What would you choose for the Mara? Please help
 

We are still planning but plans are progressing. Now we will have to choose between either
- Naibor
- Entim
- Mara Bush
- Mara Explorer
for the first few days in the Mara and between
- Olonana
- Richards
- Cottars
- Elephant Pepper
for the last few days in the Mara.

What would you choose (we like night drives...)???

Thanks for help.
steffid

A few years we stayed at Olonana. It was the best camp we had. They kept us as busy as we wanted, with a great night drive. ((*))

Still for August, from your other thread? yes?

Well, wide variety and prices. Are these the ones being offered for your dates of travel, or you have chosen? And, as my previous replies, you have to consider the road transfer between the camps.

Explorer the most expensive in the 1st group; Cottar's in the 2nd group. You've already been to Olonana as I recall.

So why not Naibor or Entim combined with Richards or Elephant Pepper. The night game drives will come with the 2nd group.

Jed, thanks. Olonana is indeed very nice.

Sandi, yes, still planning for august... I dont get a flight back, which makes me nervous.

Just had a phone call from a friend reporting that Naibor changed a lot. The management is bad and the food poor.

Did you have a comparable information?

As to Mara Bush Camp, is this camp nice? Have you been there? The same friend told me that it would be best for the migration...

Puhhhhhh, I dont know what to choose. It is so difficult ;-)))

Naibor has gone down hill. They have been through 3 sets of management couples in the last 3 months. Food has gone downhill, as has the camp. Recently they hosted a group of 54, meaning a mobile camp was set up in their grounds, which meant they had to clear bush, etc., around the camp.

I just spent the weekend at Mara Explorer. Game was fantastic. We saw the Big 5 in 24 hours. Their new vehciles are very spacious and comfortable with fridges. Food is still excellent, service unbeatable, tents very comfortable (ask for Tent 4. Best views with a sand bank and river full of hippo). I have never gone wrong with Explorer and everyone I have met have always enjoyed it.

Thank you so much!! Mara Explorer seems to be excellent but is very expensive as well. So would you go for a split between Mara Bush Camp and Mara Explorer?
We have 7 nights in the Mara.

Go to Serian, its fantastic!!

Serian is fantastic, especially their new tents, but also expensive as are their daily park fees.

Mara Bush? Where is this. Is this the Siria Bush Camp. The only Mara Bush Camp I can recall closed a few years back.

If, as you list, Mara Bush and Explorer, both are inside the reserve, so no night drives. If Naibor isn't up to snuff, stay away.

Of those outside the Mara on group ranch land, the least expensive is Elephant Pepper. Olonana (you've been), Richard's and Cottar's are all expensive, as is Explorer.

One that has gotten good reviews from the few who have been and posted here on Fodor's is Royal Mara, a bit north of Elephant Pepper. Small, 6/tents, all river facing. Ol Seki is another, but also expensive.

If you want something way off the beaten path, there is Saruni's Campi ya Tembo, with only 3/bedouin style tents, but a ratio of 1:1 staff/clients. Ensuite loo, flush toilet, running water, bucket showers. Good for walking safaris, lots of ellees and giraffe out this way. About a 30/min drive from Main Saruni; priced in the same range as Elephant Pepper.

Sandi,
Mara Bush is not far from Explorer, not the same camp as Mara Siria which is outside of the reserve to the northwest.

From their website www.marabushcamp.com looks like they target a German clientele.

I think the camp you're thinking of that was closed a few years back is Mara River.

So many Mara whatevers ;)

Patty -

Thanks!
Yes, German (and no option for another language, tres tres strange)
Yes, too many camps with similar names.

warum?

spricht man hier kein deutsch?

:S-

tschuss.

I've been to quite a few camps in the Mara in the last few years and, overall, I would rank Explorer highest. However, I recently visited Royal Mara which is also very nice and, if you book direct, it will be cheaper than Explorer. I would guess that if you booked direct for August the owner would offer for around $300 pppn plus $40 park fees - perhaps even a bit less. Let me know if you want his email address.

Phil

Sandi, you are really so much help, thank you so much for all the recommendations!!!

Indeed, Mara Bush Camp seems to be a "german camp". I saw this on a website of sunworld safaris, which is an operator domiciled in Nairobi but the couple running it seems to be austrian-kenyan (she is austrian) so they look for german speaking people. They offer the camp for a real good rate so it seems they run the camp by themselves. I was told that sunworld safari is the biggest operator in Kenya now with more than 50 vehicles. You heard of it?

Phil, a direct contact would be great. USD 300 pppn is much cheaper than what they give us through operators. I never heard of Royal Mara. Do you have a webpage?

sorry always beeing late but I am on european time...

Phil, I found Royal Mara in the internet. It seems to be a lodge not a camp so it is no need to give me the contacts. We absolutely prefer camps.

I think we go for Mara Explorer in combination with another camp for cost saving aspects. 7 nights in Explorer is definitely too expensive.

Another question: Elephant Bedroom seems to go down, facilities bad and food is not eatable. Sasaab is much too expensive, so we go for Larsens. OK?

Royal Mara is indeed a tented camp. See: www.royalmara.com/

Comment re Elephant Bedroom seem strange; recent report posted here indicated it was outstanding. Where did you read those comments?

Larsen's though does get excellent reviews. And, there's also the new Saruni Samburu... not in the park, but on private land so night drives are done.

Steffid


As Sandi says, Royal Mara is a tented camp. The sleeping accomodation is actually a tent surrounded by a wood outer 'casing' - if that makes sense ! if you want the genuinely wild experience go for Royal Mara as it is much more remote than Explorer. If you want canvas without any wood go for Explorer !

The camp owner is George Sphixas, email [email protected].

Phil

Phil,
thanks a lot for the contacts. Pics on the webpage look very nice, I will try to contact the owner.
Saw, that they indicate a pack of wilddogs nearby - I never saw them, this is a big dream. The seem to be outside the parc so we would have to pay parc entrance fees every day. I will check this.

Sandi,

as for Elepant bedroom, I will try to get the report. I have the information from an operator who just had clients there. Do you know somebody who stayed there in the last weeks? It is cheaper than Larsens but looks much better in the internet and seems to be much smaller...

steff -

From trip report by MyDogKyle

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=4

scroll down to Day 4 where she mentions Elephant Bedroom tents, staff and meals.

That's the best I can do. It's a relatively new camp opened last year.

If contacting Royal Mara, be sure they provide not only the daily room rate, but also daily park fees. Located on private group ranch lands, their is park fee for the Mara and maybe a small fee that goes to the owners of the group ranch.

Sandi,

MyDogKyles report sounds fantastic and with respect to the fact that Elephant Bedroom is less expensive than Larsens we will go for it. I tried to get the report I was talkong of, but strangely they couldn't find it... Perhaps they have special agreements with Larsens and therefore opt for it.

Our trip is nearly planned now...

How about this operator Sunworld Safari. You heard of it?

Steffid,
Go to Mara Bush Camp so that we get a report from there. Though I haven’t seen reports from Entim either. I’d choose Rekero among the expensive camps in that area.

If cost really is an issue, there’re less expensive camps, like Bushbuck, for your stay outside the reserve. If you want to do game drives inside the reserve or conservancy while staying on a group ranch you’ll have pay double park fees. The Koiyaki-Lemek tickets cost the same as the tickets for the national park.

I’ve visited Sunworld’s office in Wayaki Way. It was a nice office, but they couldn’t find me what I was looking for. Though I suppose I can’t blame them for that.