Hotels met bar in Narok, Kenya

I booked this amazing Mara resort on my own (after getting scammed by a Nairobi safari agency which disappeared). If you want to experience the famous Mara game drives, but don’t want to “rough it out in the tents”, this resort offers familiar 5-star luxury hotel-style rooms (fully enclosed with floor-to-ceiling windows), right along the famous Mara River. I woke up to sounds of hippo frolicking in the river, I was well fed with made-to-order meals, and even surprised with a romantic riverside candlelight dinner, and a bush sundowner. As I visited the resort during June before the peak safari season, I basically had the whole resort to myself. My safari driver Lucas was amazing and kept in constant contact with his driver friends to obtain latest information about wildlife sightings, and I had to the great fortune of seeing all the big 5 animals, including the endangered rhino. As mentioned before, I booked this resort on my own, so I contacted Helen from reservations, and she sorted out my private airport pickup from Nairobi Airport (US$270 per trip), as well as to provide food allergy information. The nearest airstrip to the resort is Keekorok Airport (about 45 mins drive), and if you book the all-inclusive package, airstrip transfers to Keekorok is included as well. In summary, if you want to experience a true 5-star luxury Mara safari (at a small fraction of the Ritz/JW), Pristine Mara Bay Lodge is no doubt my absolute recommendation. I cannot repeat this enough, Pristine Mara Bay Lodge was the most wonderful safari experience for me, and please come with small USD bills to tip the absolutely amazing staff, nothing seemed too difficult for them, and they will greatly appreciate it.

I stayed at Fig Tree Camp for 5 days in February with my son and his family. We were looked after extremely well for our whole stay. We were picked up at the airport strip by Julius, our driver, and our guide, also called Julius! Made remembering names more easily! We were taken on safari immediately and saw lions and giraffes before heading to the camp. We were met with cool drinks and cloths before giving our details to the wonderful receptionist, Sheila. We were shown our tents, overlooking a bend in the river, where we were able to see (and hear) hippopotamus and their babies. We took a balloon trip, arriving just before dawn and we rose into the air as the sun rose over the land. It was a magical experience and Thom, our captain, was very knowledgeable about the animals we saw. Once we had landed, we were driven for our amazing champagne breakfast before being whisked off on safari again. Our driver and guide were very good and found out where the animals were, we were lucky enough to see a leopard - one of the 50 in the park. We were also amazed to find ourselves in the middle of a herd of elephants and babies, who moved so quietly for all their bulk. We were also in the right place to watch hunting lionesses, even though they didn't make a kill that time. Every time we went out, we saw amazing animals in their habitat. We also had 2 picnic meals in the bush, it felt quite bizarre to be able to sit outside to eat in a place where lions, elephants and cheetahs roamed. I can recommend Fig Tree Camp and the great staff there. If you are thinking of visiting the Massai Mara, head for Fig Tree Camp!

We absolutely loved this camp! The double tent is well equipped and beautifully decorated. The staff were all amazing! Each night, our bed had hot water bottles in it, making it so cozy and warm. Early morning wake-up calls included coffee and milk delivered to the room. From the time we arrived to the time we left, we felt pampered. Big shout out to our safari guide Samson and his intern Felix. Samson knew exactly where to go to find the wildlife and explained everything to us, from the animal feces to their mating rituals. We could not have had a better guide. Another shout out to Daisy and Duncan at reception, Dinah in the restaurant, Marc the conservationist, John who delivered our wake up calls, Loisiana in the restaurant, Debbie who told us so much about Masai culture, and Robert the Masai village chief’s son. Also, Ben who assisted us with getting to the hot air balloon safari. Make time to visit the village to learn about the culture, be patient and kind to everyone, especially your safari guide, and be sure to tip! They deserve it! The location is perfect, the bed is comfortable, and can’t say enough about the staff! Definitely highly recommended!

We had the most amazing, authentic safari experience in Masai Mara staying at Julia’s River Camp. We stayed in the VIP Camp for 4 days and their service was excellent. The staff were friendly and helpful, and attentive to our needs. The tent/room was clean and was newly renovated (just middle of this year, I heard). It is right in front of the river so it has the best view, especially during sunrise. I already miss the sound of the hippos in the morning. The game drives were excellent. It exceeded my expectation, thanks to our very experienced driver. The only down side is the food. Sometimes the chef’s cooking is bland, sometimes too salty, but I appreciate that they try to mix their menu with different dishes per meal for variety. Overall, Julia’s River Camp offered great value accommodations for the budget-friendly fees they charged. If you want better dining experience and fancy camp facilities, then choose the more luxury camp options. But if you’re looking for an affordable yet comfortable glamping experience, I’d say Julia’s (at least for their VIP Camp section) is a great choice.

Pros: location is excellent, very nice amenities, food is very good, and game drives with Moseka were also good (despite not finding a male lion). I was injured during this trip and the nurse Betty took great care while redressing my wounds. All staff were very polite. The property itself is beautiful. Wake up service and morning coffee delivery was a very nice personal touch. View of mara river and hippos grunting away will never be forgotten. Cons: disorganised staff - they didn't know we were on our honeymoon trip despite telling them in advance. Phone did not work in the room and our room was in the far wing of the property. There were a lot of staff at the property who mentioned that they are assigned to us specifically but then we had to rely on the other staff. During checkout, they couldn't figure out we had prepaid in advance. They booked hot air balloon for us on the day of checkout only to then later rush us to pack in hurry when they could have simply told us to keep our luggage ready a day in advance.

The hotel is located in the Mala Delta, but there are not actually many animals here in October when there is not a big migration. It's better located on Ashnil's side. If the cheap season price can live, the peak season price is fine

Fantastic location and friendly staff. Excellent helpful staff and a great all inclusive meal choice. Would highly recommend as it’s close to the Sekenani gate of the Maasai Mara game park. Thank you everyone for a fantastic stay.👍

Great tent, amazing location by mara river. You can hear hippos grunting throughout night. The morning are beautiful with birds chirping all around. They also had the option for night safari which was an amazing experience.

Outstanding!! Customer service was excellent. The rooms we clean with fresh water. We felt very safe. I will recommend all to stay. Meal are clean as the food was delicious. Staff was very attentive to guests.

The room is very large and spacious. At night, it will come in to spray mosquitoes and pull mosquito nets. The monkey at the door is also very friendly. It will not grab food. The food level is not bad. The overall environment is very quiet. It seems that this is the number one choice for travel agencies.