A Collection Of The Best Sundowners In Masai Mara

Nestled against a wooded thicket and surrounded by savannah, Mara West Camp combines luxury accommodations with the awe-inspiring adventures of an unforgettable African safari. Luxury chalets are perched in secluded spots on the edge of the Oloololo Escarpment, offering guests both panoramic views of the sundowners in Masai Mara Game Reserve below and a sense of exclusive privacy.

The Sundowner is an essential part of safari life and dates back to the time of the great game hunting safaris of the 1920’s when cocktails were always served as the sun began its descent and the wildlife was ideally emerging into the cool of the evening. Today, though the hunting days are gone, the tradition of the sundowner endures – with good reason. To the uninitiated, it may be difficult to envision the exceptional treat and Africa safari experience in store. However, for old hands, it is one of the golden joys of safari life… a perfect end to a remarkable day in an incomparable land.

The camp is home to resident herds of gazelles, impalas and zebra, as well as an abundance of bird life, and is visited regularly by a variety of wildlife passing to and from the park. The stunning beauty of the Mara, the uninterrupted grazing of the herds of wildlife, the night calls of the bush babies, and the early evening chorus of songbirds, all this, combined with the comfortable and tasteful ambiance of the camp, is part of the Mara West experience and what makes it a unique paradise for sundowners.

Picture it: you have finished your afternoon game drive and you are taken to a breath-taking spot at the camp’s edge, overlooking the seemingly limitless plains. Cocktails are served, with stunning views of the savannah as a magnificent backdrop. Orange sparks from the campfire sail playfully skyward and disappears into the luminous hues of the slowly dusking sky. Animals can be seen roaming far below, letterings of movement along the plains you had so giddily explored that day. You stretch out in a comfortable chair, sharing tales of the day with your fellow travellers. Eventually, you will serenely survey the extraordinary panorama before you in the fading light of an impossibly wide sky with the irrefutable knowledge that you would not want to change anything about that precise instant in time.

Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp comes with sweeping panoramas of the Masai Mara and the Sabaringo River. Located where the riverine forest meets the sweeping Mara plains in the western end, on the path of the awe-inspiring Great Migration, and at the foot of the Oloololo Escarpment, the camp delivers an untamed African wilderness accented by colonial decadence – this camp re-embraces the romance of 1920s safaris with a conscientious 21st-century attitude.

As guests arrive, they are instantly welcomed by the camp’s commanding view. The camp has been redesigned to better display the Mara scenery with ample yet contemporary Masai-inspired luxury suites that are elegant and timeless. As an alternative to meeting at the bar for a drink after the evening game drive, guests can meet at a choice location on the famous Oloololo Escarpment where a spectacular scene awaits: sundowner cocktails by the glowing campfire, uniformed waiters at attendance and last but not least, the sun’s rays sinking over the vantage point that commands views over the entire Masai Mara. This is the Africa of your imagination – an experience beyond compare!

Sanctuary Olonana is an idyllic tented safari camp located on a private concession bordering the epic Masai Mara on a private stretch of the Mara River, at the foot of the impressive Siria Escarpment.

Sanctuary Olonana from Sanctuary Retreats on Vimeo.

As the afternoon game drive ends, guests are driven to a specially chosen breeze-kissed vantage point overlooking the Mara plains. This is a special moment in time where drinks are served as guests take in the beauty of the sunset that colours the acacia-dotted plains and transforms the world in a matter of minutes. The sun is dropping below the horizon, characteristically leaving the sky streaked in lilac pink and gold. It is a sight never to be forgotten. Thereafter, guests enjoy the warmth of the fire and discuss the day’s adventures as waiters serve canapés and a selection of drinks.

Evenings in the Mara come alive with the night animals like the bat-eared fox, the owls and the big cats that are stirring to hunt under the cover of darkness. You simply cannot miss drinking a toast to Africa’s incredible diversity of wildlife. In a journey of superlatives, sundowners in the Mara is definitely an experience that stands apart.