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Serian
Serian
Serian
Serian
Serian
Serian

Reviews of Serian

Wildlife sightings and reviews

14 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Serian and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa

Wildlife sightings by our travellers
Starting in Jul-2018, 7 of our travellers have recorded their wildlife sightings at Serian.
Lion

100% success

Leopard

60% success

Cheetah

83% success

Wild dog

0% success

Buffalo

100% success

Elephant

100% success

Giraffe

100% success

Hippo

100% success

Spotted Hyena

100% success

Wildebeest

100% success

Zebra

100% success

Eland

86% success

Aardvark

0% success

Black Rhino

0% success

Pangolin

0% success

Striped Hyena

0% success

Showing 1-10 of 14
Duration
Arrival date
Mr & Mrs K from
Wales

"Serian review"

3 nights Arrived 22 Feb 2024
"A very nice camp in a great position with first class management and excellent food. Excellent room with all facilities and a great view of the river.

Ben and Amy, the managers, are worthy of special mention - they are first class. I appreciate the idea of a guide allocated to you and you alone for the whole stay, but this depends on the quality of the guide. In our case we had guide (Johnathan) and spotter (Henry), and the spotter was actually also a guide.

Despite this, we did not feel they were good guides. They spent a great majority of their time chatting in Masai, and partly because game was sparse, we did not really see as much as expected" See all these reviews: 13n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Average
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Good
Sightings Report

Buffalo

2 sightings

Eland

2 sightings

Elephant

2 sightings

Giraffe

3 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Lion

1 sighting

Spotted Hyena

4 sightings

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

P and S
Chilterns

"Serian review"

2 nights Arrived 8 Aug 2023
"Very good throughout.

Also saw a Serval" See all these reviews: 16n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Sightings Report

Buffalo

Multiple sightings

Cheetah

1 sighting

Eland

Multiple sightings

Elephant

Multiple sightings

Giraffe

Multiple sightings

Hippo

Multiple sightings

Lion

Multiple sightings

Spotted Hyena

Multiple sightings

Wildebeest

Multiple sightings

Zebra

Multiple sightings

R&G from Seattle
USA

"Serian, a wildlife lovers dream"

3 nights Arrived 30 Jul 2023
"If you are after wildlife this is the place to be. The camp location is ideal for quickly engaging in nature, and the staff and drivers know how to bring the best of the Mara to each moment.

It is worth calling out that the staff here are truly exceptional; mealtimes are a treat, the drivers and guides are world class, and you really feel like you are part of something special when staying with them.

The facilities themselves are top notch although guests should know you are definitely in nature when you stay at Serian. But it's very comfortable, and our family ranged from a young child to a senior and everyone was more than pleased with their accommodations and amenities.

We will certainly be returning and requesting the same guide, as she was one of the best we've ever seen. This is one stop where we could have spent another day or two as the wildlife experience was just that good, and if there's an animal you haven't seen on your trip yet this is where you're likely to find it. Highly recommend." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania; 8n in Kenya; 3n in Zanzibar
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

Multiple sightings

Cheetah

Multiple sightings

Eland

Multiple sightings

Elephant

Multiple sightings

Giraffe

Multiple sightings

Hippo

Multiple sightings

Leopard

Multiple sightings

Lion

Multiple sightings

Spotted Hyena

Multiple sightings

Wildebeest

Multiple sightings

Zebra

Multiple sightings

Mr & Dr N
Edinburgh

"Serian review"

2 nights Arrived 21 Sep 2022
"Stunning location on banks of Mara river. We really appreciated the flexibility of having our own guide/vehicle and had amazing sightings including close up to members of the famous Marsh Pride.

Excellent and varied vegetarian food (which is not always the case in camps). Friendly efficient staff.

We felt Serian would benefit from a bit of maintenance/refreshing in places and found having to tip 2 guides (our driver was also a qualified guide) unexpected and awkward, particularly as we were unable to use a $50 note that they said was too old to bank. (But we were able to use an online system despite the info saying they don't accept credit cards)" See all these reviews: 9n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Activities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

3 sightings

Cheetah

3 sightings

Elephant

5 sightings

Giraffe

2 sightings

Hippo

3 sightings

Lion

3 sightings

Spotted Hyena

1 sighting

Wildebeest

1 sighting

Zebra

2 sightings

Ms. N
Montana

"George and Francis - Maasai Friends"

5 nights Arrived 4 Dec 2019
"Frances and George were my day long guides at Serian and were full of energy and enthusiasm. They could spot all sorts of animals and birds with clarity. They took their time in correctly identifying the birds and pointed out the tiny details among similar birds. They both shared their bird books with me and discussed the details with me. The two guides shared their family life and were interested in learning about mine. We took breaks during our day long trips to eat and practice yoga. They were so enthusiastic and participated with graciousness. What a fun time we all had. Francis and George and I shared laughter all day long and became good partners in our quest to locate the animals I wished to see. They were respectful of the animals in keeping their distances. The guides and I stayed out from 6:30am until 9:30pm: as you can see, they had unparreled energy and enthusiasm for their love of the land and the animals. We tracked different animals in order to witness kills and chases. We heard lions roaring right next to the car: and cats eating their kills.
George would write down the birds for me in my booklet, while I wrote down the dates and the areas in my bird book. They would stop the car to listen to the crickets and the frogs in the dark of the evenings. They stopped the car to watch the fireflies flit about in the evenings. These guides took the time to enjoy the quietness and the beauty of the environment and made sure that I had time to experience it myself. I am so grateful that I had these two guides sharing their love of their country with me. What a treat. I shall return again: I know because this was already my second time in one year. Thank you everyone at Serian." See all these reviews: 9n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Average
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

10 sightings

Cheetah

7 sightings

Eland

10 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Leopard

1 sighting

Lion

9 sightings

Spotted Hyena

10 sightings

Wildebeest

6 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Mr & Mrs G
Orpington

"Excellent safari at Serian Camp"

6 nights Arrived 3 Feb 2019
"We spent 6 nights at the Serian Original camp. We started with an excellent game drive from the Mara North airstrip to the camp, seeing Cheetah on the way to lunch and our wonderful tent, which was close to the Mara river, with constant views and sounds of hippos. For the remainder of our stay our very experienced guide, Steve, was able to take us to the four corners of the Mara North Conservancy, ensuring we saw a wide variety of animals and many different birds. We had good views of lion, leopard and / or cheetah on most drives.

Our key reason for chosing the Serian camp was the private guide and vehicle, which as keen birdwatchers means we can stop to identify the small brown birds too. This also gives complete freedom about when and how long you spend on the game drives. We also spent a morning walking on the other side of the river in the camp's vehicle free area.

All staff were very helpful. The food was very good and varied. We usually ate breakfast on our morning drive, returning in time for lunch, with a couple of hours to relax before tea and cake, sundowners on our evening drive and back for dinner. Our tent was very spacious, with an adjacent bathroom." See all these reviews: 7n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

10 sightings

Cheetah

3 sightings

Eland

10 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Leopard

3 sightings

Lion

10 sightings

Spotted Hyena

10 sightings

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Ms F & co
Sacramento

"Wonderful home in the bush"

4 nights Arrived 29 Jul 2018
"Serian was as comfortable and homey as any camp could possibly be. Our hosts, including their baby daughter Charlotte, were delightful; the staff friendly and attentive (and very willing to share thoughts on Kenya's political and social situation); our guide, Judy, and driver excellent; the food scrumptious; and the animal viewing outstanding.

Our tent overlooked the Mara River, with a dozen or so hippo lolling in the water so we could watch them while having coffee on the porch. We had hoped to get a glimpse of the Great Migration but it had not yet started in earnest; we did see the herds of wildebeest gathering in the savanna prior to their fording the river.

And, we saw plenty of other animals, often with time to actually stop and observe their behavior: elephant, buffalo, several types of antelope (including topi, eland, waterbuck and dik-dik), giraffe, lions, hyenas, jackals, mongoose, and, of course, many, many wildebeest, zebras, giraffes and hippos.

Serian was a wonderful experience for all of us, including our 14-year old grandson and his dad who enjoyed an exciting overnight in the tree house, complete with a delivery of home-made pizza! That was just one example of the kind of wonderful hospitality and personal attention we found at Serian." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sightings Report

Buffalo

2 sightings

Eland

3 sightings

Elephant

5 sightings

Giraffe

7 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Lion

3 sightings

Spotted Hyena

5 sightings

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Peter LeVine
USA

"Exceptional - The Very Best "

2 nights Arrived 24 Sep 2017
"Serian Maasai Mara Camp has everything imaginable and more. We stayed at this camp in September, 2017 - our third Serian Camp. The guides are the very best - friendly, extremely well educated, knowledgeable, and accommodating. As with all Serian Camps, we had own guides and vehicle and had complete freedom to see whatever we wanted to see whenever we wanted to do so. Management is extremely generous and allows its guests to travel any distance and for as many hours as you wish each day and night. And, there is the extra bonus of staying in real luxury. This camp is magnificent - beautiful guest tents/rooms, great good, and a brilliant management team. Very importantly, the camp atmosphere is relaxed and non commercial. Not surprisingly, Serian consistently attracts independent, well traveled individuals who want a real sense of freedom and adventure. With over forty years of travel throughout Africa, Serian Camps are my favorite places to stay." See all these reviews: 5n in Kenya; 3n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr W & Ms W + kids
NL

"Serian review"

3 nights Arrived 20 Sep 2017
"Driving up to Serian from Nkorombo you pass quite a few Maasai villages and cattle, but we found the wildlife in this area to be at least as good as at Nkorombo. The only difference is that there are no river crossings in Mara North, but on the other side there are far fewer other vehicles as well.

One of the great things at Serian is that when you transfer between their camps you take your guide with you. This allowed us to really get to know Shadrack and Mark quite well, and they also knew very well what we were interested in by the time we reached this camp.

The camp itself has a great atmosphere. We really got the feeling that the staff enjoy working there and have a passion for wildlife. While we were there a baby elephant got trapped by the river and separated from it's mother. The staff went out of it's way to save this elephant and eventually made arrangements to have it transferred to David Shedricks (this was after many attempts to locate the mother)." See all these reviews: 7n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Good
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Good
Mr & Mrs M
Ascot

"Mara North Conservancy"

3 nights Arrived 3 Jul 2017
"Very good game viewing plus the freedom to fish/walk/go off road to follow game,

Only a few vehicles on each sighting which was particularly good for Leopard/Lion. We also had in James an expert guide who knew how the animals would behave.The Masai staff were particularly good." See all these reviews: 7n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Showing 1-10 of 14
97%
14 reviews of Serian by travellers since August 2007
Overall rating by our travellers
12
2
0
0
0
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