsavo West to ring Palearctic migrants.
  • The Lamu Cultural Festival takes over the town and Lamu Creek.
  • Agricultural shows often take place regional market towns.
  • This is low season, so camps can be great value, with special offers.

Our view

A good time to visit, with pros & cons

Weather in November

Kenya in December

In a typical December, the rains usually finish by middle of the month, leaving the landscape looking its best, under clear blue skies, and heralding the start of the second peak tourist season from around 20 December to the first week of January. Our assessment of the likely weather in December, like the other months of the year, is based on climate records, and it's fair to say that the seasons since the beginning of this century have been highly irregular and unpredictable.

Christmas can sometimes be wet, but most years the rains have finished a week or two earlier, with the festive season ushering in the perfect combination of clear skies and sunshine by day and starry nights.

  • Christmas and New Year are busy, with the lodges and camps full.
  • Rates are highest after 24 Dec, with supplements on public holidays.
  • Republic Day and Independence day are celebrated on 12 December.
  • Good kite- and wind-surfing restarts, with strong northeasterly winds.
  • Mango season begins, providing excitement for primates and elephants.

Our view

A good time to visit, with pros & cons

Weather in December

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