Reviews of safaris to Maasai Mara National Reserve
123 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Maasai Mara.
"My Jul 2024 trip"
I first went to Kenya in the seventies and have since done many, many trips to Africa, mostly holidays but also school sports tours. I can honestly say that, despite the rain, this has been the most enjoyable and rewarding of all!
Of course Steve Carey had a lot to do suggesting the itinerary but Kicheche was the perfect climax. All the arrangements worked seamlessly and you have helped make us very privileged. For Hannah it was a first trip to Africa and she has had the most incredible experience.
We will all be back......" Read full review: 17 nights in Africa; 10 on a Kenya safari
"My Jun 2024 trip"
A few things I would change if I was to consider the same location again.
Glad I went in that it did confirm my overall great preference for the Conservancy model.
Always a pleasure planning a trip with Richard - he has a very high tolerance for my questions!" Read full review: 6 nights in Africa; 4 on a Kenya safari
"My Jun 2024 trip"
"March 2024 - Lewa and Maasai Mara"
Top notch service from the beginning with Parita helping us every step of the way, to perfect execution from the minute we landed in Nairobi to the minute we left.
We cannot thank Parita and all the travel partners involved in executing such an incredible and exceptional safari adventure!" Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 7 on a Kenya safari
"My Jan 2024 trip"
Everybody we met in Africa was welcoming and helpful and all the camps we stayed in were delightful. Our tents were luxurious and the grounds well-maintained and pretty.
We had excellent wildlife sightings overall, even if those in the Mara National Park were a little disappointing, and we eventually had our fill of big cats!
Our visits to the Elephant Orphanage and the Giraffe Centre were a pleasant way of beginning and ending our holiday.
Richard couldn’t have been more helpful during the booking process and with our visa applications and everything run like clockwork once we arrived." Read full review: 13 nights in Africa; 12 on a Kenya safari
"My Jan 2024 trip"
Mostly due to weather conditions but also due to lack of investment in terms of accessing the conservancy." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Kenya safari
"Our 2023 trip to Kenya"
Nonetheless, we figured it was time to check out East Africa for a change. To be honest, we were a little apprehensive about this trip, because many guidebooks or websites tell you that in both Kenya and Tanzania visitor numbers are much higher than in the South of Africa. As the New York Times wrote earlier this year, they witnessed a cheetah hunting and making a kill in the Maasai Mara, and in no time, the poor animal was surrounded by 50 vehicles. Well, even though the number of cars per sighting was, on average, higher than in Southern Africa, we experienced none of such extremes. I guess, we were lucky with the choice of camps and/or locations.
For instance, we took great care in picking camps that are using open vehicles with a maximum of six passengers and not vehicles with pop-up roofs, let alone minibuses. For a serious photographer, such conditions would seriously limit your freedom to move, and in the case of pop-up roofs you would have to stand up and, often, you would look down on animals. In other words, it would be a nightmare ruining my trip. I realize that the camps we picked are significantly more expensive, but this goes hand in hand with providing better guides, better amenities and facilities, and better service. The good news is that in our experience, the camps in Kenya are not quite as pricey as Botswana accommodations.
One more comment about the number of cars per sighting: The official rules in the Maasai Mara clearly state that the maximum number of vehicles per scene is limited to five (per animal, not animals!). Taken literally, a pride of 8 lions could be visited by 40 cars, and we have witnessed scenes with up to 20 cars. On other occasions, for instance when observing cheetahs or leopards, we have noticed that local wildlife rangers do in fact make sure that there are no more than 5 cars on the scene. Throughout the entire trip, we were blessed with guides that showed great patience and perseverance to stay at a scene for longer. Quite often we were also lucky enough to be the only two guests in the vehicle. The only camp where there were six passengers in a car was Lewa Safari Camp.
As in previous years, I enjoyed recording our wildlife sightings. Overall, we saw more animals here than in any other place in Africa. And our encounters with the big cats were especially noteworthy, because often they were full of drama. I should point out though that we did not see any wild dogs anywhere. Of the four areas visited, the Maasai Mara was, thanks to our guides, and despite the higher number of vehicles, a photographer’s paradise.
What we also appreciated in all five camps was that they allowed each party to have their own tables at mealtimes.
To summarize, this trip was so good that we are almost certain to return to Kenya in the near future." Read full review: 30 nights in Africa; 20 on a Kenya safari
"My Sep 2023 trip"
The two camps where we stayed were exactly as described and exactly in accordance with our stated aspirations for the trip. They also combined well with each other i.e. the "vibe" was similar at both but they were sufficiently different to give the trip some variety and contrast.
Expertafrica clearly enjoys a good reputation in Kenya which appeared to derive from the fact that representatives of the company have visited camps to gain first-hand knowledge of their particular qualities and also the fact that their clients arrive with appropriately managed expectations." Read full review: 9 nights in Africa; 8 on a Kenya safari
"SARARI & ZANZIBAR 2023"
Every question was answered in depth and very helpfully and all the recommendations were accurate.
Having spent 30+ years in the travel industry it was a delight to travel with another company who understand and practice the highest levels of customer service that we always tried to do.
Well done one and all
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Really I don't. It seemed like we were travelling under the wing of a class outfit who did the ground work so well we didn't need much help overseas at all.
The icing on the cake was that we happened to be lucky enough to have the best guide at Little Governors. From talking to other guests who had minor frustrations with their guides, we soon realised that Tom was giving us a masterclass in how to be the perfect guide." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 6 on a Kenya safari
"My Sep 2023 trip"
The service provided by Expert Africa was excellent and Richard Trillo’s knowledge, advice and recommendations were fantastic.
The organisation of the trip was outstanding and we loved the 3 camps that we visited.
For our first safari our experience surpassed our expectations, we loved every minute of it." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Kenya safari
Where to stay in Maasai Mara
Our suggestions for safari camps in Maasai Mara National Reserve
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.
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.
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.
Mara Expedition Camp
Mara Expedition Camp is a small luxury camp located in a slightly elevated area of bush and woodland, just outside 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.
Ilkeliani Camp
Ilkeliani Camp is a smart elegant camp overlooking the Talek River, on the edge of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
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.
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.
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.
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.
