ผผู้เข้าพักI 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.
MMrs_TewsonI 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 ***** 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!
IIshaGreat 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.