Guest reviews Mara Bushtops

by london19781978 London, United Kingdom

Breathtaking Bushtops in the Magical Mara!

Our stay at Mara Bushtops was simply incredible from start to finish. From the moment we arrived; greeted at the airstrip by our lovely guide (Jacob) and spotter (Dennis) to the moment we left, 5 nights later; feeling very emotional from the hospitality and kindness shown to us, and the overwhelming beauty of the animals and the camp itself. We were absolutely wowed every step of the way! Mara Bushtops is most certainly 5 star, and definitely deserves the excellent reviews it receives. Their attention to detail is second to none - hot water bottles to warm the seats on an early morning game drive, warm flannels when you return, a filled hot tub with drinks prepared for you, staff knowing you by name, hot drinks brought in the morning for your wake up call - the list is endless. This place really goes above and beyond 5 star! Every member of the team greets you with a smile every time they see you. The food is delicious and plentiful. The whole place is spotlessly clean. The ambience is perfect. The beds are super comfortable, after busy days animal-watching! The spa is gorgeous - a massage with the sounds of the African Bush in the background is an experience not to be missed! The absolute accuracy of everything going on behind the scenes I found extraordinary - staff waiting to greet us when we returned from game drives, security waiting to walk us back to our tent after dinner at night, waiters ready to greet us whenever we arrived for each meal, warmed up beds at bedtime. Everything was perfect - I cannot fault a thing! We saw so many amazing animals during our stay. We saw the big 5, as well as crocodiles, hippos and cheetahs (the 3 I personally wanted to tick off my list!) We even saw a lioness with her cubs, baby hyenas feeding from Mum, and thousands upon thousands of wildebeest and zebra, as the great migration arrived a bit earlier this year. We saw zebra, giraffes, impala, gazelles, warthogs and even elephants - all casually walking past our tent at different times. To be so close to these animals was just incredible. We even heard lions roaring as we lay in bed at night! We went on several game drives with Jacob and Dennis. They seem to have superhuman eyesight, as they spot things from such a long way away! Each time they spotted something, Jacob would pull over so we could watch for a while and take photos, and he would answer any questions we had. They took us on a night drive, a sundowner (drinks and nibbles watching the sun go down over the Savannah - wow!), a bush breakfast, a walk up to a Masai cave, a trip to a local school and a Masai village. So many fantastic experiences! Our visit to Mara Bushtops really was the holiday of a lifetime. Huge thanks to Claudia and Andy and family and co, for working so hard behind the scenes to make this place what it is. Special thanks also to Anthea, Robin, Jacob, Dennis, Lawrence, Edward, Charles, Damaris, and the wonderful chef who comes out personally to tell guests his special of the day, each evening. And to everyone else too, who's names I don't know - each and every one of you made our stay so perfect in every way xxx

by CStevenson89

Possibly the best place on Earth

We spent 4 nights at Mara Bushtops in early May for our honeymoon and were lucky enough to have the entire camp to ourselves. Our experience was everything we could have dreamt of and more. From the minute we arrived all of the staff made us feel extremely welcome. The camp itself is stunning, the food is exceptional and the drinks fantastic, but it is the small touches that really make it; the cocktail of the day at dinner, the hot towels when you arrive back from a game drive, your ice cold drink of choice in the van each day, the hot water bottles on the early camp drives to keep you warm. They have thought of everything. Our guide Jacob and spotter Sena were fantastic, so knowledgeable about all of the animals and incredible eye sight to spot some amazing wildlife. Thanks to them we were lucky enough to see 4 of the Big 5, despite it supposedly being harder to see the wildlife because it was wet season. Special thanks to all of the kitchen staff for going out of their way to ensure we had a full gluten free menu. Thank you to the entire Mara Bushtops team for giving us a honeymoon we will never forget.

by Sophie C

Amazing start to an unforgettable honeymoon!!

We started our honeymoon at mara bushtops and from the moment we arrived we felt like royalty. The luxury tent is incredible and being able to look out over the conservancy you get sightings of beautiful animals right from your balcony. The moment we arrived we organised our safari times with our guides Jacob and Dennis so we made sure we made the most of our 4 days in this heavenly place. Jacob and Dennis were incredible and we had so much fun with them exploring the beautiful Masai Mara and they managed to take us to some unforgettable moments, witnessing a cheetah kill and seeing leopards on both game drives, very very lucky. After our return Jacob phoned through to ensure our hot tub and a gin and tonic was awaiting on our return, absolute bliss. Thank you Pascal!! The food is incredible and real variety of dishes, we would recommend the Kenyan traditional cuisine it was delicious. Every member of staff gave a personal experience and really made us feel like royalty, we really couldn’t thank you all enough. On the final day we had a surprise private bush breakfast and it brought me to tears, happy tears. Plus we were lucky to see a huge herd of elephants on maras salt link, no words can describe. This place is breathtaking and the memories we have made here will remain special to us forever. We really hope to be back to see you all again. A true gem is the beautiful country! Thank you to all at Mara Bushtops xx

by Chets M

Sheer Luxury

Absolutely amazing luxury camp with the friendliest staff who were willing to go the extra mile. No meal times - show up whenever you want and they'll serve you. Thanks to Lawrence and his entire team for looking after us and making the stay so memorable.

by Rebecca R Raleigh, North Carolina

Mara Bushtop, Magical Marvelous and Magnificent

There are not enough adjectives to describe the experience at any Bushtops camp. For us having been to Serengeti Bushtops in Tanzania several years ago we were already aware of the truth of their brand "Wild Luxury". Equally important for us is the amazing work they do in the communities where they operate. Their commitment to excellence is not only for their properties, but also to the programs they create for the community and their staff. Most of your wishes are taken care of before you even know you have them, from a sumptuous house made truffle at your bed each night to remembering your preferred beverages and always having them in the vehicle. Our guide Charles was stupendous as was our spotter Stanley! . Charles delighted in showing us all the conservancy had to offer- lots of wildlife from lions to porcupines, even before we went into the national park. Thomas, the manager makes sure all runs seamlessly and is available for any question you may have. From the moment you arrive until your departure you feel like a VIP. For the first time I decided to have a facial the last day at the spa. Never have I had such an incredible facial with the most amazing results. Irene was brilliant and the products they use outstanding! I can now understand why a guest might chose to spend a day just at the spa. We recommend Mara Bushtops without reservation both for the quality of the people, the experience and their commitment to community.