Jambo,

I will be visiting the Masai Mara in June 2010. I'm looking for a lodge or camp and am considering the Royal Mara, Kichwa Tembo or Serena but am sitill in researching and would welcome any thoughts or recommendations about where to stay. Also, does anyone have any experience visiting KEnya this time of year. We may also do a two day visit to Amboseli.

Thanks!

PT

Hi Jambo

I just got back froma Safari about 3 weeksago.

I stayed at the Mara Serena Lodge, and I can tell you it is very nice.

Actually there may be better Parks to go go than Amboslei, maybe in June it would be green and the animals will have more food but right now ...it is a dust bowl with starving dying animals.

For the month of June......I will let others who have been there in June answer .

Royal Mara--don't know

Mara Serena--I've been before and am looking at it for my next Mara visit because of its good location and reasonable cost. It is a big lodge.

Kichwa Tembo--Here are some comments from others.
http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...pidsserena.cfm

http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...masai-mara.cfm

It seems you are looking at a wide array of places and therefore I'll suggest you also consider Little Governor's and Mara Intrepids or Mara Explorer.

I'd go to Amboseli first before the Mara. It does get dusty as the dry season wears on. June should have less dust. After 3 years of drought, the conditions now are atypical. At least we all hope it is atypical. There are reports at this moment of rain around Kenya, so hopefully in Amboseli as well.

PT123, I've stayed at Kichwa Tembo in June and found it not very crowded, the Mara was lovely as always. Green, plenty of animals, not crowded, good weather. We had some thunderclouds but no rain as such. KT is quite a big tented camp but we enjoyed ourselves there, nonetheless. We did have a private vehicle and our own guide (not KT 4x4 and guide) so I don't know what their game drives are like.
Didn't go to Amboseli that trip, we went to Tsavo East which was great, and we went north as well. If you don't mind missing the migration and want to save money and have a less crowded experience, June is a winner in my eyes.

I reguarly travel in June and find it's wonderful - weather, prices, no crowds. However, as the migration hasn't arrived in the Mara by June, any of the camps or lodge would be good. Depends on what you are looking for and budget.

Serena is a lodge (about 65-70/rooms) and well sited in the middle of the Reserve. Kichwa Tembo is a large camp with 30/tents immediately outside the Triangle to the west. Royal Mara is small with only 8/large well appointed tents on the adjacent No. Mara Conservancy a bit north of the Reserve, but where you can do bush walks and night game drives.

June is mid-season for prices most places, so good if budget is an issue.

If you wish another park, I'd suggest you visit any before the Mara... "saving the best for last." I'd suggest Samburu, but because of the farther distance (6/hrs from Nairobi) than if choosing Amboseli (4.5/hrs), you can fly north and then from here to the Mara. Samburu also has species not found elsewhere.

I got a feedback by a friend who stayed at Royal Mara in Sep 2008:

- Location and tents were awesome.
- TV-Set in the background running each evening (not only for sports emergencies!) which spoilt the safari atmosphere
- plastic chairs in the mess tent which was rather strange and not fitting into the whole concept providing an atmosphere like a trucker restaurant.
- having lunch at the hippopool was very nice
- meals were good
- staff did lack education in view to service
- owner and son were more "rustic" and not the type of hosts we were used to particularly on safari.
obviously they are planning to build an additional viewing platform.

Above remarks are 2 years old at the time you travel. Some things might have changed/improved.

Kichwe Tembo as well as Serena are rather huge venues. So assuming the Royal Mara has improved it will provide a totally different safari experience.

Happy planning!

SV

This is great, thank you everyone. I'm sure that it will be fantastic whereever we end up staying.

You got it, PT123, it will be.

: - )

: - )

I also suggest you start with Amboseli then you finish with Mara as your highlight!

Just returned from both of the Porini camps there - Porini Mara and Porini Lion. Both are wonderful - good food, everything is included (including G&T's and of courses beer and wine). Facilities are good with great beds, nightly hot water bottles for your feet, large bathrooms. The guides and spotters are terrific. Jeeps are custom designed with sides and tops that completely unzip, seats staggered in tiers so that none are obstructed. Cleanliness is important to them, also, and we saw only one spider in our tent the whole 9 nights. Security is also good, with nightly patrols of Masai warriers and guards with assault rifles. Service couldn't be better, with friendly staff and "can do" attitudes all around. Claire

Sorry PT i must hijack here....

Claire
Have you heard of the incidents at Entim and Naibor the later in Oct (I think 9th) and Entim in Sep?
The guards with rifles were they deployed recently due to these incidents?

Would be great if you can share any knowledge.

THX!

SV

Since we are discussing camps, here's a question. Is Offbeat Mara part of the nearby conservancy now? I saw that it was not awhile back and that meant no game drives on that conservancy.

<b>ClaireDavid2</b>, will you be doing a report on what you saw at those camps?

ClaireDavid2, I see your report "Porini Camps and Shompole Camps"

Claire, what was the seat configuration in the Porini vehicles?

PT123, I am meeting Patty in Tsavo June 2010 but may also be able to squeeze in Mara--so we might cross paths!

Lynn -

>>>Is Offbeat Mara part of the nearby conservancy now? I saw that it was not awhile back and that meant no game drives on that conservancy.<<<

Offbeat appears to be smack in the middle of the now North Masai Mara Conservancy.

Leely - Driver and spotter in front of course, then 3 rows of seats, 2 per row with center aisle (to hold the necessary cooler of water and Tusker... and okay Diet Coke also). Everybody has a window and each row is tiered up in height so that last row sits the highest and no one has an obstructed view. Claire