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Offbeat Mara

Our rating

8/10

Price guide

Highlights

- Secluded, remote location
- Mara North Conservancy
- Authentic bush camp feel
- Vehicle & balloon safaris, cultural visits

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Overview

Offbeat Mara is a pleasantly secluded and off-the-beaten-track safari lodge located within Kenya’s Mara North Conservancy (MNC), a protected wildlife area that spans some 74,000 acres. High animal density coupled with a relatively small number of lodges make this a highly desirable wildlife destination and safaris here have the hallmark of authenticity along with a certain level of exclusivity.

In keeping with the lodge’s commitment to offering a peaceful and private safari experience, a maximum of just 20 guests can be accommodated at any one time. There are seven spacious tents scattered throughout the property’s grounds, with each one affording plenty of privacy. Four of the tents are arranged as doubles or twins, while the remaining three are somewhat larger and designed for families and larger groups travelling together. All tents have their own en-suite bathroom complete with a hot safari-style shower and twin wash basins. Each tent also comes with a veranda offering picturesque views of the surrounding landscape and glimpses of the local wildlife.

Meals are served in the mess tent, the dining tent or out in the open around the campfire. Breakfasts are hearty, while lunches tend to be lighter and dinners are usually served as three-course meals. There’s an informal communal lounge area where guests can relax with sundowners or check out the library.

Activities generally centre around daytime and afternoon/evening game drives led by expert guides, the majority of whom are locals with many years of experience going out on safaris in the conservancy. Visits to a nearby rhino sanctuary, a traditional village and to local primary schools are also on offer. Hot air balloon safaris provide guests with captivating aerial views of the conservancy’s rugged landscapes and are a thrilling way to spot the resident animals. Though the lodge offers excellent wildlife viewing opportunities year-round, a particularly popular time to visit is between July and September when the annual wildebeest migration occurs.

Children are welcome, and the family accommodation is really good. The smaller family tents house one double and two single beds with one shared bathroom, and the newer, larger option has one double and three single beds in two interconnecting tents, with two separate ensuite bathrooms. Given the wilderness location, parents are reminded to supervise children of all ages at all times.

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What customers are saying after travelling with Tourdust

Average Rating

based on 536 reviews

(5.00/5)

  • We had a great time - even with the flight between Governors and the coast being two flights and a car! We also experienced a power cut At Nairobi airport on the way home so 2+ hours late taking off. Governors. Wonderful people and dealt with the flight delay very well - taking us back and letting us know that we could stay there if the flight was delayed overnight. The game drives were excellent and our guide (Erick) obviously very experienced and managed to find all the key animals - no rhino in that part of the Masai Mara but everything else in abundance - never seen so many herbivores (many many elephants as well as all the others) as well as two prides of lions. Could not have asked for more. The ‘tent’ was excellent and comfortable and well serviced. The only ‘complaint’ would be that the food - especially dinner - could be improved (I think we got a bit bored of soup as a starter for every meal bar one) and the main courses were not at the same level as Kinondo Kwetu and while all were explained there was no choice offered. The breakfasts were just what was needed after an early game drive. Kinondo Kwetu. What a great location and the welcome when we arrived at just gone 11.00pm was better than you could have ever thought possible - they we’re disappointed that we did not at that time want the full dinner experience! The rooms we’re comfortable. The food was excellent but again no choice was offered - other than for allergy reasons (which we do not have). May be some choice would be nice. Having said that the food we did have was excellent as were the wines (albeit a short list!) and other drinks. There were (as you know) lots of facilities/sports options - but we spent our time relaxing which was exactly what we needed and there were lots of places to do that. Overall. We would go back to both places - perhaps a few more nights at Kinondo Kwetu next time but 3 nights at Governors was perfect for us. Thank you for organising and recommending both places. That you and your colleague for trying to find out about the plane (flat tyre) but communication by the flight company left a lot to be desired (Governors were furious that they were not told and had taken us to the airstrip). Phil

    MissingPhilip R reviewing Masai Mara Safari & Kenya Beach on 01 September 2023

  • We had the most incredible time thank you. We loved Karen Blixen camp and felt part of a family there, it was incredibly special. And Breezes was very relaxing.
    We can't fault all the transfers and the moment we were greeted on the tarmac at Nairobi airport we knew we were going to be well cared for.

    Thank you so much to you and all the Tourdust team for making it such a happy and memorable trip.

    MissingZoe A reviewing Masai Mara Safari & Kenya Beach on 27 August 2019

  • We had an amazing trip. Everything was well thought out and so much fun. What a great way to truly see the country and learn the culture.

    Joseph was the perfect guide. Very kind, professional, knowledgeable and patient. The kids loved Joseph and keep asking when will they meet him again. He found the Big 5 for us which was unforgettable! Please pass along our appreciation to Joseph.

    Maji Moto was also another incredible experience. They had great customer service and we loved experiencing their culture.

    Sunbird was absolutely beautiful and I wish we had more time there. We loved the view of the lake!

    One suggestion to make the trip even better for other guests in the future would be to have a cooler with drinks and snacks in the Jeep at all times because a ton of driving is involved and it would be helpful to have a cold drink and snacks during the long trip.

    Thanks again for organizing this experience of a lifetime for us!

    MissingBrandon H reviewing Maasai Family Adventure on 12 June 2019

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