Fig Tree Camp

My stay at Masai Mara

by Malayanil about Fig Tree Camp, Masai Mara

Fig Tree Camp was a very beautiful place to stay with deluxe tents (attached full equipped concrete Bathroom/toilet). Staff was very courteous. Manager Kennedy, Indian Chef Amul, One of the waiter Maurice were excellent. Chef (I'm not getting the name) was very very proactive, helpful and great human.

I must say that all the staff was very good. They never said no for anything.

Tents were huge and of excellent quality all facing the river Talek. Camp has beautiful tree watch tower a good bar, cute small swimming pool.

You may take Balloon safaris from here too. A nice souviner shop gives you opportunity to buy souviners for your loved ones. One can experience height of quiteness and darkness (around 2 at night once generator shuts down). Very refreshing camp.

Good conference room with basic facilites.

Doctor was very good and helpful too and never charged us for smaller things.

Masai Dance and Musical evenings were great.

Masai Mara the park of parks !!

by helios13

"The Mara is an awesome natural wonder !!"

Established in 1961, the Masai Mara National Reserve is unparalleled as a wildlife reserve in Kenya, and ranks as one of the world's outstanding wildlife sanctuaries. Located about 185 miles west of Nairobi on the border of Kenya and Tanzania, the Mara is really the northernmost habitat of the huge Serengeti National Park in Tanzania. In the outer regions of the reserve the local Maasai, dressed in their traditional fashion, graze their cattle alongside the plains game. The Mara is a huge, unspoiled landscape of rolling hills evocative of Hemingway's Green Hills of Africa. Stands of acacia trees break up the extensive stretches of grass savannah that is threaded with numerous tributaries of the Mara River. In the river, hippopotamus and crocodiles bask near the shore. Herds of elephants roam across the plains, masters of this land for half a million years. Cape buffalo are here in great numbers as are Grant's and Thomson's gazelle, impala, topi, and Coke's hartebeest. Giraffe, eland, bushbuck, serval and the big cats—lion, cheetah and leopard—all live permanently within the reserve. At this time of year the massive herds of zebra and wildebeest will also be present in the Masai Mara ecosystem.

"The Masai people; no more lion hunters !!"

The truth is that the Maasai struggle between their classical conservationism and the temptation to join the files of industrial revolution seeking a more buoyant life. Their tendency to take a grip on tradition has granted them sympathy and admiration from tourists longing for picturesque scenes, but also rejection from the more progressive Kenyans, who believe that a nomad pastoral tribe in the 21st century's global economy is condemned to poverty. Today, many Maasai customs are restricted by law, such as lion hunting, while others like traditional nurturing on blood and milk fall into oblivion little by little. Meanwhile, tourists expect to find at the same time the Orzowei's Maasai and a safe and peaceful country, devoid of poaching, with no cattle in the reserves and without muggers. An impossible combination, save obliging the Maasai to become something similar to thematic parks' employees, youngsters wearing jeans and eating hamburgers that at night dress up in their parents' attires to perform their tribal millenary dances. After all, some of it can be found today in the pierced ears of many lodges' waiters and cooks.

"lodging in the fig tree camp ! Jambo"

Relaxation at Fig Tree Camp in Kenya.
Guest Lectures Our local naturalist is available to give guest free lectures and slide presentations on the Masai Mara ecosystem.
Local Maasai dancers also entertain clients in the evening.
The luxury tent camp was very adventurous in the middle of the park on the riverside of de Talek. From your terrace you had beautiful views of the river, elephants were grazing on the other side.You could observing the yellow birds making their very special nest hanging on the trees. They even had a treehouse/platform where you could climb up to enjoy the wonderful view of the savannah!!

Food was great and staff was nice!! Pool looked great, too!!
While staying in Masai Mara in January, we saw lots of wild animals and lots of wild baby-animals, for example lion cups, cheetah cups, antilop babies, small giraffes, hippo baby, lots of small warthogs and so on!! The open grassland/savannah landscape is truly beautiful!!