The Mara Sun Lodge — Hotel in Angata Barikoi ward

I stayed at the Mara Sun Lodge on a last minute solo photography trip to Kenya in September 2019, my second time in Africa and my first visit to Kenya.||||The lodge itself is situated high up on the edge of the Oloololo escarpment, blending in to the surrounding environment. The lodge offers parking at the ground base before traversing up the escarpment in a 6-wheel drive vehicle.||||The lodge is set in a crescent shape, rustic with rooms clean and spacious in the the design of traditional Maasai Manyattas. My double room had a comfortable bed with mosquito net, bedside tables, a desk space and two chairs with table. There is hot running water in the rooms shower, and a kettle was provided for me on arrival by the staff as I am a big tea drinker!||||The jewel was the private balcony of each room which offers breathtaking views over the Mara Triangle. When not out on drive, this is where I spent my time listening to the sounds of the busch, and watching the many animals that pass below. One evening I watched two elephants pick fruit from tall trees by standing on their hind legs. You may have gathered there is no TV in the rooms, but why the hell would you need one! It was not uncommon at night to hear or see bushbabies on the roof, or be woken by the residential Baboons that refuge in the rocks at night||||The dinning and communal area in the central area of the lodge is a spacious area, providing 3-4 course evening meals decided on the menu earlier that day, and breakfast. There is a TV located here, as well as an outdoor fire pit and balcony dinning area. At the time of my trip myself and my guide were the only two guests at the lodge, as I had timed by trip just out of season.||||The staff were all very friendly and accommodating during my stay, being able to exchange cultural conversations and learning about Maasai life.||||The location is at the far South/West of the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, roughly 6 hours from the capital of Nairobi, so if a secluded stay with stunning scenery and abundant game is what you are looking for, this would be a great...

I stayed here in August 2019 and found this place to be an absolute gem. I read some negative reviews before booking the property. But after speaking with Gerald, the hotel manager, i felt quite comfortable booking the property. Gerald was very helpful and patient in answering all my queries. ||||Positives about the hotel:||1. Staff was very nice and super helpful.||2. We are vegetarians and the chef took special care of us and during our entire stay we were spoiled for vegetarian options. ||3. Amazing views of the Mara as you are on the top of the hill and also very close to the game drives. A lot of animals could be spotted from the hotel itself.||4. NO MOSQUITOES due to location of the hotel at the top of the hill.||5. Rooms were big, nice and comfortable.||6. Someone mentioned in one of the reviews i read that there is some issues with the hot water availability but we had hot water available 24 hours a day.||7. Special thanks to Gerald, who manages the property, went above and beyond to make sure we had a nice experience. He even provided us with a very good guide, Kisotu, who helped us spot the big 5s.||||The only negative i could think of is that the public road leading to the Hotel property is not in a very good condition, but it is hardly a 5 minute drive and this road is no different to the other roads in an around Mara. This is really not a criticism of the hotel because they cant really control the condition of the public access roads.||||Overall I would give them more than 5 stars if i could and the most important factor would be the excellent staff. I would highly recommend and would definitely stay here again.||||Also from my experience I would advise anyone having any doubts in their minds to communicate with Gerald and ask as many questions you like to put your mind at ease. I can speak from my experience you wont be...

My wife and I stayed at Mara Sun Lodge for a couple days at the end of August and very much enjoyed our stay. Check in was very easy, food and service were good, and the views were outstanding, especially from the outdoor eating area. The rooms were spacious, clean and comfortable. We did have quite a large spider in the room the 2nd day, but it’s Africa, your on safari, that can happen anywhere, no big deal for us. ||Mara Sun Lodge sits atop a escarpment overlooking the Mara, and you do have to catch a ride the lodge provides from the bottom of the escarpment up to the top where the lodge is, but it only takes 5-10 minutes and the views at the top is worth it. We enjoyed our stay and would definitely stay there again and would recommend...