Travel reviews by D & C from Kent

"Very helpful good bar"

"The accommodation was fantastic. Such a lovely, big, spacious tent. Very comfy beds. Great view out to the waterhole from our tent as well as from the main camp area where we sat and had lunch, afternoon tea, and drinks around the campfire. One evening the elephants even came right over to say goodnight! All the staff were so polite, helpful, and organised.

All the little extras made it such a fabulous time - hot drinks and cookies brought to our tent in the morning to get us going was great, and with flasks provided so we could take our drinks with us out on safari. The drink holders in the truck were very useful for storing these!

Picnic breakfast out in the bush was way more than we were expecting - we had a wide variety of freshly made food, tea, coffee (even with a percolator!) and juice. Lunch and dinner back in camp were delicious, freshly cooked three course meals- we definitely didn't go hungry on this trip!

Of course we didn't come for the food (as amazing as it was) - we came to see all the animals of Ol Pejeta, and that certainly didn't disappoint. As soon as we stepped off the plane there were zebra and giraffe right by the airstrip. We saw so many black and white rhino - including a mother with a young calf.

Loads of elephants - including as mentioned those that liked to come and visit our camp to have a drink and play in the mud. We also saw three different groups of lions - including an amazing experience of seeing two male lions have a short but dramatic fight over a lioness.

All in all, an amazing place and perfect in every way."

"Wow such an amazing and special place! Nestled up in the hills in their own private area- it was so peaceful and you felt very much at one with nature. From the massive balcony of our tent as well as the main camp area you had a perfect view across the salt lick and to the river where there were always animals to watch. On our very last morning a mum and very young waterbuck calf came walking right under our tent.

The tent itself was huge. Nice wooden floor throughout, large beds, bathroom area, and as I mentioned the lovely balcony which was so big it had two sofas on it. Lovely furniture which looked like it was made out of reclaimed wood added to the special feeling of the tent.

The main restaurant/bar area of the camp was also a lovely spacious area to relax and have a drink in the afternoon or before dinner, with lovely relaxing sofas all around to sit on as well as plenty of space they laid out for dinner.

All the meals were delicious. We had picnic breakfasts out in the bush on 2 days and picnic lunch on one day, the rest of the meals back at the camp. The lamb stew was a dinner highlight for us but all the meals were freshly cooked and fabulous.

All the staff at the camp were so friendly and helpful, always eager to discuss what animals we had seen that day and make sure we had everything we needed. Very good at keeping our wine glasses topped up as well!

We mustn't forget the animals! Can't believe what wide variety of animals we say on our game drives - in the main national park on our very first evening we say the marsh pride of lions attempt to hunt down a buffalo, before being chased off by an angry herd of elephants who didn't appreciate being caught in the middle of the hunt.

We saw every animal you could think of, as well as many others. We couldn't believe there were so many elephants in the Masai Mara, it was great to see them moving across the open plains, the matriarch in the lead, as well as stopping and having a drink at different rivers. We saw several other lion prides, including 2 male lions having a munch on a hippo for breakfast.

We also saw a cheetah attempt to hunt down a gazelle. One day we went for a whole day safari to the Mara North area- we were lucky to see a rhino and her calf, lions having a sleep, wildebeest in their tens of thousands migrating over from the Serengeti- at one point all across the horizon were wildebeest. We also saw a group of wildebeest cross the river as part of the migration - an amazing sight (they all made it across - no crocodiles around!). It was also lovely to see some of the smaller animals - we saw several eagles, dik diks, loads of baboons (including a small baby attempting to climb up a bush), and mongoose to name a few.

Our guide, Lucy, was absolutely amazing. So knowledgeable about the animals and always knew exactly where she was going and where she could hopefully find different animals. She did a great job of showing us the wide variety of animals in the Mara. We feel very privileged to have been guided by one of the very few female guides out in the Mara.

Tangulia Mara feels extra special being the first Maasai-owned and run camp in the Mara, and it is clear how proud both the owners Jackson and Dominic and all their staff are of their camp and what they have achieved with making this amazing special place. Definitely an unforgettable experience."

"Having been on safari for a week, we were ready for some rest and relaxation, which Kinondo Kwetu certainly provided. It feels like an island oasis- so private and secluded with almost nobody else on the beach. The hotel is set across a huge area of land with rooms well spread out in different buildings, so you often walk around wondering where all the other guests are. Our room was really spacious with a lovely balcony from where we could sit and relax whilst sometimes watching the monkeys up in the trees.

Meals were delicious and varied - lobster for dinner on our first night was an impressive surprise! They were also very accommodating to people who wanted something different for one of the courses. I don't eat fish but they were organised and knew this and I enjoyed plenty of steak and chicken amongst other dishes during our stay. The very attentive and caring waiters were always eager to make sure we were happy with everything on the menu.

It was also great to see some Kenyan wine on the drinks menu - I thoroughly recommend both of the Leleshwa white wines which we enjoyed with our lunch and dinner. A wide variety of freshly made cocktails was also on offer, as well as bar snacks if you somehow had room in between meals. We did enjoy the yummy banana crisps and mango avocado salsa as a little pre-dinner snack. The hotel also had plenty of games we could borrow- we enjoyed a few games of Jenga before dinner!

The hotel also like to keep you on your toes - with dinner being served in different places around the hotel each evening, sometimes by the main house, sometimes out on the beach, etc. This meant the tables were really well spread out across the grounds and helped to maintain the peaceful atmosphere. Eating lunch on the beach watching the waves coming in was wonderful.

We made good use of the hotel's main swimming pool - a large curved pool measuring around 25x25m, a great space with more than enough room so it never felt even slightly crowded. Loads of very comfy sunbeds by the pool and along the beach were great for relaxing before or after lunch. Very comfy cushions to rest your head on.

We borrowed one of the hotel's kayaks several times during our stay to paddle along the coast a bit and we also went for a sailing trip in a traditional dhow with a very experienced local fisherman. Amazing to see how fast a simple wooden boat can go. The other trip we did was to 'Robinson Island', a sandbank which only exists at low tide. Beautiful place and we did some great snorkelling both here and from the sailing boat.

If you do book this hotel, make sure you visit the local community's small shop on the beach - they have some lovely handmade items and they made us some lovely wooden animal keyrings with our names intricately carved into them.

Overall, this is the perfect place to relax and unwind after a busy safari. All the staff are so helpful and the location is incredible- so picturesque and peaceful."