Serian Nkorombo

private vehicles and a two-guide team

Serian Nkorombo is located in the Mara Confluence sector of the Maasai Mara of southwest Kenya.

This is a classic tented safari camp, very environmentally sensitive, having virtually zero footprint, in great contrast to many of the larger lodges in the area.

Tucked away amongst light woodland along the riverbank, the camp is centred on an elegant tented mess, with separate lounge and dining areas, with additional sofas out on the verandah. Out front, along the riverbank itself, there is a lovely little campfire area.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at Serian Nkorombo is in just five conventional Meru tents, with proper beds and private bathrooms.

Again in authentic safari style, hot water for the bucket showers is provided on request, so most mornings you will be woken by the gentle sounds of Maasai delivering tea to your veranda and water for your shower.

Activities

Serian Nkorombo provides the following guided activities, not all of which are necessarily included in the room rate …

• Vehicle safari
• Balloon safari
• Bush meals

At this and all related properties under the Serian name, all groups of guests are provided with a private vehicle and a two person driver and guide team, usually both from the local Maasai villages, which is very cool. It is hard to overstate how much this upgrades the overall safari experience.

The Maasai Mara tends to feature in almost all safari trips to Kenya. As well as being the best known reserve, it is also the most productive for wildlife.

The usual stay duration is 4-8 nights split between two camps, less frequently 3-4 nights in just one camp.

Traffic avoidance

Unfortunately the Mara Confluence area does suffer from considerable traffic flows, largely derived from lodges further afield, which send fleets of vehicles this way on day trips, mainly chasing after river crossings.

The worst of this vehicle traffic can often be largely avoided by staying at one of the better camps in the heart of the area and making the most of the quieter early morning and late afternoon periods, although it’s rare to find yourself completely alone during high season.

Seasonality

The best time of year to visit the Mara Confluence area is generally considered to be the Jul-Oct dry season, when the weather should be reliably good and the migration herds are likely to be around.

The Nov-Jun green season may be much less dependable for weather, but remains really strong for wildlife viewing and benefits from dramatically lower visitor numbers (except for the busy Dec-Jan holiday fortnight of course).

Getting around

You’re most likely to arrive into the Maasai Mara area via the regular light aircraft services that operate from Nairobi, which means that you will travel around the area with a guide and vehicle from the camp in which you are staying.

It is also possible to travel down to the Maasai Mara by road, which is quite a long and tiresome journey, but not without interest. The trouble is that the better lodges in the Mara will offer you no discount for having your own guide and vehicle along, so you end up paying for both, which works out more expensive than flying down.

serious traffic issues demand careful planning