Julia's River Camp — Hotel in Siana ward

Kenya is a truly remarkable destination for a safari and one of the best ways to experience it in the most authentic way possible is by booking your stay in the Masai Mara National Park itself. This is what makes Julia's River Camp an ideal choice. It is situated right by the Talek River in the reserve, which means that your safari experience continues even after you're done with your game drives.

We slept hearing lions roar in the distance, woke up to the grunts of hippos almost every morning and enjoyed our meals watching giraffes eat the leaves of the trees across the river. The tents, while basic, are quite comfortable and rustic – making nature the true star of the show at Julia's.

There's a lot we can say about the staff at the property – each one of them was so warm, welcoming, friendly and went out of their way to be of help! They'll even engage you with stories about their culture around the evening bonfire to give your experience an extra special touch.

We read a lot of reviews about the meals not being great, but our opinion was just the opposite. We loved the food that was prepared for each meal, including the packed breakfasts and packed lunches during longer game drives. The meals served at the camp were very delicious too and the staff went out of their way to set up a special table in the afternoons to help us enjoy the best views.

What truly made our experience special was being assigned a highly knowledgeable and professional guide. Leon, being Masai himself, knew the surroundings like the back of his hand, and he knew the exact spots during our game drives to find the animals we were looking for. We covered so much ground during our three days in the reserve, thanks to his expertise. He truly made the experience! We cannot...

The most incredible hospitality I received during my entire stay in Kenya. This stay is set in a beautiful location, close to the wild, with a comfortable set-up perfect for game drives and immersion in nature. Isaac, our guide during the game drives, quickly became like one of our family members, pouring his heart and soul into helping us spot animals, no matter what it took for him. We got to experience very close sightings of everything we dreamed of - including the big 5 and a kill. Hans, one of the property managers, exceeded our expectations in ensuring we were comfortable throughout the stay, and included many activities to keep us entertained. We were a family of 4, all vegetarians. Chef Diana was super generous in customizing delicious meals for us. Certainly did not expect to eat such fresh and yummy food, given that we were vegetarians, in this remote location. But our hosts did not miss any opportunity to pamper us. Kevin, one of the security guards, along with others, stayed up all night guarding the site. Security was available 24x7, and escorted us to our rooms and around the property every single time. Rooms were extremely comfortable and beautiful. To my pleasant surprise, hot water for showers was also available at any time of the day or night. Gideon and Frank were the humblest hosts as they assisted us during dining. Sandra, Viven, William - the other staff at the property, made us feel like our stay was of utmost importance to them. I could not help but mention all these names in this review, because even though our stay would have been very comfortable without them, the people made it feel priceless. Highly, highly recommend anyone reading this to consider staying here if visiting Mara. It's the rarest kind of luxury, and...

I'd like to make one thing clear. There are proper jungje camps that seek to make the most minimal footprint on the forest they inhabit while also offering the best hospitality possible, within reason, to their guests. Then there are the supremely luxurious resorts that cater to the 'American/European' stereotype of what a jungle camp should be like. Julia belongs to the former. Fully outfitted with solar lights that go out in the late evening so as to not disturb the wildlife. Staffed mostly by the Maasai by which you learn how warm and hospitable and kind they truly are. Like Andrew and Eric. The head waiter, George, was grace and kindness personified. He did his very best to serve us good, wholesome food. Not many options,but we didn't come here for michelin starred fare. Our compliments to the chef. We loved everything they served us. The fresh bread and rolls were out of this world. The meatballs were yum. The lamb casserole was sublime. All the soups were delicious. And then there was Isaac - our guide. I cannot fully in words describe how he made our three days in the Savannah so memorable. He knew the trails like the back of his hand. Every day, we witnessed sights that we will remember till the end of our days. We owe him so much more thsn he was paid for his service. An extremely good human being, too. He really bonded with our kids and my father-in-law in his late 70s. We couldn't have asked for a more perfecf guide than Isaac. Thank you so much, Isaac. And thank you so so much, Julia's and everyone at the camp. You treated us with so much warmth and care and helped us have the best vacation of our lives yet. If we come back to the Maasai Mara, we're coming...