The drive from Nairobi to Masai Mara (including rest stops) took about 6 hours. We passed at the great Rift Valley, a 6000 km long continuous geographic trench that runs from Lebanon’s beqaa valley, to Mozambique.
We arrived at Entumoto Camp at around 1400h, but not before an extremely bumpy ride through Masai land on the Sekenani route..Glad to see GOOD road works in progress upto Sekenani gate….Hurry up before another season come… Entumoto Safari Camp has two properties in Masai Mara (Entumoto Main Camp and Entumoto Toto Camp). They are both located within Entumoto Conservancy which is part of the larger Siana Conservancy. Entumoto Toto Camp was launched only July last year and staffs reports that the reviews are very encouraging.
All the tents are made of a
multilayered canvas, designed and set a hundred meters apart from each other
for your privacy. Entumoto Main guests stay on an all-inclusive basis,
including all meals, drinks, game drives and other activities. Entumoto Toto is
recommended for a fullboard concept thus drive on own vehicles and driver
guides and pay extras for any interested activities to spice your safari stay.
Entumoto Main has 4 family and 3 double en-suite tents. The family tents include two double or twin rooms, two bathrooms and a central lounge with a fireplace - comfortably furnished with a table and two divans (which can double as beds). Each tent has its own veranda where you can enjoy an early morning coffee, relaxing afternoon on the sofas or a sundowner in the evening… and remember you are in the African bush so keep your eyes peeled for wildlife in the camp.
Entumoto Toto is more affordable
accommodation and has 2 family tents as well as 3 double en-suites. The Toto
tents are furnished in a similar fashion to the Entumoto Main and also have
their own private veranda - but without the views over the conservancy.
However, they are nearer the lounge and dining area and are still surrounded by
wildlife. All guests can enjoy the pool area, main lounge, dining area and other
common areas. However for families and small groups who wish for more privacy
there is a separate lounge and dining area in Entumoto Toto. All tents have electricity, hot
showers, double sinks, dressing gowns, hot water bottles and breath-taking
views over the conservancy.
Main lounge, bar and dining area
The main guest area consists of a
sitting area, dining area, bar, fire, library, games cupboard and veranda with
views of the endless game-filled countryside. Beautifully handcrafted
artefacts, bespoke antiques, lavish sofas, books and candlelight will transport
guests back to the heyday of the romantic classic safari.
With no fences between the park and
the conservancy all the animals you get in the Mara have free reign to come in
and out of the conservancy - which is especially exciting during the Great
Migration. Remember Entumoto is a Maa language the means meeting point, which
fits well as the camp is situated where the plains meet the hills and where two
valleys come together.
I loved the camp vegetable garden, where
they get fresh vegetables. The majority
of their staff are local Masai’s which gives the camp an authentic and friendly
feel.
The camp also offers bush meals, cultural
visits, walking safaris to the he surrounding hills with stunning views or into
the valley for a chance to get closer to the wildlife on foot, note you have to
be accompanied by a masasi askari whenever walking, and also to the tents at dark
A sundowner in the bush was an amazing one
Thanks for the well-organized picnic lunch
About 10 minutes into the reserve a Cheetah commanded our
attention.
Buffalos are well represented in the
Masai Mara, and you can’t forget their unmistakable stare. They can easily
stave off lions, but if they are unlucky and outnumbered, lions can bring them
down, although it can take up to 5 hours to tire a water buffalo out.
Just around the corner we encountered
our first Masai lions. Female lions do the majority of the hunting.It
was a bit unnerving, but we all survived.
A stunning leopard in a tree top.
This leopard carried an antelope all the
way up the tree with him. That takes incredible strength!
Our day was full of beautiful wild
animals living out their lives in a vast amount of space.
The Masai Mara reserve was named in
honour of the Masai people (the indigenous inhabitants of the area), and their
description of the area when viewed from afar: “Mara” is Masai language for
“spotted,” a perfect description for the circles of savanna, trees, shrubs, and
shadows of clouds dotting the Mara.
