Mahali Mzuri

My wife and I spent three nights at the Mahali Mzuri whilst on a Macato Safari. After finishing our Safari including the Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Lake Manyara, we found the Maasai Mara the best for up close wildlife viewing and the Mahali Mzuri perfect for luxury “camping “. The accommodations are quiet spacious and comfortable with a wonderful balcony overlooking the countryside full of wildlife. The staff were excellent. The bar did have a few non-alcoholic beers, but not enough for me. All-in-all, we would like to return for at least a week stay. Larry & Kelly St. John’s, FL

It’s hard to know where to start our review of Mahali Mzuri. Everything was perfect. We were greeted at the airfield with champagne and met our guide, Levi and his trainee Dansen. We were given a game drive on the way back from the airport and saw lions, a crocodile, hippos, and various other animals right away. We were lucky enough to have tent 12, while is on the far end provided excellent privacy and viewing of the valley below. The room was extremely well thought out and spacious. The only issue we ever had was the afternoons (12-4 or so) the tent became quite toasty - there is no AC but a fan is provided. The housekeeping staff kept everything in tip top shape for the entirely of our stay. The food was amazing - everyone was quick to provide refills of drinks and each evening game drive concluded with a glass of wine and snacks. One evening they arranged a special campfire at the end of the drive with the other guests that included a full bar. Another evening we were treated to a dinner under the stars with traditional dance and food. The staff kindly helped arrange a hot air balloon for my husband (I passed on this as the small plane to arrive at camp is the limit of my tolerance for small planes) and I went to the spa. The spa is incredibly reasonable and down further from the pool where you can hear all sorts of wildlife during your massage. The infinity pool was cool and extremely refreshing. Definitely bring your bathing suits for the warm afternoons between game drives. This was an amazing first experience for a safari. I appreciated the commitment to the local community by the resort as well. It’s nice to feel like your tourism dollars are going back into the local community. We saw so many animals during our time and that was definitely due to the experience and knowledge of our guides. We are dreaming of returning soon!

The Mahali Mzuri is one of the nicest tented resort camps in Kenya. The staff is friendly and super-attentive. Our Butler, Kisseme, was on top of us whenever we were in camp and our guide, Kas, may literally be the best guide in all of Kenya. He was super-knowledgeable about not only the animals but also the flora as well as the ways of the indigenous Masai people. I'd strongly recommend the 5k hike we took through the savanna to visit a Masai village and local school - truly a highlight. Of course, you can't beat the wildlife so no need to embellish there! The phyisical spaces of the camp are amazing. The camp is set up on a cliff overlooking amazing views into a valley containing a stream. You could practically "safari" from the restaurant, bar or even back deck of your room. The rooms themselves were comfortable and airy with spectacular - and large - rear decks with unrivaled views. My only complaint was that they felt a little "tired" but I understand that they are renovating this camp in the coming months.

Hands down this was one of the best experiences of my life. Everyone at Mahali Mzuri feels like family. The food was fabulous. The chef is amazing and can take you on a tour of the garden. He has recipe books you can take home with you. Our waitress Letticia was wonderful. The game drives were unbelievable. We felt very lucky to have Kas drive us on the most phenomenal game drives. We saw so many animals including a black rhino that hasn’t been seen in the park for 13 years and the river crossing of the great migration. He has incredible skill and knowledge. I cannot recommend staying here enough. They pay such close attention to detail and care. I went with my family celebrating that I was done with a year of treatment fighting cancer. The manager wrote such a sweet note welcoming us and even my housekeeper made me feel special. Do not hesitate staying here one bit. it will be worth it. I highly recommend staying for at least 4-5 days. It was always a surprise to see what Kas would find. I also recommend going to the village and the hot air balloon ride. It is simply a magical place.

Another brilliant trip to our favourite Kenyan Game Lodge, our third visit. Not only is the game viewing excellent, twenty lions feeding on a kill surrounded by about one hundred hyaena for example, but the staff are wonderful, they simply can’t do enough for you. Well done David our waiter, Joy the ever present, and Amaiza our housekeeper, and the wonderful Mariana with her deadpan, dry sense of humour; congratulations and thanks to all you and the many other staff always ready to help and advise. How good they are was there for all to see with their diplomatic, patient, and careful handling of a particularly disruptive and entitled family. Eddy the chef was fantastic as always, not only with his wonderful menus but also in his attempts to mitigate the disruption to the staff caused by the family. None of this adventure would be possible without our brilliant guide Levi, whose ability to spot game from incredible distances is legendary, at least in our eyes. He also has an uncanny knack of knowing just where each particular sighting would appear next, meaning he could always anticipate the best position for a great ‘photo or to just to sit back and look at the wonderful animals, some seemingly close enough to touch. The Lodge itself and the individual “tents” are perfectly placed to watch the animals passing below, particularly elephants, giraffe and hippo, and the sounds of the night are clearly audible from the complete safety of your tent. Security guards patrol the entirety of the Lodge and surrounds throughout the hours of darkness and are always on hand whenever you need them especially to escort you to and from the bar and dining room after dark. The description “tents” does not do justice to the accommodation. These are very solid structures with all the amenities you would hope to find in this grade of luxury Lodge. Thanks to everyone at Mahali Mzuri, keep up the great work and we will return.

A must visit if one is going to Maasai Mara. Being in a private conservancy one gets much more relaxed sightings without too many jeeps around and also it’s a better managed experience. The guide experience was positive and we had Kas & Joshua with us who helped us find some good sightings. The staff at the hotel were very efficient and the rooms also were very comfortable with good housekeeping services. The food especially was very good and the chef & their team took a lot of care. The dining team and especially Joy there, who took care of us, did a great job. Bush breakfast experience is a must try and it was exhilarating to eat breakfast at the same place we saw lions & a leopard an hour earlier!