Serengeti views at Mara Engai Lodge

Mara Engai means be one with nature in Swahili and we’ve really tried to embody that message at the lodge. Our founders built everything in harmony with the landscape and from wood – there’s a workshop on site where our director trains the local children to make furniture. A big part of our ethos is to give back to the community with education and health projects and most of our staff are locals, including our driver-guides who guests rave about. It’s a big family and when you stay with us, we’re welcoming you into our home.

Our star feature though is the view. We’re based on the 300-acre Oloololo Escarpment, 1,000 feet above sea level and right on the border of the Serengeti. From our cliff-top location you can soak up stunning views, especially during the Great Migration when there are thousands of wildebeest and zebra on the plains. Throughout Oloololo, we have plenty of beautiful places to enjoy private sundowners or bush breakfasts while looking into Tanzania; the restaurant also has fibreglass sides to showcase panoramic vistas.

Guests love our huge, luxury tents which we call mini palaces. They’re set on raised wooden platforms with private viewing decks overlooking the Mara plains or ravine forest. You sleep under traditional safari canvas tents that have been decked out with lavish bathrooms, king-sized beds and solid wooden flooring. Around the lodge, you might spot elephants, giraffe and wildebeest – we even have a group of pangolins which is extremely rare. Awarded a gold eco-rating from Eco Tourism Kenya, we’re a low-impact lodge run by solar power and we’ve got our own organic garden where we grow all kinds of fresh produce for our menus.

We run morning and afternoon game drives or you can head out for a full-day trip with a picnic lunch to explore the Maasai Mara Triangle. Other activities at the lodge include walking safaris, trips to Maasai villages and early-morning hot air balloon trips.