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About
4.5
#1 of 2 all-inclusives in Maasai Mara National Reserve
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Value
This award is our highest recognition and is presented annually to the top 1% of businesses across select categories.
Sarova Mara Game Camp is located in the heart of the Maasai Mara Game Reserve in South West Kenya. It is 260 km from Nairobi, a 1-hour flight from Nairobi, 20-minute drive from the airstrip and a 5 1/2-hours drive from Nairobi on the new tarmac road. It is set on an elevation surrounded by two streams. The Camp is uniquely laid out over the sprawling grounds that include rolling manicured greens, a virtual mini forest of indigenous shrubs and exotic trees, a large pond stocked with fish, mini bird sanctuary and an authentic Maasai village adjoining the Camp. The Camp includes 20 club tents, 51 standard tents, 2 family tents, a main restaurant, bar and many bush dining options. The free form swimming pool has its own pool bar. In addition, it has its own fleet of well equipped safari vehicles with excellent guides. There are meeting rooms and numerous outdoor venues for dining and leisure. The entire Camp is surrounded by a 24 hour electric fence. The climate is very pleasant with clear warm days and cool nights Temperatures average from 26ْ C during the day to 12ْ C at night. There are sporadic rains in March, April, November & December.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
HOTEL STYLE
Family
Quiet
Languages Spoken
English
Location
Off C12 Road, Maasai Mara National Reserve 00200 Kenya
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Nestled near the heart of wildlife and park gates, Sarova Mara Game Camp is lauded for its blend of luxury and value, offering reasonably priced amenities. Immaculate tents and spotless rooms are a testament to the camp's commitment to cleanliness, and the atmosphere is consistently described as magical with a warm ambience.
The service receives high praise for the staff's friendliness and professionalism. While guests relish in luxurious tents and high-quality food, some have noted additional costs and minor noise disturbances.
Location
Convenient
Atmosphere
Magical
Rooms
Luxurious
Value
Reasonable
Cleanliness
Immaculate
Service
Attentive
Amenities
Luxurious
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We stayed at the Sarova Mara Camp for 2 nights and definitely wish we would have stayed longer. The experience was absolutely amazing. The camp is a beautiful oasis in the Masai Mara and the location is excellent for game drives (we saw Lions as well as Cheetahs less than 10 min drives from the camp). Out tent was very clean and the staff usually closed the mosquito nets in the late afternoon and made sure there are no insects in the tent. Hence, we slept very well and undisturbed and simply truly enjoyed every moment we spent there.
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Date of stay: March 2021Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Duncun Mwangi, General Manager at Sarova Mara Game Camp
Responded Mar 12, 2021
Dear Fabianh982, Thank you for making Sarova Mara Game Camp your preferred safari partner during your recent visit to the renowned Masai Mara National Reserve. it is a delight to learn from your review of your amazing exploits whilst with us, the opportunity to be able to see lions and cheetahs shortly after living the camp for your game drives, your in-room experience, and interaction with our associates. We feel honored and look forward to hosting you again.
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As we had limited time we wanted to stay as close to the Maasai Mara as possible and we have no regrets about our choice. We were right on the doorstep. Our "tent" was massive and with the solid roof above the tent made a huge difference in keeping the heat out but meant we could hear all the nature around us. The camp itself was beautifully laid out and the facilities were top notch with a great pool. The food was excellent but it really was the efficient and friendly service of Martin and his team that made our stay so special. The vehicles we used for the game drives were well maintained which was really important as the weather had been unseasonably wet in the prior few weeks. The same could not be said for some of the other vehicles we saw travelling around the Mara. Patrick was our guide and he is hugely experienced and knowledgeable and never tired of the endless questions from our children. We saw everything that we hoped to see while there but the we left the Mara and Sarova Mara Game Camp hoping that it will not be too many days before we come back to see our new friends at the Sarova Mara Game Camp. Thanks for everything.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:All rooms were separate with different views so I think all are good
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Duncun Mwangi, General Manager at Sarova Mara Game Camp
Responded Jan 11, 2021
Dear Kiwisteveandali, Thank you for honoring us by bringing your entire family to stay with us and for giving us the golden opportunity of making new friends, being part of your family, and forming a bigger family. We are honored that among the options you choose to stay with us. We are delighted to read of your interactions with Martin and his team as well as Patrick during your game drivers. We celebrate them and recognize them for their sterling performance that allowed you to tremendously enjoy your stay with us. Thank you for your confidence in our service. We look forward to hosting you again in the not distant future.
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Location is suitable for driving since the road to Narok is super and the lodge is very near Sekanani gate. The staff, especially the GM, Gideon were so kind and helpful throughout our stay and they are very strict on covid19 protocols including sanitizing the rooms and common areas very frequently. The WiFi connection was also stable and I was able to attend zoom meetings.
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Duncun Mwangi, General Manager at Sarova Mara Game Camp
Responded Oct 4, 2020
Dear Khasoam, Thank you for your support and patronage of Sarova Mara Game Camp and for the time taken to share your feedback with us. Indeed the tarmacking of the Narok to Sekenani C12 road has made it a joy to drive to the Mara whilst initially many found it a hindrance to driving down, the veil has now been lifted and as observed from the large number of local tourists opting to drive many people will continue to find it a welcome relief. We are delighted to learn that you found our associates kind and helpful throughout your stay with us. We are delighted to note that Mr. Okinda lived up to our service promise of refreshing African hospitality. We have recognized him and acknowledged him for this effort. We look forward to hosting you again in the not distant future.
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We found the accommodations, food and cultural entertainment to be outstanding.
Kitchen staff are so friendly and eager to please. Food was diverse and eclectic with a mix of traditional, Asian and local specialties. Best lobster I've ever had and I'm from New England. Gerald sung 60s and 70s ballads to us every night and had coffee waiting for us at 6am.
Tents were roomy and well furnished, we were in a recently upgraded unit. The bathroom was integrated into the back of the tent but was a beautiful permanent stone and tile structure.
Run around the inside parameter of the compound was almost 3 miles with a mix of rain forest and savanna terrain with elephants and other game grazing within sight.
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Date of stay: January 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Duncun_GM, General Manager at Sarova Mara Game Camp
Responded Jan 12, 2020
Dear Daniel, Thank you for your support and patronage of Sarova Mara Game Camp and for making us your choice safari partner, and for sparing your time to share your review with us. We are delighted to read of your exploits of the camp and our various services. It is heartwarming to hear that our associates lived up to our service promise of Refreshing African Hospitality and that you enjoyed sumptuous treats. Your comparison of our Lobster is truly humbling to us. I have taken the liberty, following your review, to not only add your feedback as part of our training resources but to most importantly recognize and acknowledge Mr. Gerald for creating memorable times for you. As we wish you the best in the new year. We look forward to hosting you again in the near future.
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We spent three nights here while touring the Maasai Mara. The tent rooms were the most comfortable and well-appointed of the several places we stayed while travelling in Kenya and Tanzania. The food was also the best. The grounds were immaculate, staff friendly (like everywhere in Kenya) and we even had a tour of the beautiful organic garden which provides the fresh fruits and vegetables for the chef.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Duncun Mwangi, General Manager at Sarova Mara Game Camp
Responded Jan 11, 2021
Dear SunsetHillsGuy, Thank you for making Sarova Mara Game Camp your safari partner during your recent visit to the Masai Mara National Reserve. We are delighted to learn that you enjoyed your stay with us and that both our services and our location were of key influence on your times in the Mara. We look forward to hosting you again.
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We travelled in a group of 13 arriving at the camp just before lunch. Check in was just literally 3 minutes, as we had provided all documentation during the booking. Gideon ran us through the do and don'ts especially with the current Covid situation.
The deluxe rooms are very well designed and extremely comfortable. Spacious room, comfortable bed, separate dressing area at the rear, the showers were amazing. The tents have wooden doors fitted unlike zippers.
The staff were serving the guests from the selection during meals and guests were required to have the face mask on at the camp and while being served. The chef and all the staff were amazing. Service was exemplary. We had a packed lunch on one day and was amazed at the variety and quantity packed.
Douglas the ever smiling bar tender always at hand and Kevin the guitarist entertained us in the evening. Duncan the camp manager ensured we were well looked after. Esther at the gate received us well every time we returned from the game drives. All the other subordinate staff were great.
The camp location is the best. Just a few kilometers from the Sekenani gate. The tarmac road to the gate has made travelling very comfortable and short.
We did not use the camp vehicles for the game drives, but you can never go away dissapointed in the mara.
All in all excellent.
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Date of stay: October 2020
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Duncun Mwangi, General Manager at Sarova Mara Game Camp
Responded Jan 11, 2021
Dear Jas71_13, Thank you for your support and patronage of the Sarova Mara Game Camp and for making us your preferred safari partner during your recent visit to Masai Mara National Reserve. Your confidence in our services as seen through your trust to visit us within these uncertain times is highly appreciated. We are delighted to see that once again our associates have lived up to our service promise of Refreshing African Hospitality. I have taken the liberty to celebrate and acknowledge; Gideon, The Chef, and his team, Douglas, Kevin, and Esther We look forward to hosting you again.
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We stayed at this game camp for 4 days and 3 nights in a family style tent. They had excellent Covid 19 precautions from the moment you arrived—hand sanitation, temperature check, luggage disinfected, and a hot towel. We were quickly checked in and had lunch. Before you entered their dining hall, you had similar precautions taken, hand washing and temperature checks.
The staff was absolutely fantastic with warm welcomes at the dining hall to the visits we took on our game rides, and as we entered the evening hours back to our tents. They had wonderful tents with clean amenities and the best hot showers since it was a little chilly for us. The best perk was the hot water bottle service each night in our beds. Since it was winter (and no heat), housekeeping would deliver hot water bottles for bedtime. The BEST!
The dining hall took wonderful precautions. Each guest was served buffet style. Chefs were available to serve guests with some of the authentic flavors spread from around the world. We had the same waiter each night and we established a wonderful relationship.
The staff here was the best I have every experienced on our many travels. They treated us like family and ensured we received the best service always with a wonderful “Jambo” and warm smile.
I would highly recommend this game camp to any family or couple. You cannot get better service anywhere, period! We cannot thank them enough for making our vacation one of the most memorable times of our lives!
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Date of stay: July 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nicholas Maina, General Manager at Sarova Mara Game Camp
Responded Jul 26, 2021
Dear Shaby B, Greetings from Sarova Mara, Thank you for taking the time out to share your valuable feedback with us. It delights us to note that we made your vacation one of the most memorable times of your lives. You commentaries on our customer service and our wide range of culinary offerings are a great inspiration. A personalized experience and dedicated care for each of our guests is what we strive for and we are delighted to know that we were able to create a refreshing experience for you. The health and safety of our guests and team is a key priority to us and we are grateful that our protocols had a positive contribution to your experience. Thank you for your recommendation and we look forward to welcoming you back on your next visit. Yours Sincerely, Nicholas Maina. Lodge Manager.
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I went to Masai Mara Reserve as a member of a photography team. We were booked into a game reserve resort called Sarova Mara. The stay experience was absolutely fantastic. The reserve itself is set about 2 km inside the gates of the Masai Mara. Set in a beautifically landscaped area, the resort has maintained its "in the forest, natural set up". The tented accomodation actually has cemented walls and tiled floors. A tent is set up inside the cemented area - so it is totally safe and keeps out the creepy crawlies. A beautiful little porch outside leads into a large sleeping area. The beds, mattresses and other linen were squeaky clean and were changed on a daily basis. The washrooms and toilets were excellent, all amenities and fitments you would expect at a good resort were all in place. Electric supply 240V is available via a eco friendly generator. Power is not available from 4 pm to 6 pm when the guests are usually out on a safari. Power is also not available from 12 midnight till 4 pm when people are sleeping. The weather was just fabulous so I did not mind the power cut at all. The common dining area was a high point. Absolutely great choice of food, local, continental and indian !! amazing choice of salads and fruits. They have their own organic garden where they try to grow their own vegetables as much as possible. A beautiful and well stocked bar with nice lounging areas, a fire place, great sit outs added to the attraction. And all the entertainment for the little ones, billiard table, a clean swimming pool, swings, table tennis table are all in place. But what really sets this place up is the human connect. The staff at the resort are super friendly. Right from the reception to the people in the restaurant to the bar to the room cleaning staff to the night watchmem, everyone has a friendly "Jambo" and are genuinely out to keep you happy.
I must make a special mention of Martin at the restaurant, Douglas and Mohammed in the bar, Mellicent at the reception, Andrew, the 6 ft 4 inch Andrew Rose and Ruth at the restaurant, Eric in the organic garden were all super friendly. We chatted like old friends and miss them !!
We stayed there for 6 nights. On the last night, they sprung a neat surprise on us. As we were dining, they brought in a beautiful cake and the local guitarist and the rest of the gang sang the beautiful ballad "Sarova Mara, Hakuna matata", ( at sarova mara, there is no problem, no worry"!! We were floored!!!
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Date of stay: December 2021
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Some rooms are set a little away, maybe about 300 to 400 metres from the reception.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nicholas Maina, General Manager at Sarova Mara Game Camp
Responded Feb 16, 2022
Dear Vijay s, Greetings from Sarova Mara, Thank you for sparing time to share feedback from your recent experience with us. We are honored that you gave us an opportunity to engage with you and It delights us to note that you had a refreshing experience. It is our endeavor to continually engage with our valued guests, exceed their expectations by creating memorable experiences for them and we are delighted to read that we were able to meet this goal during your stay. Our team especially the mentioned are excited to learn of your compliments. It will be our pleasure to welcome you back in the near future. Yours Sincerely, Nicholas Maina. Lodge Manager
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So I want to start out by saying if I could give the staff a 5 out of 5 I would! They were all so friendly and helpful and wanted to talk to you. Unfortunately my husband and I feel the tent we stayed I was a bit basic for us. We were shown to our tent (number 22) which were the smaller tents available (even though it was our honeymoon). First impression I thought it was quite basic and overall not too clean, the ceiling of the tent was very stained, from what I’m not sure and there was a huge blood stain on the duvet! The bed was also hard as a rock, I didn’t sleep both nights we were there because of this causing me to have a lot of back pain. The bathroom was at the back of the tent which you had to duck down to get to and there is no way to lock the tent. I know this may sound silly, how could you lock a tent right? But maybe providing the guests with a padlock of some kind to put through the holes in the zips? I’m a very safety conscious person so when we came back to find that a staff member had been in there to tidy up and make the bed (which of course is very nice of them but not necessary) it made me uncomfortable! There is however a safe you can leave you valuables in. But again maybe they could have a sign system like in hotels to say “please clean my room” or “I don’t need my room cleaned”…? The food was not massively to my taste, quite a lot of carby foods like potatoes, pasta, breads, beans, and LOTS of meat! Possibly more variety would have been nice however my husband was quite happy with the selection, so it’s personal preference I guess.The grounds were however lovely, very rural and secluded.
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Date of stay: March 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Nicholas Maina, General Manager at Sarova Mara Game Camp
Responded Mar 11, 2022
Dear April R Greetings from Sarova Mara, Thank you for taking the time out to share valuable feedback from your recent stay with us, We are delighted to read that our team's hospitality and our location's serenity stood out for you. Our brand promise at Sarova Mara is excellence at all touch points, and I regret to note that we fell short on this occasion. The highlighted stain (earthen dirt) is unacceptable, and we have instituted remedial measures to ensure such a gap never recurs. We have different mattress densities aiming to cater for different preferences. We are always able to adjust to the guest’s liking whenever guests share their preference with us either through feedback or in advance. We also take note of your insights on accommodation and dining experience and we will use your feedback as a basis for review and possible improvement. We take your feedback seriously as we monitor and improve our brand standards as it through feedback such as yours that we have continually refined our service offerings. We hope to get another opportunity to host you in future for an experience better than the last. Yours Sincerely, Nicholas Maina. Lodge Manager.
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This Stunning place in the securely hidden in the middle of the bush. Duncan the manager made sure our trip was perfect in every way, the attention to detail was fabulous, I felt very spoiled the tents were Clean and comfortable with all the amenities plus a whistle just in case! I love the bathroom bits toothbrush sisal scrub shampoos etc such a lovely touch. I had burnt my foot and wore my Sarova slippers throughout my stay. ( Marcus the in-house dr was there to take care of my injury when needed this was so helpful as it was prone to infection) its healed now thankfully My guide Edward was knowledgable and interesting he was a great driver managing the mud and fast pace driving to get to the newly spotted cheetahs. I loved the bush breakfast and the sundown drinks. All attention to detail from a portable loo to warm water to wash your hands with. ( when I go camping it’s a different story )
Martin was a super star he made our time there more enjoyable entertained us with local stories. Very passionate about the Mara. The Masai Mara is a very special place, and my experience will stay with me forever.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Duncun Mwangi, General Manager at Sarova Mara Game Camp
Responded Jan 11, 2021
Dear Cookie28monster, Thank you for making Sarova Mara Game Camp your preferred safari partner whilst visiting the Masai Mara National Reserve. We are delighted to learn that you enjoyed your time with us and that once again our associates lived up to our service promise of Refreshing African Hospitality. We have taken the liberty following your review to celebrate and recognize Marcos, Edward, and Martin for making your stay with us an adventure of a lifetime. We look forward to hosting you again in the not distant future.
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It really depends on the weather conditions I think. We took all sorts of wipes and sprays and nets when we went in February and there were absolutely no problems at all. I don’t know for sure, but I would think that after all of the rain and flooding that they’ve had in the last few months that it might be worse.
Dubai, United Arab Emirates42 contributions84 helpful votes
"Ask for a room close to reception as some are a long walk.
Speak to the very lovely and accommodating chef if you have any special requests for your kids, she was amazing."
There are more places to choose from in the Maasai Mara National Reserve area.
PRICE RANGE
C$736 - C$1,459 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
sarova mara game camp hotel maasai mara national reserve
LOCATION
KenyaRift Valley ProvinceMaasai Mara National Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
75
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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