INFORMATION SHEET
Mara North Conservancy, Masai Mara, Kenya
DESCRIPTION
ACCOMMODATION
5 Cottages - 3 doubles and 3 twin rooms
(that can become double)
1 Family Villa – 1 double and 1 twin
(that can become double)
All rooms can fit one extra bed, to accommodate
children under the age of 16yrs only.
Saruni is an intimate boutique lodge, set in a remote valley with wonderful views over the
Mara plains, within the prime game viewing area of the Masai Mara – the Mara North
Conservancy.
Furnished with colonial antiques, Persian carpets and African art, it can accommodate up
to 14 guests in six unique cottages / suites. Each cottage has a large bathroom, appointed
with Italian fittings and canvas fronts that can be opened to offer you an amazing “shower
with a view”; polished wooden floors, unique décor and large verandas overlooking a
nearby watering hole.
The atmosphere of the camp is informal, but elegant. Saruni’s private spa treatment
centre, the “Masai Well-Being Space” was designed to provide guests with professional
massages and spa treatments in the most serene and relaxing environment.
UNIQUE SELLING POINTS
Elegant Cottages
Location
Qualified Masai Guides
Warrior for a week
Eland Sanctuary
Saruni is one of the only
small, upmarket lodges in
the Mara that is not tented.
Each room is beautifully and
subtly designed with a
theme. You can choose
between the Photographer’s
Studio, the Observatory, the
Love Shack, the Literary
Room, the Artist’s Studio
and the Natural History Villa.
Nestled into the hills of
northern Mara, overlooking a
gorge populated by elephant
and buffalo, Saruni has the
wide-open game plains to the
south and forest to the north.
Clients have the opportunity to
walk in lush forest looking for
Colobus and Sykes monkeys,
as well as following the big
game on the plains below.
Two Saruni guides have the
impressive Silver Level Kenya
Professional Safari Guides
Association qualification. At
Saruni the standards of our
guides is very high and we are
proud of it. Their personalities,
together with their knowledge
will ensure a great time.
Spend a few days learning
the survival skills of world
class warriors – you will be
trained and taught in the
same way as a junior warrior
learning to track animals and
craft your own tools on the
plains of the Masai Mara.
Saruni Mara is now the
home of our three
orphaned elands. Having
been brought to Saruni at
a young age by the local
Masai the elands been
thriving in our green
pastures ever since.
AWARDS
Finalist Best Safari Camp Spa – The Good Safari Guide, 2009.
Silver Eco-Rated by Ecotourism Kenya, for demonstrating a move towards ecotourism excellence; showing innovation in responsible
resource use, environmental conservation and socio-economic investment.
ACTIVITIES
Day & Night Game drives
Guided Bush Walks
Balloon flights
Birdwatching
Scenic flights
Visit to Rhino Sanctuary
Bush Meals
Sundowners
Masai Wellbeing Space
(massage and spa treatments)
Warrior for a Week programme - special courses in bush
skills, animal tracking and guiding
NEED TO KNOW
Airstrip Coordinates
How to get there - By Road
Ngerende airstrip coordinates:
S 01°04.953; E 035°10.936
From Nairobi to Saruni Mara: Approximately 5 hours.
How to get there - Flying
We use two airstrips from the lodge, Ngerende airstrip (45 minutes)
and Mara North airstrip (1 hour).
Twice daily scheduled Safarilink flight departing Nairobi Wilson at 10h00 & 15h00.
Once daily scheduled Safarilink flight departing Shaba at 09h10, Samburu & Lewa at 09h30 and Nanyuki at 09h45.
Three times daily in high season and twice daily in low season Air Kenya flight departing Nairobi Wilson at 09h15, 12h15 and 15h15.
Once daily scheduled Air Kenya flight departing Samburu / Lewa at 08h30 and Nanyuki at 09h15.
Once daily Fly 540 flight from Nairobi Wilson departing at 10h00.
Once daily scheduled Air Kenya flight on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays only, from Nairobi Wilson departing at 15h00.
Once daily Mombasa Air flight departing Mombasa at 08h00, Ukunda at 08h30 and Amboseli at 09h30.
Once daily scheduled Blue Sky flight departing Mombasa at 08h00, Ukunda at 08h30.
Private charters from anywhere.
What form of payment does
Saruni accept?
Communication services
What form of electricity does Saruni have?
Cash (US$ newer than 2006, Euro, Sterling,
CHF, KSH). Travellers Cheques, Visa,
MasterCard & American Express.
No Debit cards.
Note: Please bring cash for tipping.
Tipping guideline
Staff tips are entirely at the guests’ discretion, and are collected by the manager and
placed in the main tip box, then distributed
evenly to all staff members.
Saruni has power (240 volt) 24 hours a day.
Internet: The Saruni WiFi system
provides 24-hour wireless connectivity
(through a direct satellite link) to all
cottages within camp. There is also a
laptop available for use in the office.
Power is regulated through the latest management system,
which means it is safe for even the most sensitive electronic
equipment.
All cottages, the Kuro House and the library are equipped with
several UK Square Pin service outlets (adaptors provided
where needed).
Guest batteries can be charged / electronic items can be used
in the cottages at all times.
Mobile phones: Phone signal is
available at all times (Celtel and
Safaricom).
Each cottage has a solar panel for water heating.
The camp’s power does not support (large) hair dryers.
Management can advise whether your hair dryer is suitable,
or provide one that is.
Guides are usually tipped separately.
MEAL POLICY
We offer communal dining hosted by our guides and managers, however we
also encourage private dining in the rooms. Meals will be organised to suit
clients’ needs, so there are no set times.
The camp has a daily set menu.
Please inform us about any dietary requirements or allergies prior to arrival.
Guests that have booked to arrive before lunch, but do not, are charged for an
extra lunch on their day of departure (if they require lunch on their day of
departure).
Water: Bottled drinking water is provided.
What vehicles does Saruni Mara have?
We have 7 - 4x4 Vehicles
2 x Land Rover TD5, 9 seater,
open sides with a canvas roof.
3 x Land Rover 110, 6 seater,
open sided with a canvas roof.
1 x Land Rover 110, 9 seater,
open sided with a canvas roof.
Masai Mara Climate
Altitude: 5,500 – 6,400 feet.
Rainfall: Approximately 760mm per year.
Warm, dry days, cool nights, no humidity.
Malaria
What form languages are
spoken at Saruni?
Guides - All of our guides speak English
and Kiswahili. One guide speaks Italian.
Owner & Management - English, Italian
and French.
Saruni Mara is located at 6000ft and can
therefore be considered as malaria free.
1 x Land Rover TD5, 6 seater,
open sides with a canvas roof.
When necessary, guests may have to share vehicles with others, unless ‘Exclusive Use of Vehicle’ has been paid for.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
RESPONSIBLE TOURISM
Saruni has established a women’s group, whose members come from the local community.
The ladies are encouraged to sell their artefacts directly in the Saruni shop, and the lodge
makes sure that the group remains in charge of the income generated by this activity.
Saruni also supports the Kibera Paper project. Kibera is a large slum in Nairobi, and many
of the women who live there are HIV-affected single mothers. Their beautifully hand made
cards are for sale in the Saruni shop.
KEY WILDLIFE & SPECIAL FEATURES OF THE AREA
Unique location next to the only remaining
indigenous forest in the Masai Mara and large local
populations of elephant, buffalo, leopard, waterbuck,
bushbuck.
Forest walks and night game drives, frequent bush
dinners.
More than 80% of Saruni’s 45 employees are Masai from the local communities.
They are given training and jobs, and encouraged to rise through the ranks, so that the
local communities can have direct benefit from the lodge’s presence in the area. Saruni
also sponsors young Masai to train as guides at the Koiyaki Guiding School, to make sure
that the future generations of conservationists and safari guides will see the Masai people
in the forefront.
Possibility to spot endangered wild dogs, as well as
the only population of Sykes & Colobus monkeys in
the Mara.
Saruni is a founding member of Mara North Conservancy (see www.maranorth.com), a
beautiful private wilderness area of more than 30,000 hectares (74,000 acres). It is a vital
part of the Masai Mara ecosystem as it forms the north-western zone, bordering the Masai
Mara National Reserve. It is a not-for-profit company established in January 2009. The
conservancy is a partnership between eleven member camps and over 800 Masai
landowners. The aim is to create a best practice, world-class conservancy with long-term
commitments to the environment, wildlife, and local communities.
Game drives and walks in the concession: total
exclusivity of the area, without any other vehicles.
The lodge protects the Northern corridors of the Masai Mara eco-system, around the
Lemek-Ngoswani area, with community rangers paid by Saruni.
Saruni have invested significant amounts of money to produce electricity through solar
panels, instead of burning firewood. The lodge also heats its water with solar technology.
Interaction with more remote Masai communities
giving a lively and unspoilt community interaction.
PRESS COMMENTS
“The lodge here is peppered with personal touches;
organic soaps and Persian carpets, assorted art and
colonial furnishings; lovingly collected by the owner on his
frequent foreign travels. Canvas-fronted bedrooms make
you feel like you’re camping – albeit in unadulterated
comfort – and a massage in the Wellbeing Space completes the feeling of being totally at one with nature.”
Hedge Hideaways
“Saruni has a fabulous location on a hillside just
outside the reserve. We had booked the honeymoon
suite, which was set apart from the rest of the camp,
and we spent hours lounging on hammocks on our
private veranda, watching the wild world go by.”
Wedding Magazine
“Learn to captivate the landscapes and wildlife
on canvas, guided by a professional artist.”
Travel Weekly
“Guests walk in the forest with one of the
beauticians to collect leaves and plants that will
be used for their treatments.”
Travel News Magazine
“The Masai Wellbeing Space at Saruni
is a private gem hidden in the Masai
Mara.”
Msafiri Magazine
COMMENTS FROM SARUNI VISITORS BOOK
“Saruni Mara lodge had everything I looked forward to: beautiful rooms with really comfortable beds, hot water
showers and excellent food. Loved your resident Elands who are ever so friendly”
(Robin, stayed at Saruni Mara in December 2012)
“When we arrived at the lodge we were greeted by the team with welcome cocktails and escorted to our cottage the honeymoon sweet! Our room had a view to die for and was equipped with organic products! The room was very
comfortable, with the daily hot water bottle one of the touches that made the stay so great!!!”
(Kellie and Gareth, stayed at Saruni Mara in September 2012)
We have now visited the Saruni camps 4 or 5 times. Wonderful, wonderful camps both in the Mara and Samburu.
I cannot recommend these camps highly enough, especially if you enjoy being off the beaten track
and away from "tourists".
(Jane Wight, stayed at Saruni Wild in February 2013).
“We still have huge smiles on our faces after landing home after our honeymoon - why? SARUNI MARA.
From the bottom of my heart I cannot recommend Saruni enough”
(Lainey, stayed at Saruni Mara in September 2012).
“The service is impeccable, from the warm welcome to the dinner service and the expert guides who managed to
get us within arms reach of lions, cheetahs and leopards...and that was just the first day!”
(Shamim, stayed at Saruni Mara in December 2010).
www.sarunicamp.com
“The endless green vistas and robed Masai
warriors are pure Kenya. With just six cottages,
terrific cuisine and a spa, it feels remote and
exclusive and you’re certain to see lots of animals,
including lions and cheetahs.”
Marie Claire
“Indulge in a pampering experience at the Maasai
Wellness Space, perfect after a day on safari.”
Pure Weddings
“At night, watch your children’s faces as Masai
warriors dance around a bonfire.”
Tatler Travel Guide