Mahali Mzuri

an interesting option from the Branson stable

Mahali Mzuri is located in the Mara Olare Motorogi Conservancy area of the Maasai Mara in southwest Kenya.

From the vehicle turnaround at the top of the lodge, we first arrive into the main areas, a pair of rather interesting structures, with an industrial style external metal framework supporting a canvas structure, a modern take on the traditional safari tent. To one side is the lounge and bar, to the other the dining room. Connecting these two is a pleasant deck with outside lounge spaces.

At the bottom of a flight of wooden steps lies a decent swimming pool. There is also a small spa a little further down the slope, although treatments are not included in the room rate.

One aspect that we really appreciate here is the amount of wildlife that can be seen from camp, notably zebras, wildebeest, giraffes and baboons, all passing through in the valley below, often in plain view of your private verandah.

The camp offers elevated levels of service, the kind you would expect from an upmarket international travel brand. You might suspect that the camp would lack safari authenticity, but with Richard Branson being such a keen safari traveller himself, this effect is limited.

Rooms

Guest accommodation at Mahali Mzuri is in 12 similarly innovative canvas structures, ranged across the hillsides, with gorgeous interiors and broad verandahs with sweeping views. Two of the rooms are family suites suitable for up to four guests, but the total camp capacity is limited to 24 guests.

Activities

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

• Vehicle safari
• Walking safari
• Bush meals
• Cultural interaction
• Night vehicle safari

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.

Seasonality

The best time of year to visit the Maasai Mara is generally considered to be the Jul-Oct dry season, when the weather should be reliably good and the wildlife concentrated around the permanent water sources.

The Nov-Jun green season may be much less dependable for weather, but remains really strong for wildlife viewing.

Visitor traffic is less of an issue in this private area, but you can expect the camps to be fully booked during the Jul-Oct and Dec-Jan high seasons. So there can be slight advantages to visiting during quieter periods.

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.

If you’re staying in more than one camp in the greater Maasai Mara then inter-camp transfers are usually operated by the departing camp and generally pass through wildlife areas for most if not all of their routes.

It’s also possible to travel down from Nairobi 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.

one of the three best private concessions in the Mara