Entumoto Safari Camp, Maasai Mara — Hotel in Siana ward

Nice facilities but extremely overpriced. Stayed 3 nights. From the positives: They gave us free upgrade from Toto to the main camp; Water hole in front of the camp - we saw elephants, antelopes, wildebeests; Tents were cleansand cozy; facilities are nice; Packed lunches and restaurant food were good (although not the best we had in Kenya); The camp is involved in lots of projects with the local community.

Sadly, the negatives outweighed the positives for us. Location: the camp is situated in a conservancy area. Not only will you be paying extra for this fact, but the conservancy does not have much to offer. We only saw herbivores (antelopes, elephants, warthogs) but you see even more of those in the main park. Yes, you can do night safari but you only see hyenas (and again you see loads of them in the main park during the day) so the conservancy does add anything on top of the main park experience. Animal viewings are also more sparse in that conservancy.

Location again: the hotel is situated a 30min drive from one of the main gates to the park (I timed) so every day you waste an hour for what is a rather uninteresting drive.

The hotel should be giving a discount for this inconvenience rather than making customers pay for the uninteresting conservancy on top of their accommodation costs (the conservancy benefits are definitely mis-sold).

On 3 occasions (two evenings and the morning of our departure) there was no hot water, despite the fact that there is a special person attached to each tent who is supposed to be responsible for the stove. We had two power cuts on the morning of our departure (the second lasting about 15min). It was before 6AM and still dark so it was impossible to finish packing. When there is no power, there is also no running water in the tents. Had we been paying $50 per night, I would have accepted it under the “this is Africa” motto. But I find it unacceptable when you pay more than $400 per night… (plus the conservancy fee!)

On our last night and morning we were the only clients in the camp and it felt that they had just given up on us. We had the aforementioned hot water and power cuts. We made our breakfast orders with the restaurant staff the night before who reassured us that everything would be ready when we arrived for breakfast (since we had a very early staff). When we arrived for breakfast the following morning, the lights were still out, nothing was ready and the waiter had not been made aware of our orders.

Being in the conservancy may have its benefits if you are interested in other activities like sundowners, visiting villages and the camp’s community projects. But for the best game drive experience I’d recommend you pick a camp that’s inside the main Masai Mara reserve. While I am thankful to the hotel for upgrading, I think staying inside the cheaper Toto camp when everything is full would be a rather lousy experience given the price they charge. I feel uneasy writing this review because the staff were very friendly but I do...

We visited Entumoto for 3 nights in early February and absolutely loved our stay here. The camp is situated in the Sekenani Valley, within the Entumoto Conservancy and about half an hour's (bumpy!) drive from the Sekenani gate.

We stayed in one of their Main Tents, which was spacious, clean and very well maintained. Constant hot water, occasionally a power cut (the camp runs off of solar power after all) but only for 30 seconds maximum. The food at the camp was consistently excellent, we mainly ate lunch and dinner at the camp (breakfast out on the Mara) and the meals on offer were very tasty. Next to the restaurant is the bar, which has seats that face the watering hole next to the camp. Brilliant for having a drink and spotting some wildlife!

For security, each tent is assigned an Askari, who will escort you through the camp in the dark (and are never far away during the day). They are there to ensure that the animals behave themselves around guests, because animals WILL wander into the camp! Every morning we would ask which animals had visited and some of the highlights included buffalo, elephant and even hyena!

Each day we were there, we partook in a 'Sundowner', where you get taken out into the conservancy, sit around a fire with some drinks and enjoy the sunset. This is a great chance to spot some wildlife too!

Finally, I have to talk about going on safari. We had early starts every day (5am wake-up call!) and would spend a few hours driving before having breakfast on the savannah, with absolutely stunning views.

I cannot stress enough how lucky we were to see what we saw and I absolutely believe everyone should go in with very low expectations, becuase at the end of the day, the animals won't turn up if you're looking for them. Over 3 days we saw:

• A pride of lions that had been split up, reuniting with each other • Two lions killing and eating a buffalo • Two cheetahs eating a topi • A cheetah stalking an antelope • Two leopards in one day (one on the Mara, one in the conservancy) • A herd (70+) of elephants migrating • A black rhino and her calf moving from cover to cover

All of this wouldn't have been possible without our fantastic guides, Purity and Alex. They are both extremely knowledgable, friendly and absolutely hilarious. They managed to spot animals we would never have noticed (Purity spotting a Serval from 100m away was a particular highlight!). Their enthusiausm for their jobs is so clear to see and it's always a good thing when your guide is as excited as you to see an animal!

Overall I would 100% recommend staying at Entumoto and would absolutely...

Our trip to the Masai Mara in Kenya was our first safari and Entumoto ensured that it was an absolutely incredible, once in a lifetime experience. From start to finish the service, amenities, and special experiences the staff at Entumoto provided were unparalleled. Every single staff member was kind and constantly trying to make our trip special. The camp itself is breathtaking. Set in its own conservancy, the proximity to animals and beautiful landscapes are enough to ensure we will be back. When we first arrived at the airstrip our amazing guide Isaac warmly welcomed us and took us an a game drive during which we immediately saw lions, cheetahs, elephants and zebras. When we got to camp elephants were drinking from a watering hole just feet from where we parked. The accommodations were first class yet made you feel like you were in the middle of the action! The luxurious tents were equipped with all the amenities of a five star hotel but offered unreal views of the landscape. The whole week the staff took great care of us, even providing individual security for each tent throughout the night. I can not speak highly enough of the kitchen team and the delicious meals they prepared! Fine dining was provided for all three meals as well as snacks and coffee/tea available 24/7. The fruits and vegetables used are all grown on the premises at the beautiful garden. Throughout the week there were personal touches that truly made us feel special. Seeing that we enjoyed the masala chai, the staff made sure to have it available whenever we had some down time or enjoyed a scenic off-camp breakfast amongst giraffes, zebras and buffaloes in the “Garden of Eden”. We came into this experience with high expectation and Entuomoto exceeded all of them! We are deeply grateful to Isaac whose knowledge, enthusiasm, and genuine kindness made this a truly unforgettable experience. Highly recommend this for individual and families looking to get the most out of their time...