Mara River Lodge

The gardens are well kept, and watching hippos is a highlight. The staff were nice too, though the bar manager William was so eager to be friendly that it was hard to interact with him because he couldn’t hear. Most of the buffet food was bland and seemed aimed at Indian tastes, which I usually like. Drinks with full board were limited to tea or coffee. Some staff ate from the buffet while guests were dining, and the food left out was cold. The rooms were cramped and poorly maintained. Power was only on for a few hours morning and evening, and half the lights flickered. There are no window screens, so you have to shut the windows to stop monkeys ransacking the room, which leaves it warm and musty. The hot water system used to be solar but has been changed to wood or coal, making the rooms smoky. There’s lots of hot water but hardly any cold, so the shower can be scalding or just a weak trickle of warm water. You can hear neighbors talking or snoring. It’s clear the place hasn’t been renovated in years, and for the price I expected more compared with other off-grid camps in Kenya. Getting there takes about three hours on rough gravel after leaving the asphalt near Norok, itself another three hours from Nairobi. The lodge is in the conservancy, where there’s an extra $80 per person per night, paid in cash regardless of whether you do game drives. There are no more lions in the area, apparently driven off by the Massai, so you need at least an hour’s drive to Massai Mara for a chance of seeing them. Other wildlife is still pretty good, though so many camps and Massai villages make it feel almost like a neighborhood. The hippo viewing and nice staff were the only things keeping this from zero stars. Given the choice again, I’d pay more for somewhere better or skip it.

The hippos can be seen from the dining area, and the lodge is close to the Mara River. The food was good, mostly Indian cuisine, and the place was clean. Rooms were okay, though there were no fans and not much ventilation. We kept the windows open for air, but the room still didn’t feel claustrophobic. Electricity was available only in the morning, from 5 to 7, and in the evening until 10:30. It’s near lemak conservancy and about an hour from the masai mara gate. Five stars for the friendly staff.

We booked three nights and left after two. Looking back, we would have paid more for better accommodation, and we definitely won’t return. The lodge is almost 90 minutes from the park entrance, so the game drives are very long. The staff were friendly, and being right by the Mara river meant we could watch Hippos all day. But the rooms were poor, with stained, dirty linen and towels. The water smelled and sometimes didn’t look clean. Food was below par, with lots of Indian options, and the pool water looked awful. One of the worst stays we’ve ever had.

We loved the setting right on the Mara River, with lots of wildlife around and the Mara River Airstrip just two minutes away. The staff were fantastic and friendly. We’ll be back!