The Best Way to Experience the Maasai Mara: Olare Mara Kempinski and Villa Rosa
The Maasai Mara National Reserve is high on many bucket lists. This preserved slice of the savanna wilderness is located in Southwestern Kenya along the Tanzanian border. It got its name from the landscape’s beautifully spotted aerial view (Mara translates to ‘spotted’).
Couple that stunning view of balanite trees and the diversity of vegetation, the Maasai Mara is one of the best destinations to experience a safari. While I’ll be working on a post all about planning your first luxury safari, I want to share some tips for the best way to experience the Maasai Mara.
The Villa Rosa in Nairobi and Olare Mara in the Maasai Mara are the perfect places to stay for ease, convenience, and a smooth safari experience. Here’s what you can expect from your stay. I could not have imagined a more perfect first safari experience!
The Best Hotels to Stay At to Experience the Maasai Mara
Both the Villa Rosa and Olare Mara are Kempinski properties. This means there are certain standards, comforts, and luxuries that you can expect.
When flying to Kenya, you will not be able to fly directly into the Maasai Mara, and your first point of entry to Kenya will be Nairobi. Whether you’re planning on exploring Nairobi for a while prior to heading out on your safari, the Villa Rosa will be the perfect hotel to launch your trip.
What to Expect From Your Stay at The Villa Rosa, Nairobi
The 5-star luxury Villa Rosa will offer you a warm Kenyan welcome whether you’re here for a while or itching to leave on your safari trip. It was even the hotel of choice for President Obama’s visit to Nairobi.
The Villa Rosa makes it easy for guests, providing you with everything you need for a comfortable short and long-term stay. Their white-glove service will ensure smooth and easy transfers from the minute of your arrival.
With over 200 rooms spread across 10 floors, you’ll be treated to sprawling city views, contemporary decor, and a large tub (much needed after a long journey). It also has several lounges, bars, and restaurants to make dining in Nairobi a breeze. Spending a little more time in Nairobi? Visit their on-site luxury spa so you can get your muscles ready for your safari adventure.
And while you will be treated to immaculate service and amenities, The Villa Rosa would be the best launching point for you prior to your departure to the Maasai Mara.
In case you didn’t know, there is a 15kg weight limit for your bags on a bush safari. So if you’re traveling for an extended period of time or just a heavy packer with several check-in luggage, you need to rethink your packing strategy.
But here’s where I let you in on my little secret as to how I navigated this packing dilemma: The Villa Rosa kept all my stuff safe and stored while I headed to their sister property in the Maasai Mara.
Why Olare Mara is the Best Place to Experience the Maasai Mara
Just like The Villa Rosa, Kempinski's infamous white-glove service extends to your stay at Olare Mara. Olare is the salty area of the Maasai, which will give you an idea of the land in which it is situated. And although you’ll have a handful of luxury safari accommodations, you won’t have one that isn’t fenced in on the Olare Motorogi Conservancy.
Staying in an unfenced camp when on a safari makes for a unique experience. The wildlife can roam in and out as they please. But don’t worry. Olare Mara has qualified guides to escort you so you don’t have an awkward run-in with an elephant, buffalo, or hippo in the middle of the night.
Now that you have the lay of the land, here’s what you can expect from your luxury safari experience with Olare Mara.
It’s important to note that unlike glamping in Jordan, the tents at Olare Mara don’t come with heating or air conditioning. And to be completely honest, I didn’t miss it! It was never too hot or too cold. Plus, you’ll be out exploring during the heat of the day, and Olare Mara is prepared with hot water bottles if the temperatures at night get too cold.
It’s also a small property with a total of 12 tents, so you can anticipate that even a fully-booked camp to have no more than 24 people on property. If you’re considering a safari for your honeymoon, I couldn’t recommend Olare Mara’s honeymoon suite more--where you’ll have a private plunge pool that overlooks the hippos in the river.
Game Drives
Your stay will include two game drives a day. All of the guides are wonderful, but I highly recommend you request my guide Philip. He was the best guide and made the safari experience so special.
For game drives, you’ll go out once very early in the morning (getting up before the sun) and another one in the afternoon. You can also opt to do a late breakfast where you’ll stay out longer, and not come in for breakfast— this gives you the ability to see a little bit more, or go further on your drives.
When we set up our takeaway breakfast, we dined overlooking the hippos in the river. It was quite the experience!
You will be paired with other travelers on your safari— I was with the nicest couple from Nairobi and we had a great time together and became fast friends. You can also opt to book a private game drives during your stay.
The team will set you up with drinks, water, and anything you need for your adventure out in the Mara.
Trusted Travel Girl Tip: If it’s particularly cold in the mornings during your stay, you can ask for a hot water bottle to take on the drive with you.
A Feel-Good Experience at the Olare Mara
While you won’t have access to an on-site spa and a ton of restaurants, there isn’t a shortage of luxury during this glamping experience.
For starters, you’ll have access to daily laundry, where you can wash an unlimited amount of clothing. This is extremely helpful considering the 15kg bag limit.
Aside from that, you know that traveling like a local (and supporting local communities) is important to The Trusted Travel Girl. The Kempinski Olare Mara uses local guides from the community and local villages.
This is an important link between community and conservation efforts because the locals become ambassadors to the conservancy (where the property is located).
Additionally, a safari at Olare Mara Kempinski will have limited vehicle access since it’s located within the conservancy. This means no big lines of vehicles that interrupt the natural way of things.
The Maasai Mara is a conservancy where landowners enter agreements with safari operators. Only conservancy vehicles can enter the national reserve, but the other safari operators are not allowed to enter the conservancies in order to protect the animals, local culture, and land.
And to add a little icing on top of your safari experience, you can give something back by planting a tree in your name in the conservancy. This keeps the Mara green and luscious, filling the wide-open area with more foliage.
An Easy, Luxurious, and Convenient Visit to the Maasai Mara
Planning the perfect first luxury safari can be tough. But launching off from the Villa Rosa in Nairobi and heading over to Olare Mara is the best way to go.
Staying at both these properties will take out all the guesswork and planning when it comes to having the perfect, first safari experience.
