21 Photos
Perched high above the Maasai Mara on the very site where some of Out of Africa’s most romantic scenes were filmed, the newly opened luxury resort Angama Mara Hotel is undoubtedly one of Kenya’s most anticipated opening of the year. Launching just in time for June of this year, the hotel comprises of two intimate groups of 15 tented suites with overhanging terraces and a guest pavilion, all of which are located on the edge of the Oloololo Escarpment boasting uninterrupted views over the vast grassy plains of the Great Rift valley below — this ideal setting certainly does give substance to the word angama which means “hanging or suspended in midair” in Swahili.
Guest at the hotel are spoilt for choice, the more active residents have the ability to let off steam in the lodge’s fitness centre or simply enjoy a dip in the lodge’s 40-foot-long outdoor swimming pool overlooking the steppe. Alternatively, the lodge offers the perfect opportunities to unwind, rest and relax, guests can enjoy massages on the deck, relaxing with a book or movie in the library or spend some downtime on the terrace and marvel at work of nature as the sun hovers over the Mara. Guests can also watch Maasai warriors demonstrate traditional song and dance every evening or visit the curated gallery of African art craft and jewellery or the craft studio to watch Maasai women beading.
The Reserve boasts a diversity of animals, birds and flora that is unheard of—and for 12 months of the year, too—as well as the spectacle of hundreds of wild beasts thundering through during the Great Migration from July to October. Combined with the Mara River which boasts some of the biggest crocodiles on Earth, the area makes for a one-of-a-kind safari experience. For guests seeking a break from game watching activities, Angama Mara also offers a variety of alternative options, such as picnicking on the romantic ‘Ngong Hills’ where scenes for the 1985 film Out of Africa were filmed, taking a hot-air balloon ride and experience the valley from the air which includes a sail past the 30-foot-wide floor-to-ceiling glass fronts of each tented suite, or visiting traditional settlements known as manyattas to experience Maasai culture.
All-inclusive per person rates start at around:
- Low Season: From £570 (approx. $825) per night – (1st March – 31st May)
- Mid Season: From £760 (approx. $1100) per night – (5th Jan – 29th Feb; June & 1st Nov – 21st Dec)
- High Season: From £970 ( approx. $1400) per night – (1st July – 31st Oct & 22nd Dec – 4th Jan 2017)
For reservations, please visit.
Photography by Stevie Mann, Barney Trevelyan-Johnson and Sinamatella Productions, with special thanks to Will Taylor of Khashana Adventure Travel, Karen Braby, Andrew Schoeman of Africa Photographic Services, Marius Coetzee of Oryx Photographic Safaris, and several partner properties for providing destination imagery.
