Travel reviews by Ms AF from London

"Karen Gables is a beautiful residence in the lovely neighborhood of Karen. We absolutely loved the space, it gave a truly personal boutique feel. We loved the outside dining spaces and the pool, as well as the extended grounds that made for a nice little walk in the afternoon.

Our junior suite was more than we could have expected, encompassing essentially an entire apartment, with a bedroom, full living room and bathroom. We had a very warm welcome on our first day, and we really appreciated the team's collaboration in helping us find a driver when we needed one on our way back.

The only thing we would call out is that the room we had on our second stay was a bit uncomfortable given there was no door to the bathroom at all, with the only barrier from the main bedroom being some wooden decorative walls."

"We genuinely couldn't have asked for a better place and team to stay with. We have only amazing things to say about Saruni Mara; from the well looked after lodges which were beautiful immersed in nature, to the absolutely stellar team that Duncan runs, we had an absolutely brilliant experience.

What truly amazed us was the attention to detail from the team in everything that they did. To call out a few examples of what one can expect from Saruni Mara;

- A dedicated server for all of your needs, who truly looks after you.

- An amazing chef and excellent food, with choices for every meal

- A well trained team that's tuned in to everything that's happening. We were pleasantly suprised when we realised that everyone (from the manager and our server to the guide that would take us to our room at night) knew all the details about our stay (how long we were staying, when we were leaving, where we were going to next).

- Brilliant housekeeping team : our room was made every single time we left the room, the blinds were shut in a timely manner without us having to ask, the team always left a personalised note and treat on our bed at night. The team also did an incredible job of decorating the room for a special anniversary.

- Excellent manager who made this a unique stay; From breakfast out by the river following a morning drive to helping us organise a private bush dinner, Duncan really made our time at Saruni Mara unforgettable.

- Deeply knowledgeable and well trained drivers that not only made sure we see as much as possible during our stay, but also took the time to answer our questions and educate us on the wildlife and Masai culture."

"Basecamp Eagle View is set up in an ideal location in the Naboisho Conservancy, with a beautiful view of the plains and nearby river, giving us many opportunities to spot animals from the lodge itself! It's excellent location is further complimented by the wildlife you can easily encounter immediately once you exit the lodge, having spotted a pride of lions nearby on one of our morning drivers and hearing hippo sounds during the night just a bit further down from our tent.

The facilities are wonderful, with some great sitting space in the main part of the lodge that allows you to take in the views and a pool as well. The tents were excellent as well, sitting high above ground, with a great viewing deck and full amenities inside (incl. a bathtub, desk, shower, etc.). Very well made and maintained.

The staff was quite friendly but at times, given the few guests at the time of our visit, could be hard to find with 1 or 2 people on average on the ground. The housekeeping team was excellent, with the room being cleaned every time we left the space and warm water bottles placed in each side of the bed every night ahead of our return. The food was also good, and we really appreciated the traditional African dishes that were made available on one of the days.

Our driver was great, clearly very knowledgeable and experienced, quick to make a sighting himself and to get us to where other sightings were being made. He was very friendly and always took the time to answer all of our questions, which was greatly appreciated."