Oldarpoi Mara Camp — Hotel in Siana ward

Before going there, I'd read the reviews stating the manager is rude and i thought to myself " Why would I get into a situation like that?" I have been to Kenya 6 times and this was probably my worst experience ||We went there welcomed by some amazing people ( Receptionists - Stella and Tom were great) and we were told a Guide named John would be our guide/driver for the next 4 days post dinner we went to confirm the same and we were told a driver named Ryan would be driving us. We told him 6'o clock and he said ok and we headed off to sleep. The next day we were at the dining area by 5:35 and Ryan wasn't seen until 7:30 a.m. when asked he straight up lies to us that the gate opens at 6:30 a.m., whereas it opens at 6 a.m. And then he says we leave at 7:00 a.m. after breakfast .. why wasn't this communicated to us? ||||And this man Ryan is the owner's son he is arrogant and while on the drive he wanted to get us back at the lodge by 2:30 pm and when I told him gate closes at 6:30, can we drive around a bit on the other side ||This is what he said " I'm your guide. I showed you animals, I decide when to go back" i said ok, and i asked my agent to change the guide and now we asked Ryan to show us the tickets what he bought - we paid him 640 USD(3202) for 4 days. he said i'll show you at the lodge when we asked after reaching he said i won't be your guide from tomorrow ( i was happy) but i asked for the tickets again and he said i'll get your money back. he came back 15 mins later with the same notes i'd given in the morning. so my question - did he really buy the tickets? did he scam the money we gave him? and did he think we were some ladies who were easy to fool ||||receptionist came to us telling us we had to pay for everything left, so I paid. ||Later we were stopped by Nelson ( Owner/Manager) who said we disrespected the guide and called him Stud. Ryan eavesdropped on some conversation we were having and picked one word he heard and complained it to his dad. So his dad came to us telling us that he couldn't accommodate us anymore on drives and said we could leave if we wanted to. ||||Nelson wasn't ready to listen to us, he just went on praising his son as though we made a mistake. While we made some calls to leave and asked for refund we were told everything is now sorted. ||||and also being an Indian woman I sensed when I spoke Nelson never cared about what i was saying, either it was cause he never cared about women or never respected Indians and thought that they could show us 2 lions and we'd be happy. I told him Sir, this is not our first in kenya, we know the routes in Mara, we know the places and as we are going full day we would just like to go to the places we want and not to places where there are 100vehicles behind one lion. ||||So people, Food is good, John the guide is good - ask for him if you're going, and whenever you go on a drive - go with them and get your ticket if not ask them to show and check properly. ***||||A guide makes or breaks your safari. Ryan - breaks them, John makes them. We had John for the next 3 days he was amazing, he came at 6:00 every day. ||||Stay out of this place if you can, but if you are thinking like how I did, go ahead It's a good property, Food is good. but also try staying away from Ryan and His dear dad, They are arrogant and rude, I don't think you have to experience all this when you go for a vacation. ||||I'm not even sure if Ryan is a certified guide he would just take you where all the vehicles are, can't spot animals, has basic knowledge, drives at 60km/hr inside Mara, always on a call not bothering about his guests. ||||And I'm pretty sure the response I'm going to get is going to be...

This was our first visit to Kenya and after reading about Oldarpoi and the Nashulai Conservancy being owned and managed by the local Maasai people, we decided to stay there as we loved the idea of tourism for social change. I am struggling to find the words to explain what a truly wonderful experience this was, made all the more special by the wonderful people who work there. It was the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of our usual everyday life. It was so peaceful and relaxing and we learned so much from our incredible Maasai guide Moses. It’s a wonderful location for visiting the Maasai Mara just a few minutes drive from the main gates. We did game drives in Nashulai Conservancy and the Mara, a walking safari from the camp to learn about life in the bush and which also included visiting the local Maasai village. We also did an early morning ballon ride to see the sunrise followed by a champagne breakfast in the bush which was a once in a lifetime experience. |During our stay we were able to volunteer at a local community clinic and visited the college in the conservancy which is doing a fantastic job at educating and empowering the local youth. |The camp itself has a lovely restaurant, bar and outdoor seating area and we enjoyed some great food and evening drinks by the fire pit.|The swimming pool was much larger than we expected looking at the photos on the website and a great way to relax and cool off following morning safaris. A few more sun loungers around the pool would be beneficial for busier times although it wasn’t a problem for us.|We were made to feel so welcome. Nothing was too much trouble and the staff were all brilliant and all wore the biggest smiles.|Special thank you to Esther for planning our itinerary and arranging our volunteering, Johnston on reception, Sophie on reception and the college, Thomas our housekeeper, all the guards who walked us to our accommodation after dark, Daniel for showing us round his Maasai village and Nashipai who brought me my favourite cocktail every night with the biggest smile. |Last but not least, a heartfelt thank you to Moses our incredible guide for sharing his knowledge of the bush and for showing us the sensational wildlife around the camp, Nashulai and the Maasai Mara. He is AMAZING.|Our first trip to Oldarpoi but definitely...

You HAVE to stay at Oldarpoi Camp! We have just come back from the most magical 4 night stay here and simply cannot recommend it enough. If we could give the service 6 stars we would! Maasai hospitality is on another level and every single one of the staff we encountered at Oldarpoi made it their mission to ensure we had a perfect getaway! I visited this camp first back in 2012 and the development over that time has upgraded the camp to one of absolute luxury but without losing any of its personality or charm. ||The variety and quality of food was amazing, the accommodation luxurious and to top it off we could cool down after a hot days game driving in the Africa-shaped pool with panoramic views of the Maasai Mara and Nashulai conservancy. Bliss.||We also had amazing game drives both in Nashulai Conservancy and the main Maasai Mara reserve and were lucky enough (thanks to the expertise of our fantastic guide Moses) to see The Big 5!! We loved spending time in the Nashulai reserve, away from the busyness of the main reserve, enabling us to spend time 1:1 with the animals to observe their behaviour.||Seeing first hand how Nashulai is benefiting and uplifting the local Maasai community as the only Maasai-owned conservancy in the Mara made the adventure even more special as we could see the positive effects of tourism through a sustainable lens. It also deepened our understanding and love of Maasai culture and heritage. ||We would like to say a special thank you to Nelson, Ryan, Ken, Margaret, Thomas, Vivienne, Frank, Moses (x2), Nashipi, the chefs and the rest of the team who we may have forgotten for making this the experience of a lifetime. We will never forget it and will be back again for sure - Ashe oleng,...