Reviews of safaris to Maasai Mara National Reserve
110 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Maasai Mara.
"Wonderful Kenyan holiday"
Thanks to Richard Trillo for organising it all and for his suggestions of Laikipia Wilderness and Kinondo Kwetu both of which were outstanding." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 11 on a Kenya safari
"Christmas 2016"
Another time if going at Christmas ( we had requested Rekero) I might avoid Rekero simply for the Mara being so busy over Christmas but I would certainly highly recommend it for other times - it is a fabulous location.
On the last day we had a very long wait ( 12 noon to the planned 11pm flight out - delayed to 1.30am the next day) and it would have been nice to have had a place booked with a day room. We organised this ourselves in the end, or rather Darren of Kicheche Bush Camp organised it. However overall the trip worked perfectly and met our expectations.
All camp managers were simply splendid and the guides all knowledgeable - Andrew at Kicheche Laikipia and Charles at Kicheche Bush Camp were particularly good." Read full review: 40 nights in Africa; 9 on a Kenya safari
"Super trip to Kenya"
Two very small things that could be improved:
1) On the first day we had to wait about three hours for our flight to Nanyuki. In that time we could have gotten there by car, which might have been cheaper and would have spared Ilona getting sick on the plane
2) On the last day the guide was a bit overly nervous regarding traffic in Nairobi. This left us at the airport with six hours to kill before our flight. It also meant we left Nairobi NP an hour before closing and skipped eating at a nice place before going to the airport.
Note: the above are really very small things and didn't impact our overall enjoyment of the trip at all!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
None." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 10 on a Kenya safari
"My 2016 Safari Outing"
He very wisely suggested three stops to give us reasonable exposure to what Kenya has to offer without wearing us down. Our experiences at El Karama, the Mara Camp and ending at Totilis were just what we had in mind.
Then, he coordinated the timing, the pickups, the flights so very well that we were never at a loss as to what comes next and will the taxi actually be there at (e.g.) 5:30 in the morning. Very well done!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Simply continue the personal contact!" Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 10 on a Kenya safari
"Kenya Safari"
Regarding our transfer from Sambura to Borana, I think the transfer driver was named Nicholas. We hadn't left Sambura for more that two minutes when he started pointing out details about every plant and animal in sight. Our three hour transfer turned into a four hour safari that was filled with details and infomation beyond what anyone else was providing. This guy was the best and most informative guide we met on our entire trip." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 12 on a Kenya safari
"Great trip! The most action-packed safari!"
It was such an action-packed safari and we saw so many incredible animal interactions!
Richard was super helpful in understanding our desires and planning the perfect itinerary. Also, the Nairobi guide/driver was great and planned our half day perfectly." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 8 on a Kenya safari
"My Aug 2016 trip"
While the Reserve was obviously busier, the location and quality of the guiding at Rekero were superb and we were really pleased to have included it in the itinerary." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 10 on a Kenya safari
"Self drive Masai Mara safari August 2016"
"My Aug 2016 trip"
But absolutely everything else was and even better than we had expected." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 10 on a Kenya safari
"Kenya 2016"
The part of our trip that went awry was our experience with Southern Cross and our driver in Nairobi. Our driver had no idea where The African Heritage House was and he wasted a full hour being completely lost. In our discussions previous to our departure, Richard Trillo had told us that he would inform Southern Cross of the places in Nairobi we wanted to visit. We would like to assume that he did indeed do that. If so, then the blame falls on Southern Cross for not doing their homework and finding out where the AHH is.
We were taken to a place where Alan Donavan once had a gallery, TEN YEARS AGO. Now it is a supermarket. Our driver, John, drove in circles as he muttered to himself and desperately asked people in the street if they knew where the AHH was. The low point was when John turned to us to ask us if WE DIDN"T KNOW WHERE IT WAS! It was embarrassing and inexcusable. It was akin to getting in a New York city cab, telling the driver where you want to go, and after haplessly driving around, he turns to you and asks you where that is! We repeatedly urged John to call someone for directions. He finally called his boss, but he was told that it should be there where we were. Apparently they both remembered something by that name being there when they were kids!
Eventually, at our insistence, John's boss got a phone number for the AHH. John was able to call them directly and get clear directions that the location was near Kenyatta Airport - which was the one thing we had known all along and had told him from the very beginning. We arrived an hour late to our appointment at the African Heritage House. That was a valuable lost hour. Not only was the hour itself valuable, based the amount we were paying for the driver (an amount unknown to us because Expert Africa refuses to divulge costs to its clients, a topic we will revisit later), but also because we had to rush our visit. We had to pay for a full tour when it was essentially cut in half, but more importantly our ability to enjoy our visit was extremely compromised. Our (doubtlessly expensive) day with a hired driver fell far short of our expectations.
We would suggest, and we're sure you would agree, that your clients should never be assigned drivers who don't have thorough knowledge of their city, especially when they are told a specific destination in advance! We don't blame John alone for this debacle, but also the management of Southern Cross, and Expert Africa for putting us in the hands of an incompetent organization." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 6 on a Kenya safari
Where to stay in Maasai Mara
Our suggestions for safari camps in Maasai Mara National Reserve
Little Governors'
Little Governors’ Camp sits by a swamp (an old oxbow of the Mara River) in the Mara Triangle sector of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. It has its own balloon-launching site.
Rekero
Rekero is an unpretentious, high-end safari camp, for travellers who take their wildlife watching seriously and are prepared to pay for an exceptional location.
Tangulia Mara
Tangulia Mara is a rustic and traditional safari camp on the border of the Maasai Mara National Reserve owned by Jackson Looseyia of Big Cat Diary fame.
Governors' Camp
Governors' Camp is a large tented camp on the Mara River and one of the oldest in the Mara region, dating from 1972. Although unfenced, and regularly visited by elephants, the whole compound is always busy with human activity.
Serian Nkorombo
Serian Nkorombo is a luxury bush camp in the Musiara sector of the Maasai Mara National Reserve on the east side of the Mara River.
Sand River Camp
Luxury colonial-style tented camp on the banks of the Sand River close to the Tanzania border – a great spot to see the wildebeest migration.
Sala's Camp
Sala’s Camp is a comfortable and intimate tented camp, with seven tented rooms, located on the banks of the Sand River, in the far south of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Governors' Il Moran
The smallest and most expensive of the three camps in the Governors’ group, Governors’ Il Moran Camp hugs a meander of the Mara River just 1km north of the main Governors’ Camp.
Angama Mara
Angama Mara is a top-end luxury tented camp on the Siria-Oloololo escarpment of the Maasai Mara ecoystem, just above the Mara Triangle sector of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Basecamp Maasai Mara
Basecamp Maasai Mara is a family-friendly, award-winning eco-camp on a U-bend on the north bank of the Talek River, on the boundary of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Ngenche Safari Camp
Mara Ngenche is a non-hosted, luxury tented camp with an antique style, which is perfect if you're looking for private dining while staying somewhere small and personal.
Mara Expedition Camp
Mara Expedition Camp is a small luxury camp located on the banks of the Ntiakitiak River inside the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Ilkeliani Camp
Ilkeliani Camp is a smart elegant camp overlooking the Talek River, on the edge of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Tipilikwani Camp
Tipilikwani Mara Camp is a larger, mid-range tented camp offering good value from its base on the Talek River just outside the Mara National Reserve.
Mara Serena Safari Lodge
Mara Serena Safari Lodge is a large safari hotel with views of the Mara River, in the Mara Triangle sector of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Mara Explorer Camp
Mara Explorer is a smart tented camp is in a scenic location on a bend in the Talek River.
Governors' Private Camp
Located on a secluded bend of the Mara River, Governor’s Private Camp has just eight tents and is booked on an exclusive basis.
Topi House
Topi House is a very good, three-bedroom fully staffed private house on the fringes of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Entim Camp
Entim Camp is well located in the heart of the Mara National Reserve, offering traditionally styled tented accommodation.
Naibor Camp
Naibor has a great location in the Mara reserve, and offers accommodation to suit different budgets, with stylish high-end tents and some simpler ones too.
Ishara
Ishara is a highly luxurious safari camp in the Maasai Mara, located on the Talek River, which is one of the best areas in Kenya for wildlife.
