SPIRIT OF THE MASAI MARA

Transcription

1 SPIRIT OF THE MASAI MARA INTRODUCTION Spirit of the Masai Mara (SOTMM) is an exclusive 10 suite safari lodge situated on a private conservancy outside of the Maasai Mara. It is a family owned property that began operation in 2015 in cooperation with the local Maasai community, and is now being managed and marketed by Sarova Hotels & Resorts (as of 01APR 2018). Sarova is widely regarded as a leading hospitality brand in Kenya and has been a long-time partner of KAI. I was very excited to have the opportunity to visit this new property in October and see what our partners at Sarova could do with a boutique luxury lodge! I was not disappointed. LOCATION SOTMM is situated in the stunning Siana Conservancy adjacent to the eastern border of the world famous Maasai Mara National Reserve. Unlike the seemingly endless plains of the Mara this relatively young conservancy is positioned in a valley, providing a different type of beauty and ecosystem than what a visitor to the Maasai Mara might normally expect. I was admittedly concerned about the location of the property fearing that it would either be an extremely long drive to get to good game viewing areas, or that guests would have to take a long drive on paved roads to get into the Mara. I was pleasantly surprised to find that neither of these apprehensions were warranted. Access to SOTMM is via Keekorok airstrip, the easternmost landing strip in the reserve. Several Kenyan airlines have regular service between Nairobi (Wilson) and Keekorok. The lodge is minutes from the airstrip depending on the routing and what sightings you have along the way. If driving from Nairobi it would take approximately 5 hours to navigate the 200+ kilometers; however I would imagine guests of this luxury property will be fly-in pax. Once at Spirit guests enjoy their game activities both in the Conservancy as well as in the Mara. The benefit of being situated in the 35,000 acre Siana Conservancy is the ability to offer our guests walking safaris, night drives and we can also drive off-road when viewing game. There are two options for guests to access the Reserve: (1) A game drive through the conservancy,

2 entering the reserve further east (north of Ololaimutiek Gate). This is the route that will be used most often b/c you are viewing game throughout the drive and there s not even a boom gate to pass through to enter the reserve; guests would only know that they ve officially entered the Maasai Mara if their guide told them. There is a short patch of bumpy road going this route but it s a beautiful drive going from the valley into the plains. (2) A short drive through the conservancy and then through a small village, entering the reserve via Sekenani Gate. This route takes you by some natural springs in the conservancy that is rich with game (my colleague with whom I was traveling referred to it as the Garden of Eden), then a short drive through a village to see some local life and you are at the gate to the Reserve in about 15 minutes. THE LODGE The 10 suites at Spirit are incredibly spacious and well appointed. Most importantly (to me) they are well-spaced; my biggest pet peeve at a safari lodge is when the rooms are too close together SOTMM needs not worry about that. All 10 units are identical, featuring a comfortable living area complete with freshly made snacks, a mini-bar and tea & coffee facilities. The lounge leads in to the bedroom which is super spacious and features an INCREDIBLY comfortable bed. My favorite element of the way the suites were constructed (besides how far apart they are from each other) is that the entire front of the unit is glass so no matter where you are in your suite you have the

3 stunning view of the valley below. During my 2 night stay I say elephants, giraffe and several antelope species from my room. The bathroom also offers views, a freestanding tub sits next to the floor to ceiling glass just in front of the his & her basins and separate shower. The shower had great pressure (something else I always take note of in a luxury property) and got hot very fast. The only negative about the design is that there are no windows to open for a breeze in the evening or to enjoy the sounds of the nature that surrounds you. That said, there are doors that open onto your private veranda in both the living room & bedroom. Regardless, I will take a view over a breeze any day of the week, especially in the bush. The main lodge is massive, especially when considering the property accommodates a maximum of 20 guests. The main lounge is designed in such a way that a couple can sit and enjoy a drink in private or a group of 8 can easily find comfortable space to chat or play a game. There is a massive bar in the middle of the lounge that has a great vibe in the evening between afternoon game activity and dinner. Just off the bar and dining area is a huge patio allowing the team to set up al fresco dining if weather permits. Upstairs there is a beautiful sitting room with a separate balcony as well perfect for private meals for couples or small groups. SOTMM features a very inviting infinite pool and they will be adding a spa. THE EXPERIENCE Given my previous experiences at other Sarova properties across Kenya I fully expected all services offered at Spirit to be superb, and even they exceeded my expectations. The entire staff gets top marks! SAFARI: As previously mentioned I was a bit concerned about the game on the conservancy but it was excellent. There was regular activity at the water hole near camp and as previously mentioned I saw good game even from the room. One evening we just did a shorter drive around the lodge instead of heading into the park and in just 90 minutes we viewed dozens of elephants playing in a stream; we saw 3 female lions patiently waiting for darkness to seek out a meal. This is in addition to several giraffe

4 sightings, a dazzle of zebras, and many different antelope species (I saw more eland on this trip than I ve seen on all other safaris COMBINED!). The stunning landscapes offered by Siana also lend themselves well to walking safaris and sundowners (more on that to come). Our guide was Maika, he is a local Maasai and incredibly knowledgeable, friendly and entertaining. He possessed all of the qualities you want from a guide but the most impressive thing about Maika is that he knew his audience and was able to provide the game experience we sought. Having been on hundreds of game drives it was clear that we were keen to see animals but had no interest in being one of twenty vehicles observing a cheetah. Maika took us to lesser visited parts of the Mara and still managed to find us a river crossing, black rhino, a pride of 20+ lions on a zebra kill, and all of the other game you d expect to see in the Mara and we never had more than two other vehicles at a sighting! F&B: Sarova always delivers on F&B but what Spirit of the Masai Mara offers exceeds any other Sarova property and most other safari lodges I ve visited throughout East Africa. Chef Josephine is a superstar! She comes out to chat with guests at the end of every meal which I think is a fine touch. The breakfast display is stunning a beautiful spread on the veranda with a great selection of continental favorites and fresh smoothies; guests can order any hot dish that they might desire - and you cannot beat the view from the table. If you are going on early game drive chef prepares a lovely packed breakfast to be enjoyed in the bush. Lunch is a three course a la carte meal. A choice of soup or salad is offered, then there are three selections for the main (one of which is vegetarian), followed by dessert. Being part of Sarova offers SOTMM another advantage; if guests opt to spend a full day in the reserve, which is common during migration season, they can enjoy lunch at Sarova Mara which is located in the reserve not far from Keekorok airstrip. The style of lunch is different since it s a large 4* camp but the quality of food is still excellent and gives you an interesting option. An extremely important part of any bush experience is a quality sundowner! There are numerous spots on the conservancy that allow for an unforgettable sundowner: full bar; fresh cooked bitings; and a local Maasai song & dance! Dinner was the best meal each day again a la carte with several sumptuous options for starters and mains followed by a tasty dessert. The presentation of the food rivaled the tastiness a truly 5* dining experience. Additionally, the size and setup of the main building along with being on a conservancy

5 allow the team at Spirit to offer dinner in a variety of settings depending on group size, make-up of guests, etc. On our final night we had a private set up in the upstairs lounge which was stunning. The most impressive thing to me was that the wait staff and bartender set up a bar next to our table and the selection that was present only featured the types of beers and spirits that we had enjoyed throughout our stay it is that type of attention to detail that makes the team and overall experience exceptional. Finally, I would be remiss if I didn t mention the barman Thomas. He was also excellent! Very friendly and conversational and he made some very good mixed drinks that I would not expect to be able to get in the bush (I got an old fashioned one night and it was excellent). CONCLUSION If you are a safari specialist and Spirit of the Masai Mara is not on your radar it should be! They deliver a top notch experience at a competitive rate. I cannot wait to go back! SAFARI NJEMA!