Royal Mara Safari Lodge

PROS: Good property. Great Cabins, 5-star on-site staff service goes above. Simon was great, he went running with me twice on the Serengeti/Mara savanna. Josphat, the local manager, was very responsive to organizing tours, and every request I had. Game rides with James and excursions were personal, flexible, and knowledgeable. Food and table service was amazing. CONS: WiFi internet is very shaky there. It only worked about 40% of the time I was there and it was very slow, crucial when cell phone only picks up 2G. Also be aware that the updated policy is to charge for $30 for transit to/from the airstrip unless you book a "package". It didn't say that on the website (which will soon be corrected), but I was able to call off-site management and have the charge removed after 1 hour of conversation (which was way too long). Just FYI in case you have any billing questions.

We spent wonderful days in this lodge. The tent-bungalows are situated directly at the Mara River, the grunting of the hippos was our lullaby at night. Service was excellent. James, our guide for the game drive, did everything to show and explain wildlife to us. Once we were already nearly back to the lodge, when he heard that a leopard had been seen. Immediately he turned and we had the chance to see this elegant animal. One morning, we had a picnic on the prairie, in the company of zebras and antelopes, next day, we had a cool beer and appetizer, while watching sunset. Meals were served outside, we took breakfast in the morning sun at the hippo-pool and dinner at the bonfire. We had also the opportunity to do a walking safari, where we learned about masai life, we watched foot prints of different animals, saw the grazing grounds of the hippos and crocodiles sleeping in the sun. Thank you for the marvelous time.

Spent 3 nights there, in the end of December 2017. Mixed feelings. The good: Excelent location, the best lodges in the world, excellent service, artisan furniture, you are in the middle of nature, you hear hippos 24/7, lions, monkeys stole cookies from my porch, I mean WOW. But now this: They cheat you with the price. After you book, they tell you to pay 80 USD extra per person per night, which was not declared anywhere. Hotels.com promised to reimburse me, but never did, so shame on Hotels.com as well. Average food (the same lousy tilapia for dinner two days in a row), incompetent staff and most importantly spooky. Have you seen the TV series Lost? I mean the kind of Dharma Initiative SPOOKY. You are only allowed to move around with an armed guard and are told to never leave your lodge in the nighttime. At 10 pm sharp, they turn off the generator, so you have no juice at all, no light at all, nothing. They give you a walkie talkie for emergency, haha, it does not work. Of course, I was afraid - but I survided and it was great adrenaline after all. Wifi is good for e-mail only, but you have to walk to the modem and sit next to it to get any reliable connection. And forget video calls. And of course, if you walk from your lodge to the modem, guess what, the armed guard walks with you. Oh and did I mention, I was the only guest in the camp? So, yes, great adventure. But would I feel confident enough to take my kids with me? NO!