Mara Toto Tree Camp

a gorgeous camp, but a slightly lesser location

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

Set in a stand of riverine woodland out on the plains, the camp is centred on an elegant mess tent, with lounge and dining areas leading out to a shady deck area.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at Mara Toto is in four very large and comfortable tented rooms, each with a separate lounge area, indoor bathroom and private verandah.

Activities

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

• Vehicle safari
• Balloon safari
• Bush meals
• Cultural interaction

Although Mara Toto is located in the often busy Mara Confluence area, it has traversing rights over the nearby Mara North conservancy, which is a short drive away and where traffic issues are much reduced. However, the separation of the camp from its safari areas does mean that walking safari and night vehicle safari are not available here, as they are in most true conservancy camps.

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.

traversing rights into the private Mara North