Home Away From Home – It is impossible to find the right words to describe the outstanding experience we had here. I will tell you that the staff here are some of the most incredible… read more people I have ever met. Sam feels like part of our family. George and Annie were incredible human beings, and we were blown away by how excellent the service was. The property itself feels like something someone can only dream of. The camp was luxurious, and the surrounding wildlife felt comfortable being there. Falling asleep to the sound of the lions on the prowl made me feel like I could only be dreaming. Despite us being right in the home of the animals, the security here made me feel safer than being in my own home. We had dinner under the stars, and we could not believe how incredible it was. We quickly considered the staff to be our friends and we enjoyed looking through the star map with them and pointing out constellations while eating some of the most delicious food we have ever eaten. Personally, I am a kitchen manager and the pure culinary expertise and heart that went into the plate presentation was mind blowing. I almost want to keep this place just for us because it is truly a hidden gem. Our family has traveled the world and we have never experienced such incredible service in our entire lives. We enjoyed drinks after dinner in the main lodge and sat down to play some games (there were plenty) and Sam came to hang out with us and taught us so much about wildlife and the culture. If we could have spent the whole trip here, we would have. From arrival to departure, the staff pointed out the incredible wildlife sprawled over the terrain right out front, and you can tell they absolutely love what they do. We opted for a nature walk where we were able to sit on a rock ledge and watch the Hippos pop up and down from the water right in front of us. This led right into the sundowner which again was something out of a dream. When we returned, the staff had spotted an animal I was eager to see and had not yet. They guided us over near to where they were (staying out of their way of course) and my one wish came true. The number of happy tears during our stay was endless. Can’t wait to return here.

  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!

  BEST PLACE IN MAASAI MARA – YOU ROCK – A wonderful place. We stayed two nights and the hotel exceeded our expectations. The symbiosis with nature was total. The owners and all the staff were 100% committed to making… read more our stay as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. The rooms delicately designed with elements of the place and with a view of the park without equal in the Maasai Mara. We have seen zebras, hippos, birds, and at night heard hyenas. Zebras were everywhere near the cabins. One night the staff made us a very special dinner that included dances with the Maasai tribe under the starry sky and with a large bonfire that enlivened the beautiful table with a very rich buffet. I had the pleasure of meeting the owners who told me about the history of the hotel and the passion they have for what they do is evident, putting a lot of effort and affection into a hotel in harmony with nature and with the local people. Everything is recycled, they take care of the environment and show how to run a sustainable business. Thank you all for making us feel part of the family and for participating in the planting of nine native trees that are our legacy in the Maasai Mara. Amani Mara Camp a place to return 1000 times.

  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!

  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.

  Amani Mara – a top-notch luxury camp with a great staff!  – I’d like to give our heartfelt thanks and a big "shout out" to our host, Sully, and his team at Amani Mara!

Being the first stop on… read more our safari, we arrived in the dark with no idea of our surroundings. We were greeted by a lone but attentive staff member who had apparently waited up for us and got us settled us into our rooms (the architecture of which seems spun from stories of Tarzan and Swiss Family Robinson). This was followed by cold cocktails and a delicious dinner in the very impressive dining room. I would like to say we slept like babies but, being our first night and trying to acclimate to new surroundings, the sounds of animals grunting outside our room kept us a bit on edge. What a surprise awaited us the next morning when we awoke to a glorious view of the surrounding bush and a river below populated by hippos (the source of the night snorting). It made for a very memorable cup of African coffee.

Sully, a 5th generation Kenyan and self-described "bushman" was an excellent host. Having spent his childhood exploring the bush around the camp, has a formidable knowledge of all the creatures great and small and shared some pretty funny (if somewhat hair-raising) stories. A labor of love, he and his family have truly created a magical camp and cultivated a top-notch staff to accommodate his guests.

It was one of the highlights of our very excellent safari.

  Great lodge – Nice lodge on a very nice location. All staff are very friendly and helpful. Also food was excellent.
I was sleeping in a family lodge with 3 double beds. Nice… read more bathroom with view on the river we’re you can see the hypo’s . We were on the end of the migration season but still we have seen many animals.

  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!

  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.

  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).

  The place to go if you are planning any trip to Kenya – We spent two nights in Amani Mara, as we first arrived in Kenya.
It was, by far, the best experience we had in the whole trip to Kenya. The… read more best I’ve ever had in Africa.
The location is simply amazing.
Accommodations, both so elegant and comfortable, are in perfect harmony with the surrounding environment. The food is delicious, both the one served at the restaurant and the one provided in the lunch box they give you for any long game drive. It was the first time in Africa for our two daughters (10 and 8), the first game drive for them and they found it astonishing. For this, we owe a special thank to Sully, our extraordinary guide, and to Daniel, our Masai driver. A big thank for giving us both the most unforgettable game drives and the most fascinating spots to enjoy sunset or dawn. Thank for the huge knowledge of the animals, the places and the culture– which comes straight along from a great passion and a history of integration with the local population.
Thank for giving us all these great memories, that we’ll keep so dear with us.
The extraordinary competence and professionalism and the heartly and warm welcome of all the staff, made the experience at Amani Mara both unique and authentic.
Definitely the place to go if you are planning any trip to Kenya. Don’t miss it.

  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!

  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!

  Amani Mara – a superb African experience – The most authentic experience on theMasai Mara, on the northern end of he Serengeti plains, with superb service, deluxe accommodation and spectacular scenery. One can enjoy a coffee or… read more cocktail at the pool overlooking a dozen hippopotami or crocodiles in the creek below, or the occasional Cape Buffalo or giraffe walking across the opposite ridge. Don’t come here unless you want the true MASAI experience- their hospitality, traditional song and dance, and their guided expeditions. From Amani Mara “Camp” take a half day or whole day tour to watch the mass migration, or all of the big 5 . Truly this was the best vacation we had enjoyed in many years.

  Wild & wonderful!  – Beautiful place! Away from everything & yet we have everything we need! Stunning vista of the mara in the lounge. So wild, such a diff experience! The staff is great,… read more the food is amazing, even the warm roll of bread is yummy! Kudos to their chef! The dinner under the night sky w/ fire & Maasai dance, so wonderful! Shem, thank you so much for always attending to us & providing my food request!
It’s really a family-owned place, cozy & comforting! Samad & Soheil, pls keep it up!

  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