This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more

Skip to main content

Talk to an expert 1-800-242-2434 Lines open now

User menu
Saruni Wild
Saruni Wild
Saruni Wild
Saruni Wild
Saruni Wild
Saruni Wild
Saruni Wild
Saruni Wild

Reviews of Saruni Wild

Wildlife sightings and reviews

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

Wildlife sightings by our travellers
Starting in Nov-2021, 5 of our travellers have recorded their wildlife sightings at Saruni Wild.
Lion

100% success

Leopard

60% success

Cheetah

80% success

Wild dog

25% success

Eland

100% success

Elephant

100% success

Giraffe

100% success

Spotted Hyena

100% success

Wildebeest

100% success

Zebra

100% success

Buffalo

80% success

Hippo

80% success

Black Rhino

25% success

Striped Hyena

25% success

Aardvark

0% success

Pangolin

0% success

Showing 1-8 of 8
Duration
Arrival date
Mr & Mrs Q
Birmingham

"Saruni Wild review"

4 nights Arrived 25 Sep 2024
"Safari Wild is a wonderful place. We really felt like we were in the bush, with nothing but the Masai warrior guards keeping us from the wildlife - we absolutely loved it.
The vegetarian food was a little hit and miss a couple of nights, but feedback was acted on very quickly and generally the food was great. The breakfasts out on safari were a highlight.
Our waiter Michael was lovely, as were all the guides, guards and management.
We were really glad we went for a private conservancy, as the proximity we had to lions etc was just incredible - and there were very few other trucks vying for space. The fact that we could be off road at all times seemed like a massive advantage - and we also loved the night drives (particularly when we saw lions and a leopard (separately) with their prey, at night).
We also met some really fun people at Saruni, that we'll stay in touch with.
Not surprisingly, the four days spent here were the highlight of our trip - and the tip may well be the best holiday we've ever had.
Our stay here was simply incredible." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Black Rhino

2 sightings

Buffalo

10 sightings

Cheetah

Multiple sightings

Eland

10 sightings

Elephant

10 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Hippo

10 sightings

Leopard

Multiple sightings

Lion

10 sightings

Spotted Hyena

10 sightings

Wild dog

4 sightings

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Linda M
Newcastle

"Saruni Wild review"

4 nights Arrived 19 Feb 2024
"John was our Massai guide here. The camp was very welcoming and friendly with all of the staff attentive to any needs. Food again was Italian inspired and very good.

Because the camp was open to the wildlife, staff were posted on the paths and guided visitors to the restaurant and bar area, and back to their tents, at all times of the day. We never saw any animals in the camp though.

John was a brilliant guide. We had early starts, (preceded by coffee and tea in the lounge), and were out on the plains before we saw any other jeeps. John found animals by some mysterious sixth sense and regularly we were the only car at some activity. Twice he found lions devouring a kill, although thankfully we did not see the actual kill. He explained everything going on including how the males would eat first but then defend the pride against marauding hyenas.

We also saw a cheetah just fed after a recent kill and walking very close to the jeep. Lots of animals including substantial herds of buffalo, wildebeest, and zebra.

Bush breakfasts on the Mara River were close to hippo and crocodile and john was very informative on the birds we saw.

A 5 star experience." See all these reviews: 11n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Good
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

Mr and Mrs H
Hereford

"Saruni Wild review"

3 nights Arrived 30 Oct 2022
"Lovely tented accommodation, small and intimate.

Again cannot fault anything about it, great staff, superb guides, great food." See all these reviews: 13n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Sightings Report

Buffalo

Multiple sightings

Cheetah

Multiple sightings

Eland

Multiple sightings

Elephant

Multiple sightings

Giraffe

Multiple sightings

Hippo

Multiple sightings

Leopard

1 sighting

Lion

Multiple sightings

Spotted Hyena

Multiple sightings

Striped Hyena

Multiple sightings

Wildebeest

Multiple sightings

Zebra

Multiple sightings

Mrs R
Bath

"Saruni Wild review"

3 nights Arrived 22 Aug 2022
"Saruni Wild had a very different feel to Sosian, slightly more formal meal times, both lunch and dinner were formal three course meals.

The food was delicious, surprisingly Italian.

Very helpful with hot water for showers, nothing was too much trouble.

We had zebra trot within a few meters of our tent, and heard lions roaring at night.

We especially enjoyed the bush breakfasts overlooking the Mara River watching hippos and crocodiles." See all these reviews: 13n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Buffalo

8 sightings

Cheetah

1 sighting

Eland

5 sightings

Elephant

9 sightings

Giraffe

10 sightings

Hippo

7 sightings

Leopard

1 sighting

Lion

5 sightings

Spotted Hyena

10 sightings

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

Multiple sightings

Mr B
London

"Really peaceful with a beautiful setting"

1 night Arrived 24 Nov 2021
"Saruni Wild is set on the northern edge of the Mara conservancy system. Although it is in Lemek conservancy, they have access to several others - including Mara North and Ol Choro. This not only means that the guides have lots of options for finding wildlife, but also that Saruni are contributing conservation fees to lots of different local groups which is really fantastic. If anything, it felt like they could make a bigger deal of the work they are doing with the local area.

The camp is very small (just 3 tents) and really peaceful with a beautiful setting. There were almost always wildebeest in view from our tent. The tents are spacious and very well separated, so they feel very private. It did feel like they could do with one or two more pieces of furniture, perhaps somewhere to put your bags.

The guiding was to a very high standard, and even in November there were huge numbers of resident wildebeest, zebra and lions in the area (we very nearly saw a hunt!). The landscape was also quite different to the rest of Mara North. If communities in these newer conservancies continue to benefit, this could be a really up and coming part of the Mara ecosystem!" See all these reviews: 15n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

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

Eland

4 sightings

Elephant

3 sightings

Giraffe

3 sightings

Lion

4 sightings

Spotted Hyena

1 sighting

Wildebeest

10 sightings

Zebra

10 sightings

Ms C.
Saint Louis

"Real Bush Feel"

3 nights Arrived 30 Oct 2019
"In terms of game viewing, our experience at Saruni Wild was great, We saw all the big cats, as well as the wildebeests that we did not see at Lewa. Our guide, Kisame was outstanding.

Our experience, however, was more exciting than some people might want because a Black Spitting Cobra joined my husband in the tent while he was resting reading. The staff had to kill it in the end since it would not exit but went under the platform tarp. We were then offered accommodation at their lodge, but we chose to stay and just moved into the other tent that had been recently vacated. We recognize that we were in the bush, and had signed statements to such, and besides, it has made a great story to tell.

The main drawback to a small tent bush experience like this is that little more than game drives can be offered. While we were very happy to experience Saruni Wild, and were particularly pleased with our guide, we were glad we were not there any longer because of the limited activity available. (Our one walk was very short and not terribly interesting.)" See all these reviews: 8n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Good
Activities:
Average
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Good
Mr & Mrs Y
Fulham

"Saruni Wild was a delight."

2 nights Arrived 16 Apr 2018
"Saruni Wild was a delight. I was the only guest, so I had a private guide. Just lucky!

The tents are very comfortable indeed, the food was delicious, and the Maasai who work there are charming. I think my guide, Nemeria, gets himself inside the head of a lion, because I have never had such wonderful lion sightings anywhere else in Africa. (Mating lions, a pride with 10 cubs, a hunt and a kill).

We were out one day from 6.00am-9.30pm, with 1 1/2 hours in the middle for lunch." See all these reviews: 3n in Kenya
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Ms P & family
London

"Saruni Wild review"

3 nights Arrived 15 Aug 2017
"We loved Saruni! From the amazing open skies of Lemek to the incredible food and the fantastic feeling of being right in the middle of the bush...it is an unbeatable experience.
Our guide Tinka was a wonderful person to spend time with as well as being a relaxed, knowledgeable and extremely dedicated guide. The two hours or so we spent with him and the leopard we found literally just outside the camp border was unforgettable.
And our journey down to the Mara river to see our first crossing also a lifetime memory.
The camp itself is gorgeous - tents very comfortable and the dining fantastic. But it it the fact that you are surrounded by the wild without a fence that makes the experience unforgettable. One evening we drove into the camp surrounded by three female lions and a male strolling along and through the camp. But please please remember that the feeling of security and safety here - managed by the amazing William and his team is top notch. You feel secure at all times as long as you obey their extremely sensible rules.
So thanks you so much to William, James and the rest of the team - and we miss you Tinka!!" See all these reviews: 14n in Kenya; 6n in Tanzania
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent

Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Showing 1-8 of 8
98%
8 reviews of Saruni Wild by travellers since August 2007
Overall rating by our travellers
7
1
0
0
0
Filter by month

Holiday styles & special interests in Kenya

From birdwatching breaks to walking holidays, find great ideas for your trip in Kenya.


Beach holidays

Beach holidays

Discover Africa's coast and tropical islands.

Birdwatching

Birdwatching

Diverse habitats, discreet hides and superb guiding.

Cultural experiences

Cultural experiences

Get an insight into Africa's cultures and history.

Family holidays

Family holidays

Hand-picked camps for an incredible family safari.

Honeymoons

Honeymoons

Romantic safaris and castaway island retreats.

Luxury

Luxury

First-class service, scenic vistas and unparalleled comfort await you during these carefully selected luxury holidays. 

Photography holidays

Photography holidays

Great holidays to suit the keen photographer.

Private villas & houses

Private villas & houses

Enjoy Africa with just your friends & family

Riding holidays

Riding holidays

Explore Africa's wilderness on horseback.

Solo Travel

Solo Travel

Trip ideas ideally suited for a solo traveller.

Walking

Walking

Explore Africa's most scenic trails on foot.

Walking safaris

Walking safaris

Explore Africa's untouched wildernesses on foot.

Wellbeing

Wellbeing

Wellness escapes in stunning locations

Wildlife safaris

Wildlife safaris

These trips include hard-hitting game and fascinatingly elusive species alike, as well as superb guiding and a variety of diverse ecosystems.

Other lodges in Maasai Mara Conservancies

Alternative places to stay in this same area.


Kicheche Bush Camp

Kicheche Bush Camp

Kicheche Bush Camp is a smart and intimate tented camp with a relaxed atmosphere and the perfect base in the Mara for keen photographers.


100% (104 reviews)
Kicheche Mara

Kicheche Mara

Kicheche Mara Camp has just ten tents and a rustic and comfortable feel. It is set by a stream in a pretty area of the Mara ecosystem's Mara North Conservancy.


99% (94 reviews)
Kicheche Valley

Kicheche Valley

Kicheche Valley is a boutique tented camp in a wooded district of the Mara ecosystem's Naboisho Conservancy, with plenty of wildlife in the area.


99% (65 reviews)
Naboisho Camp

Naboisho Camp

Naboisho Camp is one of the most luxurious of the handful of camps in the Naboisho Conservancy. It offers day and night game drives, game walks and full creature comforts in the bush.


98% (49 reviews)
Offbeat Mara

Offbeat Mara

Offbeat Mara is a small traditional camp that appeals to safari traditionalists, located in one of the Maasai Mara’s quiet conservancies.


98% (42 reviews)
Encounter Mara

Encounter Mara

Encounter Mara is located in the private Naboisho Conservancy – a game-rich area of the Mara ecosystem – and offers a contemporary take on the traditional, low-impact luxury safari camp.


92% (18 reviews)
Elephant Pepper Camp

Elephant Pepper Camp

Elephant Pepper Camp is a small 10-tent bush camp, put together in the traditional "campaign" style, and including a large honeymoon/family tent.


99% (17 reviews)
Serian

Serian

Serian is a luxury tented camp on the east bank of the Mara River in the Mara North Conservancy. It is the sister camp of Ngare Serian, on the west bank.


97% (15 reviews)
Mara Plains Camp

Mara Plains Camp

Mara Plains is one of the very best camps in the Mara ecosystem. Located in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, just outside the Mara reserve, it has access to three wildlife-viewing areas.


100% (13 reviews)
Kicheche Walking Wilderness

Kicheche Fly Camp

Kicheche Walking Wilderness Fly Camp is a temporaray dome tent camp set up for participants in Kicheche's two-day walking safari between Kicheche Valley and Kicheche Bush Camp.


96% (10 reviews)
Basecamp Eagle View

Basecamp Eagle View

Basecamp Eagle View is a community-focused safari camp in the Naboisho Conservancy, with a strong emphasis on responsible tourism and a spectacular location.


96% (10 reviews)
Hemingways Ol Seki Mara

Hemingways Ol Seki

Magnificently located tented lodge on a bluff looking south across the Naboisho Conservancy toward the Maasai Mara National Reserve.


96% (9 reviews)
Porini Lion Camp

Porini Lion Camp

Porini Lion Camp is a pioneering, community focused eco-camp, with excellent guides and game viewing, in the predator-rich, Olare Motorogi Conservancy.


83% (8 reviews)
Offbeat Ndoto

Offbeat Ndoto

Small and intimate, Offbeat Mara is set in a valley above the (often dry) Olare Orok River within the Mara North Conservancy.


100% (7 reviews)
Porini Mara Camp

Porini Mara Camp

Porini Mara Camp is a small, pioneering eco-camp in the first private conservancy in the Mara region, with comfortable accommodation and a range of activities.


96% (5 reviews)
Ngare Serian

Ngare Serian

The luxurious Ngare Serian and its sister camp Serian face each other across the Mara River on the western side of the Mara North Conservancy


96% (5 reviews)
Basecamp Leopard Hill

Basecamp Leopard Hill

With six beautiful tents, Basecamp Leopard Hill is a smart safari camp in the Naboisho Conservancy in the Maasai Mara ecosystem.


100% (5 reviews)
Karen Blixen Camp

Karen Blixen Camp

Karen Blixen Camp sits on a meander of the Mara River in the Mara North Conservancy, just beyond the northern boundary of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.


92% (5 reviews)
Cottars 1920s Camp

Cottars 1920s Camp

Cottar's 1920s Camp is a classic, luxury tented camp with a 1920s safari theme, located in its own conservancy on the southeast border of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.


92% (5 reviews)
Leleshwa

Leleshwa

Leleshwa was a delightful, boutique safari camp on the picturesque banks of a tributary of the Talek, with an extensive, little visited game area on its doorstep.


90% (2 reviews)
Mahali Mzuri

Mahali Mzuri

Mahali Mzuri is a strikingly modern tented camp in the Virgin Limited Edition group, in a remote part of the Mara ecosytem's Olare Motorogi Conservancy. It has lovely views and all the luxuries of a five-star hotel.


100% (2 reviews)
Saruni Mara

Saruni Mara

Saruni Mara is a luxurious permanent lodge, on the remote northern edge of the Mara North Conservancy, with stunning views, good guiding and very private and comfortable rooms.


80% (1 review)
Mara Nyika

Mara Nyika

Mara Nyika is one of the newer additions to the Naboisho Conservancy and offers a luxurious and exclusive safari.


100% (1 review)
Basecamp Wilderness Camp

Basecamp Wilderness

Basecamp Wilderness Camp is a simple, traditional tented camp, set in a remote valley in the Naboisho Conservancy in the Mara ecoystem.


100% (1 review)
Mara Bushtops

Mara Bushtops

Mara Bushtops is a luxury safari hotel on a private concession, outside the Maasai Mara National Reserve, with the emphasis on comfort, relaxation and good food and wine.


No reviews yet
Mara Toto Tree Camp

Mara Toto Tree Camp

Mara Toto Tree Camp is located on a wooded bend of the Ntiakatek River, 1km south (as the pied crow flies) from its sister camp, Mara Plains. It's the offspring of the original "Mara Toto" which was swept away in floods.


No reviews yet
Cottars Private House

Cottars Private House

Cottar's Private House is one of the few truly luxurious, modern private houses in the Mara ecosystem, spoiling its guests with first-rate staff, a swimming pool and wonderful views.


No reviews yet
Entumoto

Entumoto

Entumoto is a high-end tented camp, with a swimming pool, situated in a very pretty location on the east side of the Maasai Mara ecosystem.


No reviews yet

Login to Expert Africa

Sign in with password

Sign in with email link


New to Expert Africa? Create an account

Forgotten your details?

It's free & quick to set up

  • Save your wish-list
  • Send us an enquiry
  • Pay online for your trip
  • Subscribe to our newsletter
  • Give us feedback on your trip
  • Full site benefits of the site

Need some help? Talk to our team

Newsletter background

Stay in the know with Expert Africa

Join our newsletter. Get the latest on new camps and lodges, insights from our team, uplifting conservation stories and more...

A few more details and you're subscribed

Thanks!

Almost there! We've sent you an email to confirm your subscription. Just click on the link and you'll soon be receiving our newsletter in your inbox.

In the meantime, take a look at our previous Bush Telegraph newsletters.
Africa