About Us

Karibu Sana, Welcome

The distinctly unique Mara Engai Lodge is nestled amongst pristine Kenyan Ravine forest on the Oloololo (Siria) Escarpment. Overlooking the amazing Masai Mara National Reserve and Wildebeest Migration Route, with around 120km of unbroken views across the vast savannah of the Masai Mara – it is simply breath-taking.

MARA ENGAI: In Maasai belief, Mara means the spotted Land, whilst Engai is the Maasai God who created what we have labeled as the 7th wonder of the world.

Our promise to you is one of a first class service. We want you to be our guest and enjoy a holiday of a lifetime. Let your body and mind detox in this incredible, natural environment that’s like no other place on earth.

Wonder at the most amazing views over the Masai Mara and Great Migration route from your own private veranda. Indulge in fine dining, with delicious treats made from fresh produce from our organic gardens. Get back to nature on thrilling game drives and experience  thousands of years of Maasai tradition. Then before you sink into your large comfortable bed, take a look up at the mass of twinkling stars in the clear African sky — it’s something everyone should should see at least once in their lifetime.

LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN RESORT:

English, Swahili, German, French & Italian

Palatial Accommodation

Relax in palatial tented accommodation, decorated with antique and local art — spacious suites with, sumptuous beds, full en-suite facilities and large private decks boasting stunning views over the Masai Mara and ravine forest. The sumptuous decor continues in the lodge restaurant and bar with panoramic views.

Relax in comfort

The Views

Nestled in a secluded location, 1000ft above the Masai Mara with uninterrupted views over the incredible landscape and Great Migration Route. Our lodge is cleverly designed to blend into the natural environment and enjoy the stunning scenery with large private viewing decks and panoramic restaurant. From the pink hues of the morning sunrise to the rich golds of the sunset and finally the mass of stars in the night sky; the ever changing vista is always a sight to behold and treasure.

View

Weddings & Romance

The Mara Engai Lodge also features a host of luxurious facilities perfect for a wedding or honeymoon. Imagine how spectacular and unique your wedding photos will be with this incredible scene as your backdrop? Your guests will be entertained by traditional local entertainment while sampling fine wines and exquisite fine dining. If it’s privacy you’re after, why not retreat to your luxury accommodation and private veranda to sip champagne and watch as the sunset gives way to a mass of twinkling stars.

Weddings & romance

Dining

Indulge in the masterpieces created by our talented chefs, prepared with fresh produce from our own organic garden. Dine in our spacious restaurant with panoramic views, within the intimacy of your own private deck or even al fresco in the bush.

Fine Dining

Organic Garden

Our organic garden has been cleverly designed with rain water collection and irrigation system, and crop rotation to reduce impact on the land and water consumption. Our gardener and his team work closely with the head Chef to ensure fresh produce from peppers, lettuce, onions to melon, tomatoes and herbs, all year round.

Organic Garden

Responsible Travel

We are committed to protecting, and promoting, the local environment. We follow strict guidelines to reduce the footprint left by the lodge and our guests.

responsible travel

"Africa changes you forever, like nowhere on earth. Once you have been there, you will never be the same. But how do you begin to describe its magic to someone who has never felt it? How can you explain the fascination of this vast, dusty continent, whose oldest roads are elephant paths? Could it be because Africa is the place of all our beginnings, the cradle of mankind, where our species first stood upright on the savannahs of long ago?"

“Here I am, where I belong”

BRIAN JACKMAN

The Big Five and the Great Migration

The Mara Triangle is the North-Western part of the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, and is managed by the not-for-profit organisation The Mara Conservancy on behalf of Trans-Mara County Council (Trans Mara District).

Divided from the rest of the Masai Mara National Reserve by the Mara River, the Mara Triangle is less visited and less crowded, often with many more game animals grazing on the plains and between the volcanic hills that distinguish this corner of the Mara.

Our unique, specially adapted 6×6 Pinzgauer vehicles for game viewing will lead you via our private road directly from the Lodge to the gated Mara Triangle.

Please note, Mara Triangle Park Fees are not included in our rates and are payable locally upon arrival/entry into the Mara Triangle. Cash and credit cards are accepted, for more information click here to visit the Mara Triangle website

Game Drive

Game

All members of the “Big Five” (lion, leopard, African elephant, African buffalo, and black rhinoceros) are found in the Masai Mara.

Hippopotami and Nile crocodiles are found in large groups in the Mara and Talek rivers. Leopards, hyenas, cheetahs, jackals, and bat-eared foxes can also be found in the reserve. The plains between the Mara River and the Oloololo Siria Escarpment (where Mara Engai Wilderness is located) are probably the best area for game viewing, in particular regarding lion and cheetah.

Antelopes can be found, including Grant’s gazelles, impalas, duikers and Coke’s hartebeests. The plains are also home to the distinctive Masai giraffe. The large roan antelope and the nocturnal bat-eared fox, rarely present elsewhere in Kenya, can be seen within the reserve borders.

Zebra and Rhino

Migration

Around July-September each year, herds of Wildebeest migrate north from the Serengeti plains in search of the fresh pasture of the Masai Mara. The Great Migration is one of the most impressive natural events worldwide, involving some 2,000,000 wildebeest, Thomson’s gazelles, Topi, elands, and zebras. These migrants are closely followed by hungry predators, lions, crocodiles and hyena.

Mara Engai Lodge is advantageously positioned to provide front row seats to this, one of Mother Nature’s most spectacular shows on earth.

Wilderbeast migration

Birds

More than 470 species of birds have been identified in the park, many of which are migrants, with almost 60 species being raptors. Birds that call this area home for at least part of the year include: vultures, marabou storks, secretary birds, hornbills, crowned cranes, ostriches, long-crested eagles, African pygmy-falcons and the lilac-breasted roller, which is the national bird of Kenya.

The Masai Mara offers good bird-watching any month of the year, but the best time is from November to April when the migrants from Europe and north Africa arrive.

Birds

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