We had mixed experiences here. On the first night, we were not provided with a mosquito net. There were many mosquitos in the room at night. The quality of the… read more food needs improvement. The room felt gloomy. We believe the owner realized our not so happy experience and he tried to rectify that by waiving off the laundry and drinks bill. That was a nice gesture from him. The owner was very friendly, we had nice discussions with him. We liked the ambience of the open air dinner which we had on the last night of our stay. Room and toilet were clean. Staff were helpful. View from the common/dining area was beautiful. I would rate it 3.5 star out of 5

  Unique experience! – Hello everyone!!!
We stayed here from October 10-13 and we have no words to describe the wonder of this facility….
First of all we arrived late in the evening and… read more they waited for us by making dinner just for us,beautiful rooms with small terrace directly on the majestic savannah,change towels every day and in the evening after dinner they make you find the hot water bag in the bed to warm it up because in the evening temperatures drop …breakfast,lunch ,dinner and packed lunch super with food even for intolerant people like me to whom they made find soy milk!
Maximum care and attention to the customer,all the staff kind and helpful always and surprises that I can not list because it is right and I hope you discover them yourself!
A magical experience that we highly recommend,a heartfelt thank you to all the staff of Amani Mara!
Elena and Alessio

  why I will go back to Amani Mara – I have been to the Masi Mara twice before. This boutique lodge is new since covid and I will not go any where else on my future visits. The vision… read more of the parents is now carried out by the two sons. Sam runs the lodge with perfect combination of guests comfort and a very happy and devoted staff. To be cared for by the Amani team is to be graced with luxury and surrounded by beauty (as well as guest safety). I still marvel at the construction of all the accommodations, food and the river just in front of the main lodge where you can see all the animals over a 24 hr period.
Sully the younger son is the head game drive person. Although young, he has a knowledge beyond his years. He knew where the animals would be and how they behaved. He has unending energy, enthusiasm and respect for the Mara animals (and he is also a sharp ‘birder’). After 5 days of game drives, he still found new experiences for us to see the animals and entertained us with stories and humor.
Have no hesitation to book here. It is a life changing experience.

  THE place to stay! – The best place to stay in the Maasai Mara! I love the history of this camp and how it has developed over the years. Super rooms, so comfy… read more and a true Kenyan Safari experience. The sound of the hypos every day was so magical it felt like being in a movie! The service and food was superb and I can’t recommend this lodge enough! Being able to hear all the different animal noises at night was a amazing!

  Once in a Life – Thanks our manager Geroge & his crews. Price worth. They upgraded us to a luxury Suite, no complaints. Thanks for all your works & tailor made meals… read more to us what we want. Appreciate. We did night game drive, guided bush walk, hot air balloon, bush dinner. It is incredible & must Once in a life.

  Children love it here too!  – We absolutely love Amani Mara. Everything about it – the accommodations, the food, the amazing staff, the setting, the safari drives and the family behind it all!
Wanted to… read more include two 7 year olds reviews of the place – including the safari animal count, the “bootiful” rooms and how friendly the family is (including the dog).
Seriously – everyone went out of their way to make the children’s stay extra special. For those of you thinking of bringing children!

  Amazing place  – We were only for two night in Amani Mara. It was an amazing stay and experience: we loved every second of our stay! Great and clean room, very friendly and… read more helpful staff. The owners are very nice and make you feel like beeing at home. Owner Sully joined our gamedrive with Fred: we learned so much about the nature, culture and animals. The camp is eco friendly.

Wish to come back again! The camp was selected by the touroperator Matoke Tours Nederland).

  A once in a lifetime experience! – All we can say is wow! This place is a must stay! My husband and I really loved all of the staff here. The camp is located right on a… read more river and you immediately can spot hippos, zebras, and many other kinds of wildlife as soon as you walk in. Sully and Sam are brothers who operate Amani and are incredibly knowledgeable, fun and hospitable. The nature walk with sully is a must! We heard wildlife all around the camp at night and in the morning, it was exciting! The food was delicious! The fireplace is lit at night and there is a beautiful pool overlooking the river. They have guards that roam the property all day and night to make it feel safe. I would definitely stay here again!

  Absolutely fantastic, with wonderful staff and stunning views of animals all over. The food is one of the highlights and is really special. The owners are also really fantastic people… read more who I am honored to have met. It is really a place where memories that will last a life time are made.

  The Jewel In Maasai Mara’s Crown – I stayed at Amani Mara for 3 weeks solo with the intention of healing and finding peace in nature and it was truly transformative. As I was there for a… read more significant amount of time, I wanted to provide a thorough review for other travelers and to recommend at least a 3 night stay as a lot of the other guests I socialized with were really bummed they had such a short stay planned after seeing the place!

LOCATION:
Amani Mara feels very exclusive and is not near other camps- wonderful as you’re not seeing the lights from other camps and hearing them making for an organic bush experience that doesn’t feel “commercial.” They are only 15 minutes from Maasai Mara park, and I could never tell the difference as the drive there was a safari with as much wildlife as the park! When I first arrived to Amani Mara, they have an unmarked yet beautiful entrance, and I was greeted by the manager and other staff who welcomed me with a cold towel (that smelled of lovely essential oils), a welcome drink, and then taken into the perched main area with a jaw dropping view of the savannah and a river directly below with resident hippos, crocodiles, you name it. I hadn’t realized that I would be able to spot wildlife from my dining table (and the entire property)!

POOL:
Their infinity pool is really gorgeous and on the hillside overlooking the river with wildlife. I appreciated their comfy loungers and attentive pool service serving drinks, etc.

DINING:
Speaking of dining, this was one of the reasons that I initially chose Amani Mara as they offer a hot breakfast, lunch, and dinner daily at the property (with picnic options for game drives, of course). Most of the other camps I explored only offered hot dinner options. I was shocked at how amazing and artisan the food was- they have even hired a new pastry chef and the desserts are divine! They accommodated all of my food sensitivities with substitutions and made me feel very comfortable doing so as their wait staff is very kind and professional. TIP: Do not miss their “Dinner Under The Stars” and Bush dinner options- they are so gorgeous with the same great food.

ROOMS:
Overall loved how all of Amani Mara blended into nature and was very private. The way it was built, no one else will pass by your “villa” as there is a pathway that veers off onto each room. Also, all of the villas are facing the river with views and I could not see any other villas from my viewing deck outside. Rooms have a natural feel giving a “ safari experience” but luxury touches that make them very comfortable.

WILDLIFE:
A big differentiator between Amani Mara and other options I considered is that it is unfenced and the experience feels very natural. One of my favorite memories is of the zebras who stopped by my room daily to “say hello”. You are completely safe on your viewing deck to watch wildlife, and you are escorted to your room in the evenings by a true Maasai security guard. I always felt safe.

GAME DRIVES TIP:
I learned to use the drivers that Amani Mara recommended as they have been doing this for YEARS and really had the inside scoop for the best experience. For ex, the driver received a call from other Maasai friends who shared a leopard sighting and we ended up being the only other vehicle there to witness it.

SERVICE:

As someone who loves luxury hotels,their service was BEYOND 5 star hotel Ben by United States standards. Silly, but I remember thinking “this must be how celebrities are treated at hotels” HA!

I was so impressed when another guest shared that the staff had prepared an earlier dinner for her kids by the pool where they were swimming, and then watched the children in their guest room while the parents had a romantic dinner in the dining room— at no additional charge! I found the staff very open to accommodating to guests as opposed to being rigid about things.

There were several evenings when lions or a leopard were found not far from the camp, and upon getting word from their security, the owners came into the main area to invite everyone to hop on their safari vehicle to go and see them. This was not counted as a “game drive” or anything of that sort- this is just how passionate they are about guest experiences and how “above and beyond” they do things.

As it’s family owned and managed, the brothers, Sam and Sully, have somehow mastered socializing with guests and making them feel comfortable without ever imposing on anyone. The entire staff wowed me with anticipating needs -remembering my favorite beverages, bringing me my favorite snack when they saw me in the dining, etc.

Amani Mara and Kenya have my heart forever and I CANNOT wait to return someday. Thank you for all of your hospitality and the memories I’ll have forever.

  A+++ Experience  – We were introduced to Amani Mara through a booking with Spirit of Kenya, and it truly was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The resort boasts a stunning view across the river, where… read more you can see hippos, crocodiles, giraffes, and more daily without ever leaving the premises. Perfectly situated in a prime area of Maasai Mara within a conservancy, you encounter an array of wildlife as soon as you step out.

Our room was beautiful, spacious, and impeccably clean, creating a wonderful ambiance for our stay and featuring a fantastic bathroom as well. The dining was exceptional, with multi-course dinners, a wide selection for breakfast, and top-quality packed lunches for our safaris. The resort also offers additional activities, including a night game drive (a must-do!), a bush dinner, and a nature walk, all of which greatly enhanced our experience.

However, the highlight of our stay was the staff. Their friendliness and thoughtfulness were unparalleled; we have never experienced such outstanding service. All our needs were attended to with the utmost kindness and professionalism at all times. Special shoutout to William, Sully and the rest of the staff, you guys were awesome!

  The best place to stay during your trip! – Our stay at the camp was fantastic! We stayed here for 3 nights and the staff made sure our stay was as good as it could be! The gamedrives … read more were amazing, the food was delicious and all the staff took such good care of us! Our great driver Daniel always took us to the right places to see as many animals as possible! He made sure we had a great spot to watch the great migration!! Everything was well organised and they made sure our trip was unforgettable!

  Perfect place to spend your honeymoon!  – I couldn’t recommend this beautiful eco lodge enough! The rooms are absolutely stunning, the views to the Mara are out of this world. The food was incredible, especially the sizzling… read more lamb dish! The highlight of our entire honeymoon was definitely the Maasai dance and cake we were given after one of our dinners, it was quite emotional and a beautiful moment. We also planted trees before our departure and received a leaving gift. The attention to detail was just amazing. Thank you so much AMANI for making our honeymoon and our safari so so special. And thank you Sully for chatting with us throughout our stay, we loved learning about the lodge and the animals! We will be back!

  This is my 6th visit to Africa, and my 3rd visit to Kenya. I am an experienced world traveler and was completely amazed by the quality and care of… read more service provided by the Amani Mara camp. We had 3 rooms – #s 1, 2 and 3 booked for 2 nights, arranged on a Safari with a tour operator, after specifically requesting the Amani Mara camp.

First of all, the location is AMAZING. The hotel sits on a bluff overlooking a river with trees and vegetation that are very supportive of wildlife. You can wake up in the morning, walk onto your balcony or the open restaurant balcony and immediately view hippos, lions, zebras, elephants, giraffes, monkeys, wildebeest, baboons, crocodiles and my daughter’s favorite – dik diks. And this is before you even leave the hotel for a game drive.

This is a luxury camp – with individual lodges as rooms, and with thatched roofs and tent openings onto the balcony. They light a roaring fire in the evening, provide hot water bottles to the bedrooms and manage to weave in nature throughout the feel of the camp including the amazing bathrooms. The food is fantastic for both breakfast and dinner – the best we had throughout our 14 night stay.

The quality of the camp is overshadowed by the personalized and superb service provided by Sam, George, Emily and the team. The service manages to feel individual and friendly rather than pretentious. Each morning they were scanning the hills for wildlife to point out to us, and sharing more about the area, the camp, and the history. My daughter really wanted to see dik diks and Sam sent his entire team to find them for her without being asked.

We had 2 amazing highlights of our brief stay – an outside, individual dinner for our family in Masai tradition with warm blankets and bonfires, and the nature walk. If you stay there DO NOT MISS the nature walk which starts late afternoon and optionally ends with sundowners. You will be so pleased you did this walk, and the sundowners experience here is perhaps my all time highlight over my 6 visits to Africa.

They also support an orphanage in Narok county, housing 50 orphans. Please consider supporting their efforts in building better lives for the future. They will be happy to tell you about the great cause and are appreciative of all the support they receive.

One of my daughters already has decided she wants to honeymoon in the Amani Mara camp, and all of us can’t wait to return.

My personal opinion – don’t hesitate to book the Amani Mara camp.

  Both an amazing experience, and an amazing story – The camp and individual tents are beautiful, with an amazing view of Maasai Mara which includes a steady stream of animals throughout the day. The food is exceptional, we… read more very much enjoyed our meals at the camp and our packed lunches provided during picnics on the game drives. The staff are extremely friendly, knowledgeable and invite you to take part in Maasai culture and customs.

But even all of these positives aren’t the primary reason why you should stay at Amani Mara. Sully and his brother are continuing their father’s legacy, who essentially built the entire ecosystem surrounding Amani Mara, transforming it from the barren land it used to be. They are leading the way in conservation efforts in the region and are continuing to strive towards the camp having a net negative carbon footprint. Without giving too much else away, you simply MUST sign up for the night game-drive, which was easily the most rewarding experience of our entire safari.

Simply an amazing stay in every single aspect!

  Wonderful experience! – We were only there for a day, but wished we could have stayed longer. Sulley and Sam were wonderful hosts. George and the rest of the staff, very nice and… read more friendly. The food was wonderful and they did a wonderful birthday celebration for one of party. The facilities are beautiful as is the the view. Sully took us on a once in a lifetime night drive. He said we were so lucky and I cannot explain all that happened, but rhere was a lioness kill, drama with a rival male, efforts to fight off hyenas and extra drama with a forgotten cub. It all worked out! So amazing. On top of all this they have you plant trees before you leave and they plant 13 for everyone the guests plant. A wonderful place to visit! Highly recommended.