Angama Mara

The super-elegant Angama Mara safari lodge offers a sophisticated experience in the Masai Mara and an emphasis on design, service and lots of facilities.

• Having a picnic lunch on the hill featured on the Out of Africa movie poster
• The view of the Masai Mara
• The abundance of amenities, which will ensure guests never get bored, even if they don't go on game drives every day

The Ololoolo escarpment overlooking the Masai Mara was the site of one of the iconic scenes from Out of Africa, and, nowadays, it’s home to the exclusive Angama Mara safari lodge, which is perched on a cliff and offers incredible, sweeping views of the plains below. These views are one of the most unique selling points of the property, and it was named to reflect this: in Swahili, Angama loosely translates to “suspended in mid-air.”

Angama Mara has more infrastructure than many of the other luxury camps in the Masai Mara, including a pool, gym, photography center (photography lessons and professional photography equipment are available to guests) and an extensive safari shop and Maasai Design Studio, where local women offer beading lessons.

The lodge is divided into two equally-sized camps, North and South, with 15 individual rooms in each. Both camps have a central dining area, and nearly half of the produce used is sourced by the on-property garden (guests can tour it with the head gardener).

All of the rooms are identical, with sliding glass doors and balconies with expansive views. They are housed in individual structures and the décor is clean and industrial-chic, with exposed brick bathrooms, clean lines, brass fixtures and pops of red throughout.

Since Angama Mara is located up on the Oloololo escarpment, guests may walk or run around the area with a Maasai naturalist. All game drives occur in the Mara River Triangle, which surrounds the property below. Due to support for the Triangle, the roads are in some of the best condition of those in the larger Mara. While the main activity is game viewing (note that because the area is a national park, you cannot go on nighttime game drives or go off-roading), other possible activities include photography lessons, hot air balloon rides, Maasai village visits and special experiences such as barbecue dinners and picnic lunches on the kopje (small hill) featured on the Out of Africa movie poster. Another can't-miss lunch is at the shamba, the one-acre garden and vegetable patch where guests can pick out ingredients for fresh salads and then enjoy an alfresco meal complete with bread, cheese and wine.

Angama Mara is a great fit for travelers who need stylish, luxurious accommodations and lots of resort amenities.