Olare Mara Kempinski Masai Mara

I recently stayed at the Olare Mara Kempinski for a three-night safari with my partner. The staff, facilities, and location were lovely and enabled us to have the most personalized safari experience to date. Location: Located in the Olare Conservancy in the northern Mara, the lodge benefits from an exclusive setting with only four other camps permitted in the area. This meant we only encountered a handful of other vehicles on most drives. Wildlife: The limited human presence meant Giraffes, Zebras, Elephants and Hippos frequently passed by the lodge. We also spotted Lions and Wildebeests on most drives, with a Cheetah on the last day. Staff: Dominic, the General Manager, ensured our trip was personalised, complete with dinners by the fire and day trips. Moses and the restaurant staff quickly learned our preferences for drinks and meals. Our guide, Dixon, was fantastic and his extensive knowledge of the Mara and ability to locate animals was truly impressive. We also appreciated his flexibility in extending drives, especially after rainy days. Food & Drink: The quality of the meals was exceptional, particularly given the camp's remote location. The three-course menu, which changed daily, offered variety and was on par with other Kempinski properties we've visited worldwide. All soft and alcoholic drinks were included and available throughout the day. The wine selection was excellent, however I would encourage that the menus are made available such that the drinks options are more visible to guests. Rooms: The rooms feature large king beds, private terraces facing the river, high-pressure hot showers, and a bath, with toiletries consistent with other Kempinski hotels. We were kindly upgraded to Room 12, which provided a front-row view of the hippo pond and giraffes and elephants traversing the savanna. While the hippos can be loud, earplugs easily mitigated any disturbance. Wider Facilities: The design beautifully balances safari-style tents on the outside with luxury hotel decor on the inside. The main lobby area offers ample seating, a lovely fire in the evening, and a veranda perfect for evening drinks. My partner thoroughly enjoyed her massage at the spa overlooking the river. There is a non-heated pool, though we didn't use it. One recommendation would be to retreat the wooden flooring around the camp, as it is starting to look quite weathered.

Olare Mare Kempinski surpassed our high expectations in every way. Our game drive guide Danson took us for a ride on arrival at the Orok airstrip and immediately found a pride of lions. Each following day brought us closer to wild animals in the bush, from lions feeding on a giraffe for three days (with hyenas patiently waiting to finish the remains), exotic birds of incredible blue, red and yellow, herds of zebras, giraffes, elephants and even five lions hunting a young hippo (incredibly the hippo escaped, although without its tail). All this possible thanks to the fantastic driver-guides, who used their years of experience and deep knowledge to create a hugely successful safari for us. The camp offers spacious, luxury tents situated at some distance from one another, providing intimacy and total immersion in the bush (a hippo crossed our doorstep as we returned one evening). The food prepared by Chef Kevin was consistently outstanding, the service offered always has a personal touch and genuine courtesy from Moses and Mark, and the spa treatments from Lynette were excellent. We even had hot water bottles put in our beds each evening. The entire camp was graciously and expertly managed by Leakey and Dominic. At our request Dominic even arranged a surprise visit to the local Masai village church on Christmas, where we were invited to participate in the celebration. In short the staff at Olare Mare Kempinski created a fabulous and truly unforgettable experience and we are already planning our return. Thanks again from Andre and Kamilla!

Stayed here in August for 4 nights to finish our honeymoon and it was just incredible. This place is in a conservancy so much less traffic out on safari and you can get right up close to the animals. The facilities were fantastic, all the staff were incredible with such warm hospitality. It was a beautiful setting and the honeymoon suite tent was absolutely stunning. Would love to return one day!

We have been to many camps in South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Kenya. We love safari and this camp is extraordinary. Such luxury and attentive service. The general manager is Leakey and he was so welcoming. Our guide was Danson and our game viewing was wonderful. I love that because we were on a private conservancy that we had the ability to off-road and get up close and personal with the wildlife. We were attended to by Benson and Kelvin and our chef, Kevin was out of this world. Everyone went out of their way to make sure we had whatever we needed. There were special touches such as breakfast served at the edge of the property by the river and candlelit dinner by the fireplace. Each time we left our beautiful tent and then returned our room had been transformed. It was such a special place and one in which we would gladly return.

The Camp The infrastructure is on top, the employees are very polite and super obliging. The food is so varied and super delicious! The tents and the roomservice are fabulous! In every aspect the good guys at olare mara always go above and beyond for your well beeing! The Gamedrives As a secondtimer safariwise it was an absolute dream! You leave the campsite early in the morning (bushbreakfast optional) and you will be back in camp around 10 to 11 am. The second drive of the day starts around 4 pm until dark. The best thing about the camp is its perfect location! There is no need to go far, we had most of our action within 1 km around the camp! Olare Mara has exellent guides with an amazing sense for the animals/nature! The cars are comfortable and in good shape! Cheers Daniel W.

This is the second time we have stayed in this small romantic hotel with interesting rooms in the middle of the savannah. The rooms are very spacious (much larger than in city hotels) and you don't even have the feeling that you are in a tent. The staff is very friendly, the service in general is at the highest possible level. The food is even better than last year. And, what is most characteristic of this hotel-resort, you have two safaris a day and it cannot happen that you do not see 100% of what you want! And all this very close to the resort with very little driving. We only stayed two nights this year, We only had three safaris (one with an outdoor sunset dinner) but we saw everything...lions eating their catch, leopards, cheetahs, giraffes, elephants, hyenas, hippos, zebras, antelopes, eagles and other animals. I highly recommend!