Kilima Camp - Safari in Masai Mara

After extensive research, we decided Kilima Camp was the best place to stay in the Masai Mara. We had the pleasure of dealing with Veronique during the booking process, which made everything as sweet as can be. Upon arrival, we were not disappointed. The camp is absolutely stunning and the tents well appointed. Every single member of staff went out of their way to make you feel comfortable. Special mention to David, Paul, Karen, Biricka! We highly recommend the bush walks with Biricka and horse riding with Simon - that really was the icing on the cake. Last but no means least, we had four days of fantastic game drives with James! If you’re thinking of booking, just book already. Nothing will ever get better than this!

Our experience at Kilima was seriously lacking, but I’ll start with the pros before the cons. Pros: the view is sensational and the tents are very nice. And Carin is the absolute best! She is so sweet! Cons: we paid extra for the horseback ride and our guide never spoke one word to us. He didn’t go over any safety and my sister had never been in an English saddle before. We filled out the client survey about our food allergies and they still tried feeding us the food we are allergic to. There wasn’t much variety in food either. Same meal every morning and pasta at every meal. We also paid extra for a night game drive which was not cheap. It immediately started to downpour and immediately asked if we could try tomorrow night instead. Unfortunately our guides were very pushy and insisted we keep going. They then needed to put down the flaps because the rain was coming down so hard. The guides said we’d go back and try again tomorrow but at the last minute decided that we’d stay out in the weather. We spent the entire game drive either stuck in the mud or dealing with putting down or up the flaps to deal with the torrential rain. Yes we understand that you can’t control the weather but it was a very uncomfortable situation and we had asked to go back several times. On top of that we were told the game drive would be 3-4 hours and it was 1 hour and 40 mins. Not worth the money we spent at all. Then they sent us to our tent without so much as offering us a drinks. We also paid extra for the bubble bath which was not on the spa menu listed as a charge and we were under the impression it was complimentary. It was not and it was not communicated to us until checking out. Hospitality in general was lacking here and we couldn’t wait to leave. As someone who travels often and to Africa I’ve never experienced any of this before.

The staff is very kind and attentive. The decor is sublime, and our tent was very chic with a breathtaking view. We went on the safari with our private driver, but the hotel has many guides who know the park well. Around the lodge, you can admire plenty of wild animals such as zebras, monkeys, giraffes, and sometimes elephants.

A truly unique place and experience. From overlooking the Masai Mara for both sunrise and sunset, friendly and welcoming people to a beautiful tent with lovely design and special touches. Can't leave out that the food was great too. Loved learning about the Masai culture from Jacob. Easy to recommend to anyone visiting.

The best safari and camp experience imaginable! My husband and I wanted to go on safari for our one year anniversary and thankfully, came across Kilima camp. We booked approximately 2 months in advance and stayed for 5 days and 4 nights. Needless to stay, everything was incredible. Veronique was very helpful with booking, and arranging private transfers from Nairobi airport to Wilson airport, along with our return to Nairobi (Veronique arranged for our driver to take us to an amazing West African restaurant in Nairobi for dinner since we had several hours to wait for our departing flight). When we arrived at the Masai airstrip from Wilson, we were amazed at how many animals we saw within minutes. The drive up from the airstrip to Kilima was about 20 minutes and absolutely breathtaking with views! When we arrived at the camp, we were amazed. The design was traditional, but also modern and very elegant. I was very impressed by the decor, bar area, dining area, and outdoor fire place. I was most amazed with our classic camp room that was incredibly decorated and spacious. It felt like I was in an indiana jones movie! Our room had incredible views, hot water for great indoor and outdoor showers, and sometimes visitors (zebras!). The service was next level spectacular. Our tour guide, Tatu, offered us a full day game drive for our first day, which was incredible. On the other days, we did morning and evening game drives. Not only did we see so many animals, but Tatu offered us a wealth of knowledge about these animals that made it even more of a wonderful experience. He made sure to take us to some of the best sighting spots. We saw 4 out of the big five and an insurmountable number of lions, black rhinos and baby animals. On a different day, we also went on a horseback safari with Simon which was such a great experience as we were able to get close to several zebras and giraffes. I am an avid horse rider and absolutely enjoyed this, so I went horse riding with Simon and Emmanuel two more times. They are both incredibly experienced on horseback and so kind for giving me pointers along the way and teaching me new riding skills. Thank you so much Simon and Emmanuel!! My husband also received some personal archery lessons and a handcrafted arrow as a gift from Mbirika. We also took a village walk with Jacob, who introduced us to the local Masai villagers and learned about their life and purchased wonderful, handcrafted souvenirs. Lastly, it is a must to go get a massage and enjoy the bubble bath experience with Naomi!!! Her massages were fantastic, especially after a day of safari. We enjoyed the bubble bath experience three times: for sunset, sunrise and middle of the day and it was unreal, especially with the beautiful views of the Masai, so I would strongly recommend it to anyone. Needless to say, we did A LOT on this trip (even right before leaving haha), but it was well worth experiencing everything! All food and cocktails served were delightful an

From the booking process direct with Veronique to departure from camp, an extraordinary experience. We witnessed sightings of the Big Five on 2 of our 5 days of drives at camp, and prolific wildlife on all of our drives. Our guide, James, was courteous, skilled, and determined to deliver. The tented accommodations were spotless and comfortable with inspiring views across the Mara. The kitchen and wait staff graciously accommodated our vegetarian diets. All staff members were responsive and personable. I teared up when saying goodbye to them. As a lifelong equestrian, I found the horses fit and willing. We went at all gaits, including a spirited canter. During the ride we spotted many giraffe, warthogs, zebra, baboons and topi. I have dreamed of visiting Kenya for 40 years.Kilima Camp literally made my dream come true.