Masai Mara P.O Box 64196, Maasai Mara National Reserve 00620 Kenya
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About
#51 of 175 in Maasai Mara National Reserve
Location
4.7
Cleanliness
4.7
Service
4.9
Value
4.6
Travelers' Choice
Nestled in a riverine forest in the Masai Mara Game Reserve, the area is a favourite for elephants coming to drink from the Talek River. Ilkeliani camp consists of only 1 2tents, each commanding views of the plains and the wildlife action throughout the day. The tented rooms are raised up on wood decks overlooking the Talek river and the plains. The tents are surrounded by vegetation and well spaced out and each one has been sited under its own cluster of shady indigenous trees and you do feel like you are out in the wilderness. The camp now has a suspension bridge for easy access to the reserve for early game drives
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Property amenities
Free parking
Internet
Free breakfast
Bar / lounge
Airport transportation
Outdoor fireplace
Private check-in / check-out
Laundry service
Restaurant
Breakfast buffet
Special diet menus
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Room features
Safe
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Good to know
HOTEL STYLE
Family
River View
Languages Spoken
English
Location
Full view
Contact
Masai Mara P.O Box 64196, Maasai Mara National Reserve 00620 Kenya
Getting there
See all nearby hotels
451Reviews15Q+A77Room tips
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Amazing place with amazing service and staff. The tents are very nice with great common areas to enjoy the view, wifi or drinks. Food is delicious and we got a gourmet dinner put together every night. They have a fire pit you can enjoy at night while drinking a local beer or share details with your day with other guests.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Traveled
Room Tip: Tents have no wifi, just in the common area which is very comfortable
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Helpful
+1
This place was truly beautiful, I loved everything about Ilkeliani, especially the staff they were awesome and made me feel like family and so down to earth, I wish I would've stayed for more than just 2 nights. Hats off to the chef the food was so delicious and the whole place was so comfortable, after dinner we would sit up and talk to staff members about everything I loved this place and can't wait to come back!! Great job Sylvester and to the wonderful staff!! Love you guys take care til next time!! PEACE AND BLESSING to each and everyone one of you guys yall rock!!!
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Date of stay: May 2022Trip type: Traveled
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
My partner and I stayed at Ilkeliani for 3 nights as part of our tour booked with Natural World Kenya Tours. This is a stunning intimate tented camp with friendly staff, incredible food, and wonderful views. We want to give a shoutout to the pastry chef as well because her desserts were to die for. We loved that they keep the camp occupancy small, with 8 tented rooms (4 are currently being added). There is also a tall viewing platform next to the main tented area where you can enjoy some amazing views of the Mara and the river. The camp itself is located on the Talek river bank just outside the Maasai Mara, but there is a foot bridge that you can cross to get to the other side into the park where normally the safari jeeps are parked. If you're worried about being on the edge of the park, don't be! Based on my safari experiences, most of the animals aggregate towards that side of the park anyway. We noticed that the giraffes seem to like hanging out just across the river from camp, and we saw them every morning during our breakfast. All sorts of birds live in the area as well, from multiple species of kingfishers to bee eaters and sunbirds (thank you to David for taking us on a walking tour of the river to search for birds). In the evenings, the campfire is always lit. And at night, you can hear the hyenas cackling in the distance; and if you're there during the right time, you may hear some hippos getting it on over dinner! Overall, we loved the hospitality from all of the staff and if we come back to Kenya, we will definitely stay here again. Thank you so much to everyone for making our vacation so memorable!…
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Date of stay: May 2022
Value
Location
Service
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
This is a lovely camp with excellent tented accommodation, views etc. But the staff are exceptional in a country where everyone is welcoming and friendly. We spent a lovely night here and wish it would have been longer. We were made to feel so welcome that it was hard to leave. Loved it!
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Date of stay: March 2022
Value
Location
Service
Helpful
The lodge is well located tucked away by the Talek river. All the rooms are big, have the river view and are well spaced out. 100/100 to the staff starting from lodge manager to Eric who ensures you stay is well taken care off, Isaac (Head chef) who makes sure you enjoy every meal plus George, Martin and Cynthia who ensures who are always well hydrated! Only lodge that offers unlimited water (Free) and has the best selection of wines & beers (At a charge). All in all, must visit lodge if your looking for the most amazing experience in the Mara!!
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Date of stay: April 2022Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
My husband and I stayed at Ilkeliani for 2 nights as part of our honeymoon safari booked with Pollman's. The lodge is beautifully taken care of and sits in the heart of the Maasai Mara with direct access to game drives. This is a luxurious hotel with 10 tents including an outdoor area, a king bed, a large bathroom with hot water shower, two sinks, a safe, a closet and a desk. The tent is elevated so no animal can "accidentally" walk in to your room but just in case there is a Maasai person escorting you from and to your room at night, which makes the experience event more real! The rooms have water, cotton buds, shower cap, SLS-free shampoo and great body soap and lotion so you can skip on packing those. They even provide a small mosquito-repellent lotion, which came in handy on those game drives. I wish they had a small kettle and coffee /tea supply but those were not in the room, unlike all other hotels and lodges we visited. The staff were all helpful and amazing. We especially appreciated Nixon's warm welcome (the manager), Martin's service (our waiter) and Robin's care (our room attendant). In addition, David and Erick (both Maasai) were present and helping all along our trip. We got to know Erick personally when he took us to tour.a nearby Maasai village where we got to learn about culture and their way of living: this was the highlight of our trip in the Maasai! Erick was also super nice when he managed to send to Nairobi our binoculars, which we had left behind. This was a very appreciated extra attention. The food was excellent, they also have a reasonable wine collection as well as a fully stocked bar. Our laundry was also perfect, although a little on the expensive side ($5 for a T-shirt). At night you can sit by the fire pit and enjoy a beverage before/after dinner. In the morning our breakfast we very satisfying and delicious to start us on a safari day. There is no shortage of smiles and "Jambo" too, all the staff was very friendly and welcoming. The game drives were absolutely amazing, our driver Dennis with Pollman's knew where to find the main attractions! He managed to get us to see the Big Five and also witness a Hyena stealing an Impala from the mouth of a Cheetah... This was unbelievable, straight out of a National Geographic scene. We highly recommend Ilkeliani and would definitely go back when we can.…
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Date of stay: April 2022
Rooms
Service
Sleep Quality
Helpful
+1
We recently stayed in Ilkeliani for 3 days and wished we had stayed longer…the place is absolutely beautiful and their staff’s were all amazing! They catered for us so well and went above and beyond our expectations. The game drive was absolutely amazing, our driver John knew where to find the main attractions! He managed to get us to a lion kill, found cheetah and her little cubs the following day and the illusive leopard! They set up a beautiful breakfast for us in the bush, just after the morning game drive. I cannot thank their amazing staff enough for everything they did for us (Nixon-Camp Manager, Sarah, Martin, Cynthia, Eric, and George). I highly recommend Ilkeliani and would definitely go back with my family (this time longer!)
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Date of stay: March 2022Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
Having booked at last minute and only staying for two nights. I had an excellent reception. It was such a beautiful place to stay, services were on the dot...no errors.. Accomodation cozy, good meals and the management generally excellent. Wish to visit again ☆☆☆☆☆
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Date of stay: March 2022Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
+1
New camp renovated, fresh food, amazing and very warm staff all of them wearing amazing smiles daily. All the rooms are on the river front and one can see animals also from the view deck and the common area as you sip your drinks away
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Date of stay: March 2022
Value
Rooms
Service
Room Tip: They do also offer horse riding, balloon safaris. All the rooms are quite apart thus offering...
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Helpful
I had booked to stay with this camp in feb next year my whole itinery was planned and flights booked and they have just sent me emails cancelling with no explanations as to why My only guess is that it is due to us securing a good rate the hotel have gotten greedy and cancelled my booking in order to get more money it is disgusting to treat guests like this whose whole plans revolves around your booking I even booked in their sister wing in nakuru and similar has happened it’s a terrible run organisation your better off going with more reputable companies such as elewana which don’t cancel bookings The irony is this is the rate they displayed so we accepted it it’s not like we choose the rate avoid at all costs because. They don’t care about their guests it’s just about making money and they will cancel their bookings whenever they wish leaving you in the lurch…
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Date of stay: March 2022Trip type: Traveled
Helpful
Response from Joyce Musau, Owner at Ilkeliani Camp
Responded Apr 3, 2022
Dear Wanderlust Thank you for your recent review regarding your cancelled booking We take customer feedback very seriously and would like to address your frustrations and hopefully find a positive resolution. Unfortunately, we can’t currently find a record of any booking or related confirmations for February 2023 with us. We have no reason to cancel a booking for a better rate for a booking 12 months in advance when all days are available . In order to assist you further, we’d appreciate it if you could contact (reservations@ilkeliani.com ) with your full name and email so that we could go forward with a resolution. we would be delighted to convert this request into a confirmed reservations and get the opportunity of hosting you at ilkeliani camp Kind Regards Rachel Ilkeliani Camp Reservations
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ALSO KNOWN AS
ilkeliani camp hotel maasai mara national reserve
LOCATION
KenyaRift Valley ProvinceMaasai Mara National Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
12
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Ilkeliani Camp
What are some of the property amenities at Ilkeliani Camp?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
What food & drink options are available at Ilkeliani Camp?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Does Ilkeliani Camp have airport transportation?
Yes, Ilkeliani Camp offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Does Ilkeliani Camp have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the river view available here.