Mara Intrepids Tented Camp
This tented camp offers comfort without letting luxury intrude on the African bush experience...
This tented camp offers comfort without letting luxury intrude on the African bush experience...
A secure place with small, mosquito net-clad rooms, some decidedly brighter than others. The shared toilets pass the nostril test and there is a private TV lounge/restaurant upstairs.
This has always been a great option, with bungalows, cabins and cottages to choose from. After major renovations were completed in mid-2005, it's now better than ever. It has the usual top-end facilities, with the added attraction of a hippo pool.
Masai Mara's only ecolodge is an incredibly friendly place. Solar panels provide power, organic waste is composted and dirty water is reused to water the grounds.
This dishevelled campsite has tin-shack toilets and no running water. Dog-eared tents (some with beds, some without) are for rent. Prices include a 'security' fee (not that you get much).
Located 3km south of town near Hippo Point's turn-off, this welcoming place has a homey feel. Cooking facilities, solid-rock sofas (sit slowly or risk a broken arse) and cramped rug-clad rooms, with fans and the odd balcony, call Joy's home.
Offering friendly 1st-class service, this old dame is Kisumu's most luxurious hotel.
While this blindingly white option is slightly past its prime, its leafy and sporty surrounds make for an entertaining stay. The rooms are huge and those upstairs have lovely shaded balconies with lake views.
Built to resemble a futuristic Maasai village, Serena is the most colourful lodge in the reserve. Hip rooms, with vibrant curved walls and Juliet balconies, line a ridge and overlook the grassy plains below.
Rooms here surround a sunny courtyard and offer good value. The singles are small but squeaky clean, while the twins are more sizeable and comfy. The suites are perfect for families and the courtyard is an ideal spot for weary vehicles to snooze.
Although less atmospheric than it's neighbour, Hotel Palmers, this hotel's rooms offer more character. The bathrooms are rather aged.
While rundown, this is a very friendly place to stay. The rooms are small and have TVs (only a bonus if you speak Swahili).
Just outside the Masai Mara National Reserve, on the Talek River's scenic north bank, is this up-and-coming option. Joining the bare-bones campsite will soon be Masai Mara's first midrange tented safari camp.
This camp, and Little Governors' Camp have tents similar to those at Kichwa Tembo Camp (grass-mat floors, stone bathrooms) and offer great service, pleasing riverside locations and activities a-plenty.
Almost 10km north of Oloololo gate and sitting up the Esoit Oloololo Escarpment, Mpata offers Mara's grandest views and most luxurious accommodation.
The 30 permanent tents offer comfort, four-poster canopy beds and stone bathrooms. A lovely pool, complete with diving board, sits riverside. Recent renovations make tents 12, 26, 27 and 30 the brightest of the bunch.
An understated place with a perceptible warmth to its atmosphere. The rooms are on the small side, but they see some sun, have decent bathrooms and are home to breezy fans.
The polar opposite of Siana Springs, Sarova's semi-permanent tents reek of luxury and lack bush charm.
Subscribe now and receive a 20% discount on your next guidebook purchase
© 2013 Lonely Planet. All rights reserved. No part of this site may be reproduced without our written permission.