Miscellaneous Tips, Masai Mara Game Reserve, Kenya - Reviews and Hotel Information

Built in 1979, the 50 acre camp is situated at the base of the Ngama Hills, on the eastern edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve, just 4 ½ miles from the boundary and 240km southwest of Nairobi. It is the nearest Mara camp to Nairobi. The camp was established in partnership with the neighbouring Maasai, who continue to graze their cattle in harmony with the wildlife. Fringed by mashes and surrounded by ghostly fever and giant fig trees, Siana occupies a lush unspoilt indigenous forest watered by the largest natural spring in the Mara ecosystem – the perennially bubbling Siana Springs. Siana means ‘the plentiful springs’ in the local language, Maa, and has an authentic look about it and a natural tranquil atmosphere. The springs that well up beneath the ground provides an abundance of water in an area usually dry for much of the year. This allows riverine forest to flourish, creating an oasis of shade, foliage and fruit, and a host of animals unique to this environment.

Wildlife roams free as no fences separate the Masai Mara from the Siana Group Ranch, although the springs themselves and the surrounding vegetation are protected from elephant damage by fencing. There are two resident vervet monkey troops at the camp, and fearless bushbucks often frequent the lawns. The camp commands sweeping views over the greatest grassland system on earth - the Masai Mara with its living tapestry of grassy savannah, spread thorn trees and tall gallery forests. The Mara spans 1 500km² and together with the neighbouring Serengeti, is home to the greatest concentration of large mammals on earth. The annual great migration of nearly two million wildebeest and other grazing ungulates is the Mara's foremost attraction and one of the greatest spectacles in the animal kingdom. Add to this a profusion of birdlife and untouched wilderness and you have magical Maasai Mara.

38 spacious luxury tents (reputedly the most luxurious in the country) with secluded verandas, each well spaced from each other, ensuring privacy and exclusivity, but of course it does mean that some of them are quite a distance from the main amenities.

The tents are situated in three secluded ‘wings’: The Bamboo wing (19 tents), surrounded by bamboo groves and flowering ornamental trees near the main camp; the Palm Wing (nine tents), overlooking a series of springs, lily-clad ponds and lush indigenous forest, and the Acacia Wing (ten tents), which occupies more open acacia woodland rich in bird life on the camp boundary. Each of these groups has their own butler.
Large solid single or double beds, custom made from pale logs of Blue Gum. Each bed is furnished with a duvet, rather than blankets, and every night a hot water bottle is delivered.

Soft lighting.

Zip-up front entrances and windows.

Huge dressing room.

Shaving mirrors.

Personal closets

Writing desks

Steaming hot showers with super-large shower heads.

Separate flush toilets
Daily maid service

Room service for snacks and beverages

Mineral water and repellent in tents.

Early morning calls with tea and coffee

Each tent has a large veranda, some with panoramic views of the Mara, others overlook the bush.

Boutique with souvenirs, local handicrafts and safari essentials.

Reliable phone, e-mail, fax and postal services.

Foreign currency exchange at reception.

Reliable 240 volt generator electricity supply.

Safety deposit facilities for valuables.

Full single day laundry and valet services.

Medical officer available 24 hours

Concierge service available.

Car rental.

Well lit and controlled parking area.

24 hour security

Complimentary airstrip transfers

Baby sitting or child care.

Elevated platform tree-house for leopard viewing.

Strategically placed elephant viewing lookout hide.

Miscellaneous Tips, Masai Mara Game Reserve

Masai Mara Game Reserve Hotels