#2 of 2 all-inclusives in Maasai Mara National Reserve
Location
4.7
Cleanliness
4.8
Service
4.7
Value
4.6
Nestled against a wooded thicket and surrounded by savannah, Mara West provides nature lovers with luxury accommodations while experiencing the sights and sounds of an unforgettable African safari. Luxury tents are perched in secluded spots on an escarpment edge overlooking the vast plains of the Masai Mara Game Reserve giving tremendous views and a sense of private exclusion. Mara West is an American owned and managed private safari camp providing high quality service with beautifully designed, comfortable accommodations.
After months of quarantine, we needed a break. We, 2 of our kids and their families, packed up and found the best Mara location!! The place is beautiful, on the edge of the escarpment, overlooking the Mara. Breathtaking! The chalet was perfect. Spotless and welcoming! The bed gave a great night sleep and the shower was hot with solid pressure. Two things that mean much to me!
Now the staff... they could not have been more attentive. They were simply there when we needed them. Every time.
When making reservations... Grace was most helpful as I messaged her over and over with questions.
Another Grace met us on arrival and she made sure we were settled and had anything we might need. Her hospitality made you feel at home.
Abel adopted us as family and took care of every request and even anticipates needs. We had two 10 month olds and Abel considered them at every meal. The cook made excellent food and we certainly didn’t lack in satisfaction.
We had to call Sarah in reception the first day with a small water issue that was resolved before we returned with no problems following.
We had a chance to tour the bandas and the tents and both would be excellent choices for groups we have come in throughout the year.
Being situated outside the reserve saves on the entry fee which, if not residents, could be costly. We were there for 3 days so this impacted our cost significantly as our permits are all in process.
We had a chance to meet the owners who were both so welcoming! A sweet little family with open arms.
Zebras and giraffes roamed around the camp! Maasai Simon escorted our walks and there isn’t anything I can think of that didn’t exceed our expectation!
Highly recommend the chalets, although there are common areas you can access the view of the Mara from the escarpment.
Can’t wait to return!!!
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Date of stay: June 2020Trip type: Traveled 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.
We came up from the Serengeti Park and chose Mara West for its location on the ridge. We knew it was going to be beautiful, but were really taken back by how well the camp is designed so that everyone has their privacy and view. We brought our adult daughters with us and stayed in the chalets, the last 2 furthest from the dining room. We had a bench in front of our chalet with a million dollar view. We saw the animal herds down below and were visited by many beautiful song birds. Grace, Wilson, and Chef Joseph took great care of us and chef Joseph did an amazing job with the soups and Tilapia - yum! From giraffes, impalas, zebras, etc walking around to bush lunches so deliciously prepared, to safaris lead by John, our knowledgeable and fun guide (John the lion whisperer), we couldn't have asked for anything more. Mara West is a stunningly beautiful camp in the perfect location and we highly recommend it to anyone looking to enjoy the mara. A+ and thank you!
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Date of stay: May 2021
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Room Tip:Â The chalet at the end, #8, was quiet with an amazing view and a sitting bench. A+
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.
Our family of 8 spent 3 nights in the "bandas" of Mara West in late August, 2022. This was an excellent budget option for our family. For those who don't know, a banda is a big sturdy tent situated on a wood deck or concrete slab and covered with a thatch roof to shade the tent. There are real beds with fresh linens and an electric bulb in each tent. Its a 50-100 meter walk to the toilets and showers. Wi Fi only in certain areas. Two of us had been to Mara West in 2013. Since then there is more hot water and electricity 24/7. A kosher safari requires a great deal of coordination with the kitchen staff. Chef Robert and the head waiter were gems. We ate very well. Everything was clean.
We missed the great migration but had a fine time anyway down in the triangle. We were there during the dark of the moon and the stars visible from the camp at night were just amazing.
We would happily stay there again.
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Date of stay: August 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
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.
The banda was comfortable but my colleague and I, two journalists who travelled for business were disappointed by the lacklustre treatment we got from some of the staff. The checkin process was so poor that we felt were not expected after travelling from Nairobi the whole day. No wet towel on arrival, filling in the registration cards 24 hours after arrival, workers who said they were too busy to make us a cup of tea to no dessert on the second night. And there was no resident camp manager? All paying guests regardless of race must be treated equally.
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Date of stay: October 2023Trip type: Traveled on business
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 Mara West, General Manager at Mara West Camp
Responded Jan 17, 2024
Thank you for your feedback. I am sorry you had a negative experience during your stay at Mara West. We strive to treat everyone with respect and hospitality. We hope that if you are able to visit Mara West again you will notice a significant difference in service level.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We visited the camp a few days back and were somewhat disappointed for the price we paid (500 dollars per night for 2 adults and one child). For starters on the first day when we reached after a pretty exhausting drive, we were given a lunch of some salad (very limited quantity) and 5 pieces of chicken wings for the 3 of us! We were left hungry and had to satisfy our appetite with biscuits in the room which we brought ourselves. They had possibly given all the lunch to the other guests and since we reached late, there was hardly anything left for us! Please note this was a full board fare we were paying.
The price for a bottle of wine was 4500 Kenyan shillings and there was no view at all from the room. We stayed there for 2 nights and luckily moved to Mara Engai where the service was much much better for the same price and all drinks were included. I don’t think I will be staying in Mara West again!
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Date of stay: April 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Â Extemely overpriced especially if you compare what you get for the same amount in other similar...
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.
We’ve done loads of safaris over the last 30 years and this camp is one of the best. Clean, comfortable, fabulous views from the chalet tents on the escarpment with swifts and sunbirds flitting round the verandah, zebra and dik-dik in the garden. Wonderful staff, simple but excellent food. Peaceful and restful. We preferred it to Angama next door, which was super luxe but too gussied up for our taste.
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Date of stay: February 2023Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Room Tip: If you can, pay extra for a tent with a view. You won’t regret it.
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 Mara West, General Manager at Mara West Camp
Responded Jan 17, 2024
Im so glad you enjoyed your stay with us. I hope you will come back again soon.
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Mara West is located on a hillside overlooking a portion of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Looking out of our chalet was a beautiful view of the area especially to catch a sunrise. Mara West is located inside the National Reserve and there were a variety of zebras, giraffes and other animals roaming freely about or nearby the area. At night, we could hear the brief sounds of hyena and the occasional roar of lions. It is amazing place and one of the highlights of our visit to Kenya and Tanzania.
The staff at Mara West are fantastic. We met the owners of Mara West who were very engaging and responsive. Irene was our personal attendant making sure everything was prepared for us. My wife actually had tears in her eyes when saying goodbye to Irene. Thank you! Steven was the bartender and a personable conversationalist. The Chef, well, he prepares some amazing meals both at the camp and on the go travel boxes if we were planning to safari all day. Wilson was our camp guide who provided us an escort at night to our chalet. The escort is required due to being in a camp that is frequented by a variety of animals. Grace was our housekeeper and could not have been more personable. She impressed us by carrying our luggage on top of her head!
All in all, my wife and I would definitely recommend Mara West as the place to stay if you are visiting the Maasai Mara National Reserve. Thank you everyone at Mara West, you made us feel special in every way.
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled 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.
Mara West Camp is an absolutely beautiful place to visit whether or not you plan to visit the Mara Triangle. Zebras, gazelles and gnus roam around the campsite during the day. The staff are wonderful, always smiling and happy to accommodate you. Sarah ensured we got a great deal for our visit and was happy to open the gift shop for us. Justus does lovely 3 course meals and even makes his own bread. Abel and Anita are great hosts and wait staff. Grace ensures that the accommodation is comfortable and everything is kept beautifully. There are unsung heroes who get up well before dawn to light the fires that ensure you can enjoy wonderful hot showers and light up the fire pit fire so you can sit around in the evening and socialise with other guests if you desire. The safari tents are beautiful and comfortable and it was lovely to sleep with one blind up to allow fresh air in while we slept - can’t do that at our Kenyan house as we have no fly screens to keep out the mosquitoes.
Our safari drive with John was fantastic, we were privileged to see an adult and baby rhino - very rare. The safari vehicle was, in my opinion, by far the best amongst all those from other tour groups we saw in the park in allowing us to view and take photos of the animals easily and with minimal chance of having any of the vehicle in the photo.
Beautiful Christmas memories.
Highly recommend Mara West Camp - your soul will thank you.
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Date of stay: December 2020
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.
I have visited Mara West Camp with groups of students from Pacific Union College on four occasions during 2018-2022, staying for about a week each time. The location is fabulous with spectacular views of the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The staff have always been very friendly. I usually stayed in the more economic tents and they were always comfortable. I appreciated getting hot water showers and every meal was tasty. As a biology professor I enjoyed prowling the nearby area in search of amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals. A variety of large mammals are easy to see there, including zebras, giraffes, impalas. I look forward to returning!
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Date of stay: March 2022
Rooms
Location
Service
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.
Traveling to Africa has always been my dream, but Mara West Camp is made all dreams a reality. It has been one of the best experiences of my life. I can't express enough the hospitality you receive is unlike any other. You arrive as strangers but with the staff you leave as family. Everyone is genuinely nice caring loving and always available to your needs. I don't have any complaints other than I wish I could have stayed longer.
The pictures provided are some of the animals that you will see at camp. I stayed in the mid range camp sites which I definitely recommend, you get your own shower and toilet.
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Date of stay: July 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Traveled on business
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.
Dear Clackmasriver,
Thank you for writing to us,Marawest runs both on electric and generator power so incase electricity goes off at night,generator is switched on.Looking forward to seeing you.
Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya59 contributions
Dear 651sylvia,
Thank you for taking time to write to us. Game drives are $120 pp for a full day and $55 pp for 3 hours. Please see all our other rates on our website or email us using the address on the website for more details.
Kind Regards,
Mara West Team
There are more places to choose from in the Maasai Mara National Reserve area.
ALSO KNOWN AS
mara west hotel maasai mara national reserve
LOCATION
KenyaRift Valley ProvinceMaasai Mara National Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
37
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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