10 Best Luxury Masai Mara Safari Lodges & Camps

By Anthony Ham

The Masai Mara, with its signature tree-dotted plains, is a classic safari destination in southwestern Kenya. It is home to 95 mammal species. So, expect a year-round wealth of wildlife, from big cats to elephant, rhino, buffalo, giraffe, topi and more. The Mara is also famously home to the annual great migration of wildebeest and zebra between July or August and October or November. See them kick up dust as they move in search of grazing with predators on their trail. Experience the drama of river crossings that pit them against hungry crocodiles.

With this abundance of wildlife, it’s no surprise that Masai Mara National Reserve and its surrounding private conservancies offer many safari lodges. You can stay in one of these lodges to get close to the action. Here are 10 of the best Masai Mara safari lodges.

The accommodations below are not ranked in a specific quality order.

1,596 Masai Mara Safaris

1. Sarova Mara Game Camp

Sarova Mara Game Camp is an excellent camp in a privileged position inside Masai Mara NR

Understated (but unmistakable) luxury is what Sarova Mara Game Camp is all about. Light African hardwoods dominate the furnishings, enhancing the natural light and the earth tones make for a relaxing color scheme. Leafy grounds, a resort-style swimming pool, a semi-outdoor wellness and spa center and a classy bar all add to the overall sense of peace. Although the lodge is close to Sekenani Gate, it actually has its own game-drive area where others rarely stray, making for a low-key but wildlife-rich safari experience. You’re also well placed for exploring further into the reserve and beyond.

85 Sarova Mara Safaris

2. Mara Serena Safari Lodge

Mara Serena Safari Lodge Mara Serena sits high on a hill in the heart of the Masai Mara

Perched high on a hill in the heart of the Masai Mara National Reserve, Mara Serena is simply superb. Few other Masai Mara safari lodges can match these views, whether from the swimming pool, room terraces, or from elsewhere in the grounds.

There are so many possible highlights. When the migration is passing through, the massed herds of wildebeest and zebra seem to fill the earth. When towering storm clouds form over the distant escarpment it can feel like Africa at its wildest. And when an elephant family crosses the plains down below, there is definitely magic in the air. Safari character fills the large rooms, and staff get right the mix between casual and professional, making for a fun stay.

92 Mara Serena Safaris

3. Ashnil Mara Camp

Ashnil Mara Camp Ashnil Mara is a luxury tented camp deep inside Masai Mara NR

Inhabiting a forest that rises from a bend in the Mara River, Ashnil Mara feels very much a part of the wild Mara that surrounds it. The attractive and supremely comfortable safari tents here come with wooden desks, chests and polished wooden floorboards that extend out onto the ample private terraces, some with river views. There’s a spa with a long list of possible treatments, an appealing swimming pool and a wonderful deck restaurant where you can look down onto the river.

Another highlight is that the camp is in a quiet corner of the Mara with very few other camps and lodges for neighbors. This means there are rarely many other vehicles around and you have lion and elephant sightings all to yourself, something that is becoming increasingly rare in the Mara these days.

57 Ashnil Mara Safaris

4. Entim Mara Camp

Entim Mara Camp This designer camp is a luxurious experience in a wildlife-rich area of the Masai Mara

Now here’s something special. Entim Mara looks like it’s had a designer pick the best of safari decor (wood, wrought iron, brass bathroom fittings) and then let the Mara weave its magic. The muted color scheme creates a restful, almost calming effect, and you can very easily lie in bed and look out across the savannah from the slight rise atop which the camp sits. At night lie awake and listen for lions or step out onto your private terrace and try to count the stars.

Well-placed for when the migration is in the Mara and known for its expert guides, Entim does fine dining (also with views) as well.

33 Entim Mara Safaris

5. Emayian Luxury Camp

Emayian Luxury Camp Emayian is a high-end camp surrounded by trees close to Masai Mara NR

Just outside the eastern boundary of the Masai Mara National Reserve, enveloped by trees and with good views from its elevated position, Emayian is enduringly popular for all the right reasons. The camp has all the facilities you’d expect from a camp of this reputation, including a swimming pool, a handful of bars and restaurants, and even a children’s adventure playground. And the rooms are blissfully well spaced, ensuring that you’re far more likely to hear animals in the night than your neighbors.

Being this close to the reserve also means you can be looking for animals soon after you leave camp on every game drive.

33 Emayian Safaris

6. Soroi Mara Bush Camp

Soroi Mara Bush Camp has attractive safari tents by the river in Olare Orok Conservancy

In a glorious setting filled with trees and surrounded on three sides by the Olare Orok River, Soroi Mara is inside the Olare Orok Conservancy, which is known for its incredible predator sightings. Handcrafted furnishings give much character to both the intimate safari tents and the more expansive public areas. There are so many trees here that there’s a real sense of inhabiting one of the Masai Mara’s forests and almost as soon as you step outside, you’re right alongside the riverbank. And because you’re in a conservancy, there are very few other camps (and safari vehicles) nearby.

22 Soroi Mara Safaris

7. Elewana Sand River Masai Mara

Elewana Sand River Masai Mara Elewana Sand River is a luxury experience in a quiet but animal-filled area close to Tanzania

Almost as far as you can go in the Mara without falling into Tanzania, the Elewana Sand River is superb. This is the Mara at its best and located far from other Masai Mara safari lodges. Tents are spread out across the savannah and you’ll love the feeling of being part of this wildly beautiful ecosystem. Wildlife, including elephants, often wander through the camp, and the night silence is only interrupted by the roar of lions.

With luxury tents with outdoor showers, fabulous views of river and grasslands, fantastic wildlife sightings likely very close to camp, a pool and a restaurant, this fine place really does offer the ultimate Mara experience.

17 Sand River Safaris

8. &Beyond Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp

&Beyond Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp Kichwa Tembo has luxury safari tents overlooking the savannah in the Mara Triangle

In a private concession bordering the Masai Mara you’ll find the elegant Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp, truly one of the elite Masai Mara safari camps. Laid out in a patch of forest along the Sabaringo River on the edge of the Oloololo Escarpment (also called the Siria Escarpment) it has sweeping views of the plains.

Relax and unwind in spaces infused with romance and contemporary (almost minimalist Scandinavian) African style. Watch as warthog feed outside your luxury tent. Take a dip in the rim-flow pool with its wide views of the Mara. Enjoy a soothing massage. Float in a hot-air balloon above the horseshoe bends of the Mara River. Watch a river crossing during the great migration. Fuel your wildlife passion with game drives and guided nature walks. For a change of pace, interact with the local Maasai through talks and dancing.

20 Kichwa Tembo Safaris

9. Amani Mara Camp

Amani Mara Camp In the Olare Orok Conservancy northeast of the main reserve, Amani Mara is right by the rive

Amani Mara Camp, in Olare Orok Conservancy just northeast of the main reserve, has an African feel with stone-and-canvas rooms and earthy colour schemes. Your private deck is the ideal place to soak up the expansive view and keep an eye out for animals on the plains.

Cool off in the heat of the day at the camp’s swimming pool or watch hippo and crocodile in the river. Enjoy a bush breakfast or lunch made with fresh produce from the camp’s organic gardens. Go on a night drive to spot nocturnal species such as leopard, lion, spotted hyena, porcupine and civet. Explore on foot, safe in the hands of a Maasai guide who will teach you about the Mara environment. Visit a Maasai manyatta (village) to see how the local community lives in harmony with animals. Treat yourself to an early morning hot-air balloon ride for a bird’s-eye view of the Mara’s savannah and wildlife.

22 Amani Mara Safaris

10. Karen Blixen Camp

Situated in a forest along the banks of the Mara River, Karen Blixen Camp is secluded and exclusive

Karen Blixen Camp operates from a stunning position by the rushing waters of the Mara River, deep in a forest and with views of the Oloololo Escarpment. It’s also a part of the Mara North Conservancy, which is one of the richest areas for wildlife anywhere in East Africa. Some of the best areas for seeing animals are just a few minutes away from camp.

Super-friendly service is a feature here, and there’s a terrific massage centre. You can dine right by the riverbank as hippos wallow on the far bank. The tents face out onto the river and they’re delightfully spacious with a writing desk and wooden chest that evokes the period when Karen Blixen herself went on safari in Kenya.

Karen Blixen Safaris