A LUSH DAY TRIP TO THE MARA MAISHA CAMP
My trip to the Mara Maisha Camp with Xplorato Ventures came at the perfect time. It was the middle of October when the fatigue of the year was settling in and the travel videos on YouTube were no longer satiating my wanderlust. With only two days to prepare for the journey, I was not able to pack the Mara essentials but made do with the things I could find in my closet: a comfortable pair of sneakers, comfortable clothing, sunglasses and sunscreen. The itinerary for the trip was thoroughly planned with a departure time at 6:30am and an anticipated arrival at 12:30pm.
On the day of the journey, we left Nairobi a little later than expected, however, it was a drive filled with so much anticipation. By the time we made it to the Sekenani Gate, I had made a list of all the things I would like to experience while staying at the Maisha Mara Camp. Luckily, before staying stepping out of the vehicle, I got to tick two experiences off my list which was to see zebras grazing. Additionally, we saw herds of antelopes and a couple of giraffes.
The Mara Maisha Camp is a relatively new camp that opened to welcome guests in December 2021. The Camp has 52 tents: with 10 tents in the private wing. While speaking to a director of the property, we understood that they would like to expand the camp to have more tents and have 150 guests at full capacity. The tents are classically designed to give guests an authentic wild experience with a notable absence of televisions in the rooms. The rooms are spacious and en suite, thankfully with hot water for a glorious morning shower. There isn’t a large difference between the tents in the private wing and the other tents except that the tents in the private wing are designed to give guests additional luxurious features – with privacy being the main difference. The guests in the private wing also have their own bonfire station which they can make use of if they do not want to join the other guests. The tents are classified into family tents, twin tents and single tents. The family tents are large enough to host a family of 5; 2 adults, 2 children and an infant. If you’re wondering what wing to choose; at the private wing you’d be able to see the sun rise clearly and in the other wing you’d be blessed with views of the sunset.
After settling into our rooms, we were escorted to the camp’s main and only restaurant to a lunch that was served buffet style. The restaurant is open terraced offering great views of the sky. Meals are typically served as a buffet, however, when they are a small number of guests staying at the hotel; the meals are served A la carte. We appreciated that the food was fresh with a healthy selection for vegetarians which was a sweet surprise. Some of the meals I loved were the Dal, a pizza section, freshly squeezed juice at breakfast and the Swahili breakfast section, eating at the Mara Maisha Camp felt like a feast. A second surprise was knowing that the fruits and vegetables were picked from the camp’s farm. The camp also has a bar where you can order drinks to have with your meals.
After lunch we had the rest of the day to relax and rejuvenate. There are plenty of activities that can be organized for guests on request while staying at the camp; there’s an option of nature trails, game drives which can be organized in the morning and the evening, hot air balloon trips and bush dinners. While we did not get to experience all the activities, we did get a chance to cool off in the camp’s pool. Later as the sun set, the sky gave us a show of pink and blues.
It was a beautiful night at the Mara Maisha Camp; the sky was a beautiful display of stars; it was also really quiet which was a great break from the city’s sounds. Dinner was served from 7:00pm – 9:00pm after which we were invited to a bonfire which allowed us to connect with one another. Guests are invited to the bonfire but are not required to stay, it was really nice to get to know people, learn their stories and find something common to laugh about including the hyena laughs that we would hear in the distance. The bonfire can last as long as guests are awake with a friendly Maasai actively making sure the fire is burning by adding wood to the fire.
I’m truly grateful for my maiden experience at Maasai Mara which was at the Mara Maisha Camp. It ticked all my boxes and I look forward to visiting soon after visiting their Kibo property in Amboseli. The camp is so versatile and can be a great vacation spot for families, friends and couples. There’s everything for everyone at the camp.
