Guest reviews Mara Bushtops

by Lizandra L Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

First time in Africa & Kenya

WOW. I don't even know where to begin. It's our second day being back home after such an adventure and I can't stop thinking and quite literally, dreaming about our time spent in Masai Mara at Bushtops. When my husband and I visit anywhere, we are always looking to connect with the people. Obviously, exceptional service goes hand in hand but it's the people that always do it for us and the people here did not disappoint. There have been only 2x when I cried leaving a place and Kenya was my 3rd time crying when we had to depart. The team at Bushtops Mara were incredible. Truly, every single one of them were EXCEPTIONAL. Thomas, Stephen, Edward, Mercy, Jacob, and Dennis are all names and faces I will never forget. I didn't catch the woman's name at reception but she was just as wonderful as the rest of the team. Each person strives to put a smile on your face. They are authentic, kind, warm, wonderful human beings who truly take pride in what they do. And I cannot forget Martha who I'm not sure I'll ever meet, but she was the person who organized and coordinated our entire trip. The tents are beautifully decorated and the bed is one of the most comfortable beds I've slept in, ever. There is an indoor and outdoor shower with hot water and a hot tub if that's your preference. Everything runs on solar power and I think that's the coolest part. Everything is CLEAN and fresh. The food was outstanding each and everyday and the service at the restaurant was superb. When we arrived, we didn't have to do anything. Everything is well organized by the team and they make recommendations on what to do each day. Ultimately, it's your decision but I was thankful they had suggestions as it can be overwhelming when there's a lot to do with such short time. Many have asked if went through a tour company but all I did was reach out to Bushtops Camps and as mentioned before, they did it all. The only thing I was responsible for was booking my airfare to and from, scheduling our Covid tests, getting the E-Visas and additional health forms as required by the Kenyan government. Martha had booked all transfer from Nairobi to the Mara and all the transportation between airports. She also was able to schedule the Covid testing in Kenya in order for us to fly back to the US (required). One other thing I want to note is how diligent and responsible Bushtops was during this time as Covid-19 is still a thing. Masks are worn by everyone and they follow all health and safety measures to keep themselves and their guests safe. I felt very, very comfortable there. It also is helpful that everything is quite literally open and outdoors. Thank you so much Mara Bushtops! We had a phenomenal time and we hope to visit again in the future!

by K7287ALrichardp Alexandria, Virginia

Worth Every Shilling

My family and I visited Mara Bushtops last week for the safari experience of a lifetime. We received stellar service from every employee. The accommodations were luxurious, the food world class, and the guide (Hassan) knew his business. We saw the "Big Five" plus. We watched lions stalking a zebra, but the juvenile predators needed more experience, as the zebra did not become dinner that afternoon. We say the "Five Brothers"--a famous cheetah coalition known for its killing skills, as the five work together. The views of animals in front of the camp at a salt lick provided hours of entertainment. I saw over 20 giraffes, wildebeest, elephants, all sorts of gazelles, monkeys, zebras, birds---the only animals we did not see at the camp were the big cat predators. We saw them at the Masai Mara National Park during our daily game drives with Hassan. One tip: it got cool at night to the point we bought coats in the camp shop---nice souvenirs. You have a great ala carte menu at the camp restaurant, but the world class chef will prepare anything you want. We asked for local Kenyan cuisine and he accommodated our request. All in all, a stellar three days. We did not want to leave. As it was on our arrival via small aircraft from Nairobi (you can drive there, too, if you want), the staff met us at the aircraft, ensured we were hydrated, and then drove us to the camp. This all-inclusive safari camp was simply spectacular -- no detail was missed.

by 617sanjeevg Nairobi, Kenya

Mara Bushtops is the BEST lodge in the Mara!!!

On our third visit to the Mara Bushtops we stayed at the Leopard Suite as we are a family of four. With Two Bedrooms, Living and Dining Room along with the Signature Hot Tub, we had a fantastic stay at the Suite. We had the entire resort to our self which included 23 staff members who treated us like royalty. On the first day we saw a pride of 12 Lions within minutes from Bushtops in their private conservancy. An excellent sundowner was laid out for us. Our meals were of the highest standards and catered for vegan as the MasterChef created amazing menus for our Breakfast, lunch and dinner without repeating. The service was better then any of the 5* Hotels we have been to as we couldn't find any faults. We had a full day game drive with packed lunch in the Bushtops Landcruiser which stands out in the plains. My wife and I had a SPA which was very good. Having stayed at various lodges in the Mara, I can say with confidence that Bushtops is the Best

by viendy Seattle

Unforgettable!

one of the best place I have ever stayed! this place is beyond my expectation, delicious food, best and kind service, comfortable glamping room and of course amazing view. the game drive is also amazing! thank you Lawrence, Nicholas, Stanley and all Mara Bushtops team for making it more memorable. until next time...

by MysoreBound London, United Kingdom

Mara Bushtops is our happy place

After a wonderful stay in December 2018, we immediately started planning for our next trip to Mara Bushtops. There is always a danger that a repeat visit to a place won’t be as good as the first one, but this was even better. In luxury resorts sometimes you can feel like you are in a bubble where things are done invisibly for you; at Bushtops you get to know the staff and chat about your day, what you have seen, what you would like to do, etc. This, for us, is much more enjoyable as we like the human connection and all the staff are an asset to the camp. Lawrence, Thomas, Jacob, Alfred, Pascal, Stephen...I worry that I’m leaving someone out! Everything is easy at Mara Bushtops: a driver picks you up at the airport and if you need to stay overnight in Nairobi, drives you to your hotel of choice, from where he then picks you up the following morning to take you to Wilson airport. You then get picked up at the airstrip and enjoy a quick drink and bite before being driven to the camp. In the camp, everything is optimised for comfort: the restaurant is always open, you get to choose what drives you’d like to go on, the spa is only a golf cart ride away. After experiencing a quality massage in the spa last year, this time I booked myself twice, first the day after arrival to work out the kinks from a long flight, and then on our last day, to prepare myself for a long flight back. My therapist was extremely good and the spa is top notch, with a state of the art hydraulic massage table that I coveted for my own acupuncture clinic. The drives are, of course, the highlight of the holiday. From our experience last year, we knew that we preferred the very early morning (5:45am departure) drives as that gave us the chance to see a lot before it got too hot for me at midday. As we had an extended stay of six nights, Jacob and Alfred focused on a different “theme” every day, for example on our last day we went quite far in and were rewarded with the sight of a rhino and its baby, which is extremely rare. The morning drive comes with a breakfast stop and care is always taken to find a location with a wonderful view. Then, in the afternoon, Jacob would alert us if lions had been spotted in the camp’s private conservancy and we’d go see them and later sit and watch the sunset from a privileged spot. We also went on a balloon ride, and it was amazing to see the sunrise from up in the air, followed by a champagne breakfast. The camp doesn’t rest in its reputation; this year we noticed that the tents had been upgraded, the hot tub (ideal for after a long dusty drive) has been raised and we were loaned an amazing pair of Swarovski binoculars which made the drives much more enjoyable. The restaurant is fantastic with exquisite service, delicious food and the chance to sit outside and watch the animals at the salt lick or inside for a romantic candlelit dinner. An improvement on our trip last year is that as the flight back to Nairobi was mid afternoon and the flight back home at midnight, our driver Joseph took us to a restaurant of our choice (Talisman, on recommendation) and from there to the airport. This was much better than sitting at Jomo Kenyatta for endless hours. Our stay was perfect from beginning to end. I thoroughly recommend.