+8618011856484
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£910.00
Meaning ‘serene’ in the Maasai language, Serian effortlessly lives up to its name. In the private Mara North Conservancy on the fringes of the Maasai Mara, this tented camp offers exceptional wildlife viewing with award-winning guides, elegant accommodation and tantalising dining.
Serian is one of only 11 camps in the 75,000 acres that make up Mara North Conservancy, affording a true feeling of exclusivity. Unlike the nearby Maasai Mara Reserve that is jam-packed with Land Cruiser convoys in peak season, undisturbed wildlife viewing is virtually guaranteed. A 40-minute flight from Nairobi and then an hour’s unhurried game drive away, the camp looks down onto the Mara River with views over to the dramatic Olooloo Escarpment.
Staying true to traditional safari-camp style, Serian’s thatched main building houses the lounge and dining area with sumptuous cream sofas, dark wood furniture and a welcoming fire. Wooden terraces are scattered with daybeds and floor cushions making the most of the riverside location. With a maximum of 12 guests, the ambiance is intimate and relaxed, thanks to the natural charm and personal approach of managers Rosh and Adrian Allen, for whom Serian is home. Their dog, a gentle Labrador/Rhodesian Ridgeback called Wi-Fi, adds to the homely atmosphere.
The six marquee-style tented rooms are unfussy rather than fancy, with plenty of space and soothing neutral tones. Elegant four-poster beds and lampstands are wrought iron, with dark wood furniture and distressed white wood shelving. Two tents have an en-suite toilet room and all have a separate bathroom a few steps away with a powerful shower, huge stone bath, twin sinks and toilet. Wooden terraces offer views over the river and its resident hippos. The outlying rooms are quite a walk to the main camp, though an ‘askari’ escort accompanies you after dark should wildlife be lurking. Try a night in The Nest, a gorgeous rustic treehouse near the river.
Serian’s imaginative meals wouldn’t be out of place in a smart city restaurant, let alone in the middle of the bush. Fresh and flavoursome vegetables, salads and fruit are grown in Adrian’s ‘shamba’ (garden), where beehives help keep hungry elephants away. Breakfast highlights include tasty homemade toasted muesli and delicious mango. Light lunches might consist of fishcakes or Thai vegetable cakes served with colourful salads and homemade breads decorated with edible fresh flowers. Dinners are elegant three-course affairs and bush breakfasts, picnics and sundowners are a delight. Sunday’s Curries are a spicy feast.
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