Saruni Wild — Hotel in Mara ward

I wish words and a review were sufficient to say how incredible our stay was at Saruni Wild. Having stayed at several “tented” camps/lodges, I can easily say that Saruni was the best experience we had while in East Africa:||1) Hospitality - this camp was the most gracious and kind and while there were other guests at the camp, we often felt like we were the only group based upon the level of service. They always went out of their way to make sure we had anything we needed or wanted which to a level of hospitality I’ve not quite experienced before. To round it off, they were the most culture-forward camp we stayed at. Being placed in Mara North is unique as it shares a special economic and cultural relationship with the Maasai people, and we were invited to learn about this culture and what makes this place special.||2) Safari - being placed in the Mara Conservancy allowed for several things- fewer crowds (limited camps and vehicle), up close experiences (parks and reserves are stricter regarding roads due to volume), and area specific guide knowledge. Our guide, John, was a ranger in the conservancy for years before becoming a guide which felt like a leg up in knowing specific animals (their names) and where they might be.||3) Accommodations - everything about this camp felt very intentional and worked towards a feeling and experience. For someone interested in the tented style stay, this was the most comfortable tents we stayed in; clean, well appointed, with permanent infrastructure. As a result, we had running hot water, power as needed, and it struck a perfect balance of being very comfortable without being “posh”. This was in my opinion carefully done to retain the tented experience.||4) People - everyone we interacted with at the camp had the nature of a career hospitality professional that first cared, but second were well trained and attentive. Kudos to our guide John, butler William, camp managers Chris and Barbara, masseuse (!) Noemi, and many others. Getting to know John and Chris so well was unique to our trip overall and unlike any international experience I have had.||Our time at Saruni is enough alone to inspire a trip back to East Africa. Saruni Wild, keep doing your thing! Y’all are great at what you do and we are grateful to...

📝 We had an incredible stay at Saruni Wild. The place was recently renovated and had a really elegant style while immersing us in the wild for a perfect combination of comfort and nature. It's an unfenced lodge as in most cases, definitely a big plus vin my view.

🦓 Our game drives (roughly from 6 to 12 and from 16 to 19) were awesome, mostly spent in the Lemek or Mara North conservancies. We were driven around by John, a very experienced and skilled Masai guide. On each drive we saw plenty of game with most of our time spent close to the big cats.

🛏️ Our tent was very big and comfortable, with also a shower and perfectly functioning toilet and sink. The bed was the best I ever found in a safari lodge. There was no WiFi in the room (nor in any other area of the lodge) but we at least had electric sockets which were useful to charge phones and cameras. On our terrace we had a couple of chairs and a table from which we could relax and enjoy the beauty of the endless savannah in front of us.

📍 The lodge is fully immersed in the wild with the bush on the back and the open savannah in front of every room and common area, where you almost always see antelopes, buffalos, giraffes or elephants roaming around in the distance. There is something very calming and relaxing at this place that makes it so special. Also, the main area was beautiful and perfect to spend time while not being out on a drive.

🍴 Food was excellent with 3-course lunches and dinners based on mostly Italian style cuisine. As in most safari lodges, we also had breakfasts in the savannah during the morning game drive, served directly from our guide. The afternoon drive usually included some snacks and a drink for the sunset. We also had a private dinner on our terrace (with a security person constantly next to us checking that all was fine) and a dinner in the plain savannah with lights from a fire and lanterns, a really stunning night.

☝🏼 A special mention to all the staff which treated us very nicely during our...

The staff here always says that this place is called "Wild" for a reason and they are right! It is a tented camp with just three guest tents (2 doubles and a family tent) hidden right inside the bush, overlooking plains with grazing wildebeest and zebras. If you stay here be prepared for waking up in the night from screams of hyenas surrounding your tent (don't worry, you are will protected from them inside the tent).

It is a place to truly disconnect - there is no Internet, and electricity is available only during daytime (the camp is powered mostly by solar). The shower is a bucket shower which adds to the experience :)

There is almost no other camp around, and the ones that are there are quite similar to this one, so you will not even notice them in the bush unless you actually search. This gives a great feeling of exclusivity and connection with nature.

The staff and the guides are employed from local Maasai villages so they know everything about the area and the animals. Everything is very professional and you will not need to worry about anything while you are here. The staff are very helpful and friendly, the food is great (they mostly serve Italian), and the nature is absolutely unbelievable.

Here they can do morning and evening game drives, and also guided walks on the plains. For an additional small fee you can go and see rhinos in the Ol Chorro Sanctuary. Another extra is a hot air baloon safari (we didn't do so cannot say anything).

If you stay for 3 nights or more, a visit to Maasai Mara reserve will be included which offers an opportunity to see the Great Migration (if you go in July-September).

Something to note: the communication that you find on the website and even in your booking confirmation suggests that it is possible to do night game drives, but on arrival we were told that it is not allowed here. If anyone from the Saruni team is reading this, you might want to fix your documents to accurately manage the guests'...