Mara Serena Safari Lodge

Discover the Kenya safari of your dreams, a vast, gently rolling landscape of acacia-specked grasslands darkened by migrating wildebeest herds. Mara Serena Safari Lodge invites you to a world where dramatic sights and experiences are enhanced by gracious service and five-star amenities.

As the only safari lodge in the famed Mara Triangle, we offer a setting matched by few other hotels in the world: perched high on a bush-cloaked hill with sweeping views of the savannah and the meandering shoreline of the Mara River.

Our Masai Mara hotel lodge is designed in the style of a traditional Maasai Manyatta while offering every modern comfort. Neatly arranged rows of rooms and suites are positioned to offer uninterrupted river views from private balconies.

Equally breathtaking sightlines can be enjoyed from the restaurant and bar and rock-enclosed swimming pool. After a day in the bush, a steam shower and an Oringa Massage at the Maisha Spa & Gym offer an exquisite welcome back to civilisation.

Enjoy exhilarating excursions deep into the Masai Mara Game Reserve with activities and adventures as intrepid as you choose to be during your stay. Savour superb chef-prepared cuisine in our onsite restaurant and with unforgettable “Bush Dining” and “Sundowner” experiences.

Rediscover how special family time can be with game drives, breakfasts by the hippo pool and visits to an authentic Maasai village. From savannah to spa, experience Africa in all its wild grandeur at Mara Serena Safari Lodge.

ACCOMMODATION
The breathtaking landscapes of Masai Mara National Reserve, uninterrupted views of the Mara River and a design inspired by a traditional Maasai Manyatta set Mara Serena Safari Lodge as an unforgettable destination for safari holidays.

Our 74 guest rooms which includes the suite have been inspired by the local Maasai heritage and surrounding natural splendour, welcoming guests to experience the allure of the only lodge located within the famed Mara Triangle.

A merger of Africa’s untamed beauty and modern sophistication, our accommodations are arranged with one slightly in front of its neighbour, allowing for sweeping river and savannah views.

Adorned in swirling patterns that reflect the colours and shapes of the bush, rooms feature Maasai-inspired design-motifs, King or twin beds, lavish, all-encompassing mosquito-curtaining and marble bathrooms with walk-in showers.

Contemporary amenities like complimentary Internet and television with satellite channels along with personalised touches like ceiling fans to enhance the guest experience.

THE MARA SUITE
Equally viable as a presidential/CEO, honeymoon or VIP venue, the lodge’s spacious and generously appointed Mara Suite welcomes in the beauty of its surroundings with marvellous views of Mara River. Enjoy the warmth and sophistication of this suite appointed with a master bedroom with a King bed, a separate sitting area and two private balconies.

LODGE ROOM
Our Lodge Room immerses you in the beauty of our surroundings with views of Mara from your private balcony. Enjoy the warmth and cosiness of these rooms appointed with every modern comfort.

DINING
Crafted with the finest local and seasonal ingredients, the food you enjoy at Mara Serena Safari Lodge takes you on a culinary journey that celebrates the bounty, richness and untamed spirit of the Masai Mara National Reserve.

Whether you’re dining in our restaurant, greeting the sunrise with breakfast by the hippo-filled Mara River or toasting the sunset with “Sundowner” cocktails and canapés in the bush, you will be treated to an unforgettable dining experience with every meal. Three times a week, our dinners are accompanied by a traditional Maasai dance performance.

MAIN RESTAURANT
Enjoy one of Kenya’s most captivating dining experiences in our Maasai-inspired dining room overlooking the plains of the Masai Mara and down to the river.

Decorated with traditional Maasai motifs, it offers open-plan seating (inside and outside) and a relaxed atmosphere. Linked to the dining room is a welcoming bar area, which also offers exterior seating around the nightly campfire.

Breakfast and lunch are presented as buffets and feature a wide range of international choices. In typical safari-style, we offer a ‘full English breakfast’ as well as European options. Our lunch menus will typically include meat, poultry, fish and vegetarian dishes. Other dietary preferences can be accommodated with prior notice.

Our five-course table d’hôte dinner menus feature a wide array of choices and vegetarian options are always available. Guests may also enjoy three special ‘theme’ nights.

This popular feature offers a broad selection of international options, ranging from pasta to BBQ to authentic Kenyan specialties. Enjoy “Nyama Choma” (traditionally roasted meats), “Sukuma” (local kale cooked with tomatoes, onions, garlic and coriander), “Posho” (maize) and other local delicacies.

HIPPO POOL BREAKFAST
Depart the lodge after an early morning cup of tea and enjoy an exhilarating game drive in the crisp morning air, keeping an eye out for matriarchal elephant herds, the lion prides and all the other wildlife in which the Mara abounds.

Arriving on the banks of the world-famous Mara River, you will be met by a traditionally clad Maasai warrior who will lead you where countless hippos wallow. Once you reach a clearing, you will be offered a glass of chilled sparkling wine or fresh juice before being shown to your table, which is located in a shady grove immediately alongside the hippo pool.

Beneath the trees, you will find a full display of fruit, patisserie and cereals as well as a line of chefs ready to cook eggs, bacon, sausages and chicken to your specification. Please note that all our wilderness dining sites feature full security and bathroom facilities

BUSH DINNER
For those who have dreamt of dining in the wilds of the Masai Mara, our bush dining experiences are incomparable. We are experts at arranging breakfasts, lunches, dinners and cocktails in a number of dedicated sites: by the hippo pool, on panoramic Look-out Hill or on the savannah plains.

All meals are typically presented with tables, safari chairs, a ‘bush bar’ and a ‘bush kitchen,’ where a broad range of meats, poultry, fish and vegetables are cooked on-site (supplemented by fresh soups, salads and desserts from our hotel kitchens).

SUNDOWNER
The “Sundowner” is an essential part of safari life and dates back to the time of the great game hunting safaris of the 1920s when cocktails were always served as the sun began its descent. Your experience opens with a gentle evening game drive, ideally timed to catch the wildlife as it emerges into the cool of the evening.

Arriving at our sundowner site as the light turns to gold (ideal for photography), you can sip your drink and enjoy our inspirational selection of canapés as the sun slowly drops below the horizon. It typically leaves the sky streaked in shades of lilac, pink and gold. This is a sight never to be forgotten and an event not to be missed.

Our sundowner bar, open for just an hour each day at sunset, is located high above the plains on Lookout Hill with magnificent panoramic views and equipped with a blazing campfire, a safari bar, a hot canapé-counter, seating, safari lanterns, Maasai warriors and a guitarist (plus bathroom facilities).

STAR LIT ROMANTIC DINNER
Tucked away in the majestic Maasai Mara, a secret and enchanting location sets the scene for a memorable dining experience set under African skies accompanied by the sounds of nature that will leave you blown away. Be it a honeymoon surprise, anniversary, a proposal or any special event.

POOLSIDE BARBEQUE
Later, by the lodge’s floodlit pool under the vast and starry dome of the African night, enjoy succulent lamb cooked on a spit, chicken and grills, pasta, salads and delicious desserts.

You’ll also experience the sounds of animals in the distant darkness beyond and night birds calling. During this unforgettable meal, you can delight in the relaxing ripple of a poolside stream and an evening breeze that sways the hanging lanterns.

MASAI MARA EXPERIENCE
Experience the extraordinary beauty, rich heritage and vibrant culture of Kenya’s Masai Mara with an array of activities and adventures created to inspire your spirit.

From game viewing safaris to spot the “Big Five” (elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and rhino) to hot air balloon rides high above the African savannah to abundant opportunities to explore the culture and enjoy the hospitality of the Maasai people, these unforgettable “bucket list” experiences will remain with you long after you depart.

OLOLOOLO ESCARPMENT HIKE EXPEDITION
Ololoolo escarpment forms the western boundary of the Mara triangle running along a geological fault line forming the edge of a granite plateau that rises to a height of 400 meters from the bottom.

The escarpment receives more rain than the rest of the Mara triangle and lots of fresh water streams radiate from its face disappearing into the ground only to reappear in swamps lower down.

As a result of the rains a growth of thick vegetation is found to be growing along the escarpment This terrain of the escarpment ranges from rocky crags, boulders strewn slopes and well-watered wetlands. The icing on the cake has to be the ability to enjoy endless plains of grass of the Mara Plains which are a site to from atop the escarpment.

There are several tracks along the escarpment used by the Germans during WW1. These tracks create an edge for adventure seekers. The hiking trail starts at the Ngira-re rangers out post(1645m) and gently ascends up for 4 km to a height of 1935m to reach the top (vertical height 290 Metres). The hiking takes 1- 2.5 hours ascending and 1 hour descending.

Guests leave the lodge after breakfast (7:30am) drive for 1 hour to the foot of the escarpment. The entire hiking take approximately 3 hours and guests are driven back to the lodge for lunch.

MAASAI VILLAGE VISIT
The Maasai are undoubtedly one of the most famous traditional cultures on earth. In fact, the Manyatta are usually a circular encampment of long, low, rounded houses, created by daubing cattle dung over a framework of sticks. Visiting a Manyatta is a good way to learn more about the Maasai culture and everyday life. Many ceremonies involve the ritual slaughter of cattle or goats with meat being distributed among the community, according to social rank.

At other times, live cattle are bled by opening a vein on the neck or flank with the point of an arrow. The blood is collected in a gourd and the wound closed with ashes. Then the blood is either drunk immediately while fresh or mixed with milk. Even at slaughter, blood is collected and mixed with milk to be drunk later. Sour milk is also considered a delicacy.

Rooms: 74

Price: from 290 EUR per night

Source: www.serenahotels.com