Location
Angama Mara overlooks Kenya’s Maasai Mara, considered by many as the loveliest reserve on the continent. Perched upon an escarpment 300 metres above the plains of the Mara below, the name of the lodge was inspired by the Swahili word for ‘suspended in mid-air’ and every aspect of its design was thoughtfully planned to ensure that no matter where in the lodge you are, you are guaranteed the best seat in the house.
Adding to the romance of the location, Angama Mara is situated on the very site where many of the loveliest scenes from Out of Africa were filmed.
Angama Mara is best accessed by plane from Nairobi, and there are several scheduled daily flights that land at the lodge’s private airfield, located just a few minutes away.
Another popular route to Angama Mara is to connect via the Serengeti and cross the Tanzania/Kenya border west of the Mara. Both Kilimanjaro and Dar es Salaam airports are well connected, and from there a network of flights connect to the Serengeti safari lodges and camps.
Style
Silvio Rech and Lesley Carstens, the architect duo behind some of the most iconic safari lodges in Africa, designed Angama Mara. The distinctive colour scheme of red and blue celebrates the local Maasai culture, while a pared-down and modern approach to décor gives the lodge a fresh aesthetic that complements the natural beauty of the setting.
Typical of early colonial design and inspired by Nairobi’s famous Muthaiga Club, the interiors of Angama Mara’s dramatic guest areas become the exteriors and vice versa, thanks to the glass stacking doors which wrap around the building. With an extensive deck and barazza hanging off the edge of the Rift Valley, there is no defined sitting room, dining room or bar – just a charming mix of everything.
At night, the softly lit architecture of the Maasai brick walls and cone-shaped buildings float on the lily pond. Each camp has a Library, perfect for private dining or whiling away the hours with a book, and the stand-alone Pavilion – complete with fitness room, safari shop, beading studio and swimming pool – is a short stroll away
Tented suites and guest areas
Angama Mara comprises two completely separate but identical camps of 15 tented suites each. Dotted along the escarpment, the 100-square metre tented suites feature 11-metre wide floor-to-ceiling glass fronts to make the most of the 180-degree views.
The suites have parquet floors, splashes of Maasai red and custom-made handwoven furniture, a free-standing bath, writing desk with ample charging points, WiFi, and a butler’s lobby allowing for the discreet delivery of early morning tea and coffee before guests set off on their daily adventures.
Each camp has its own dedicated guest area, where guests can relax and enjoy meals, while the only shared area, the Pavillion, includes an infinity swimming pool, a glass-fronted Fitness Room and Safari Shop. Adjacent to the shop is a studio where women from the local community do bespoke beading for guests.
When it comes to the food experience, Angama Mara is all about simple food done well and served in special locations ranging from lantern-lit bush BBQs or an intimate picnic on the hill featured on the Out of Africa movie poster. Another option is the Shamba (Swahili for vegetable garden) where guests are invited to pick and taste along the way, followed by a shamba-to-table lunch under the shady trees.
Activities
Days can be as action packed or relaxing as guests prefer and make the most of the lodge’s proximity to the Mara Triangle, which is home to Africa’s great mammals. Just a few of the experiences on offer include hot air ballooning, walking safaris, hosted photographic safaris and various interactions with the fascinating Maasai culture that surrounds the lodge.
Angama Mara is set on the very site where some of the most romantic scenes in Out of Africa were filmed, including the picnic scene featured on the movie’s poster. As a nod to that romantic tale, the lodge offers intimate picnics on the background crest (or ‘kopje’). This experience is exclusive and only to be found at Angama Mara, and for those guests who love the movie or are hopeless romantics, surely the highlight of their stay
Perhaps the loveliest game reserve of them all, the Maasai Mara never fails to deliver, and guests enjoy astonishing and abundant wildlife sightings year round. Led by an experienced and master storyteller guide, game drives at Angama Mara are conducted in specially converted open Land Cruisers. The Mara is home to Africa’s Big Five – lion, leopard, rhino, buffalo & elephant – as well as large resident populations of giraffe, hyena, several species of antelope, and of course for four months of the year, the Great Migration: when millions of wildebeest and zebra flood into the Mara from Tanzania’s Serengeti, and attempt to cross the Mara River in search of greener pastures
One of nature’s most spectacular events, the Great Migration is an annual journey which sees millions of wildebeest and zebra travel between Tanzania’s Serengeti National Park and Kenya’s Maasai Mara, following the seasonal rains in search of greener pastures. The crossings of the Mara River are famous as the dramatic pinnacle, where hungry crocodiles and ambushing lions lie in wait, but equally as enchanting is to drive amongst the mega-herds, surrounded by wildebeest as far as the eye can see.
Function Space
Each camp at Angama Mara accommodates up to 30 guests, perfect for larger groups, with accommodation for up to 60 guests. Needless to say that the resort is perfect for a total buyout for your very private event or even your small high end incentive or luxurious corporate event. This breathtaking property and the dedicated and experienced employees will make any of your event memorable.
Weddings, vow renewals, anniversaries, engagements, honeymoons and milestone birthdays – there is much to celebrate in life and why not whilst on safari? The Angama Mara team loves planning a celebration whatever the occasion. And they do it in Maasai style: with beautiful beadwork, dancing warriors, extraordinary backdrops and of course the warmest Kenyan service and hospitality.
An Angama Mara Wedding
Couples marry in Maasai or traditional style with a group of friends or just the two of them, with the blessing performed by a local priest. There is a choice of beautiful locations on the property for this celebration, followed by a feast back at the lodge. The next morning newlyweds can toast their marriage with a private brunch for two on the Out of Africa kopje.
*Please note couples must complete the necessary legal requirements for marriage at home, prior to travelling.
Maasai Blessings
Couples either wanting to renew their vows or celebrate a milestone wedding anniversary can do this at an authentic, low-key sunset celebration in our Maasai boma or lovely Shamba. The husband is presented with a Maasai shirt and beaded walking stick and the wife with a traditional beaded skirt, top and beautiful Maasai jewelry. They arrive in the boma accompanied by singing and dancing maidens and warriors. After a performance by the warriors the elders will bless the couple.
*Please note all bespoke Maasai beaded items to guests’ account.AN OUT OF AFRICA ENGAGEMENT
What could be more romantic than a proposal right on the site of the movie about one of the greatest love stories set in colonial Kenya? Out of Africa was filmed here and the little hill featured on the movie’s poster is where the lodge team sets up a champagne picnic on its crest, with sweeping views of the Mara below. With such a setting we have yet to have a refusal!
Special Birthdays
Whether it’s just a couple travelling together celebrating a milestone birthday, or the multi-generational gathering of a family clan, the lodge loves to throw a party. These take place in our Maasai Boma at sunset, accompanied by toasts with traditional Kenyan ‘dawa’ cocktails, a beautifully beaded Maasai gift is presented and the warrior performance dedicated to the birthday celebrant. For a more discreet celebration, guests can be surprised and spoiled by a champagne picnic for two on the crest of the Out of Africa kopje.
For bookings and enquiries please contact:
US : +1 615 524 6198
UK: +44 1865 981 311
KE: +254 730 630 630
SA: +27 10 020 0699
enquiry@angama.com
website: https://angama.com/
