We will be in the Mara end of July and the tour operators all reccommend Mara Serena in case there is a river crossing then. We generally don't like big lodges. Is Mara Serena really the best place to stay in case we get lucky and the wildebeest are crossing?

Last time we stayed at Little Governnors and did get lucky with the crossing, but we can't quite afford Little Governors this time.

Any other good choices?

There are a number of crossing points in the Mara, and there is one right outside of the Serena. Often, you don't even have to leave the lodge to view; with powerful binocs and/or great zoom camera lense... you might get lucky.

Yes, the Serena is a lodge, but don't think "big" hotel. They might have 65-75/rooms, which compared to mega resorts, a la Las Vegas... this is tiny. Sure, it's not Little Govs, but if the price is right, Serena is a good choice.

There really aren't that many choice near or close to crossing points that are inexpensive. Often small camps that will cost more than the Serena.

It's where I'll stay for location and pricing next time. I'd like a camp Rekero or even Little Gov, but for pricing will go with Serena. I was there before and it was very good.

Re Mara Serena, with that many rooms, possibly 130 guests, how do they organize game drives? Do they send out <b>20</b> vehicles !?!?

regards - tom

I think a lot of people staying at the Mara Serena have their own vehicle and driver that they bring with them (we did a 10-day driving safari all around Kenya and had the same driver and vehicle the entire time). One thing he did at this lodge was to meet us around 6am so we could head down the hill and get going for the day before the other cars did. And in fact, we rarely saw more than 1 or 2 other cars on game drives -- he was quite good at keeping us away from any crowds.

As far as lodges go, we really enjoyed our stay at the Mara Serena, and the only time we felt like we were in a "big hotel" was at meal times (which, to me, was the least important part of the trip, anyway!). This may have changed, but when we were there in 2007 this lodge was the only one allowed to do night game drives inside the park. That's the only time we went for a game drive in a lodge-owned vehicle, and there were 6 of us, plus guide and spotter. We had a fabulous 3-night stay in the Mara, and thought the location of this lodge was great.

I know people are most fond of the small tented camps, but there is something to be said for staying within your budget!

I'll have my own vehicle too and did the last time too. But I'd be willing to share in the future if that's what fits my budget.