Reviews of safaris to Maasai Mara National Reserve
125 holiday reviews from our travellers of holidays which include Maasai Mara.
"Kenya Safari review"
Olivia was very responsive and helped customize our trip based on our wants. She kept us up-to-date on any flight changes which was very helpful.
We loved the rough guide to Kenya that we received, it was nice to read.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
We ended up staying 4 days in Masai Mara because they were running a special 4 nights for 3 days cost. We had a great time at Basecamp and saw a lot but it might have been too much time in one place. We had 7 nights total, I think it would be possible to fit a 3rd location into our itinerary for those that are looking for a more strenuous trip.
The Rough Guide to Kenya was great however you may want to consider sending it a little earlier on in the process if feasible. Our itinerary was already set by the time we received it so if we read about something we were interested in, we couldn't change anything." Read full review: 7 nights in Africa; 7 on a Kenya safari
"October Kenya safari & Lamu dream holiday"
The four legs of the trip - Borana in the Highlands, a not for profit conservancy which is helping re-establish the black rhino to the first Maasai-owned Camp in the Mara, to six days on Lamu island, a centre of Swahili culture, provided wonderful contrasts and very different experiences.
We could not have wished for a more perfect trip which exceeded all expectations. Now we would love to explore more of Kenya and see more of sub-Saharan Africa. Problem is, we also loved where we went and would like to return to these places and people too! Not the worst problem to have...asante sana, Expert Africa!
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
Expert Africa could offer a bit more information about activities in addition to quality of camps and lodges -- including interrogating the interests of a family group in order to get them to plan more of what they can get out of a trip. We didn't realise until the end of our first day at Borana, for example, that horse riding really offered the chance of a safari on horseback - and this then made Borana very special.
On the other hand, the flexibility of the Expert Africa team in allowing us to stay at a friend's private accommodation on Lamu was greatly appreciated. The process of building up the itinerary was a very positive experience and I trusted Richard Trillo's advice and in depth knowledge.
On the quote: It would have been nice to have had more of a breakdown of costs and options as I didn't feel able to weigh up alternatives fully. On the other hand, the itinerary was fairly fixed when it came to where we wanted to go on safari.
Finding ways of helping providers be as green as possible would be beneficial - not just conserving species (and we did donate to the Rhino International fund) but also ways of eliminating plastic in camps is important as these are visible ways of leaving less impact. After all, the Kenyan government has banned all plastic bags, so camps and airlines including safarilink should be encouraged to have refillable water canteens, etc. And camps can easily switch.
On Lamu - I would certainly explore the growing private villa/house rental options as these a fun, private and often of historic interest. Otherwise, airbnb and tripadvisor will take a share of your future business....(Our situation was coincidental and through a friend who owns a place with bandas at the end of the island...)
In summary, I rate Expert Africa highly and would recommend you to others! Many thanks." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 8 on a Kenya safari
"50th Wedding Anniversay trip"
The logistics worked out exactly right, and thank you Claire for the little extras that appeared at several of the stops to recognise our anniversary." Read full review: 14 nights in Africa; 5 on a Zanzibar holiday
"My Aug 2018 trip"
I would do things differently next time, I think you only need 3 days at the most in each camp and I would have liked a third camp without the beach visit at the end.
Disappointed not to have seen the migration (happened earlier this year). No rhinos and very rare to see cheetah and leopard." Read full review: 15 nights in Africa; 14 on a Kenya safari
"Trip of a Lifetime"
"The gorilla holiday"
"Overall well organised"
We use Expert Africa regularly - it is always a good service." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Kenya safari
"Holiday of a lifetime"
All the arrangements went incredibly smoothly and although we weren’t carrying countless vouchers ( the only 1 was for Safarilink) we didn’t need them as everyone on our itinerary had been clearly informed of our plans and were there on time to make it happen. Prior to travelling I had a number of useful conversations with firstly James and the Richard at Expert Africa to help clarify the itinerary. Richard in particular helped us immensely by getting an early entry to Giraffe Manor as well as a late departure from Mahali Mzuri, which really put the icing on the cake.
Going to Little Governors before Mahali Mzuri proved to be a very wise decision. At Little Governors we were close enough and lucky enough to see the Wildebeest cross the Mara river so it took the pressure off when we were at Mahali Mzuri. People staying there and wanting to see the crossing had about a 3 hour drive each way!
Planning a trip involving several stopovers, it is very useful to have the expertise of a knowledgeable safari operator to call on to make sure you get it right and clearly the author of the Rough Guide to Kenya is just that! A big thank you to Expert Africa for helping our planned trip of a lifetime come to fruition.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
I really think that what you offer is an excellent service.
I lost count of how many hours I spent looking at the very detailed information on your website, which is a fantastic planning tool and well supported by the Rough Guide which I delved into on numerous occasions." Read full review: 10 nights in Africa; 9 on a Kenya safari
"Holiday of a life time"
On reflection I probably would not have stayed in the Nairobi area, the game drives did not have the same wow factor as Samburu or Masai Mara but that said the Emakoko lodge was wonderful.
From a logistics point of view everything ran smoothly. This was our first trip to Africa and I felt safe and secure during the entire trip.
Suggestions to help us improve our trips or our service:
When I first viewed the website I found it slightly overwhelming, as the is almost information overload. However Richard was excellent and I would definitely recommend the company to friends." Read full review: 11 nights in Africa; 9 on a Kenya safari
"Our Best Holiday Ever!"
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Inspire meWhere 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.
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.
