Mara Bush Houses began as a small cottage in the middle of the bush evolved into a traditional tented camp, and has now become a successful group of three private safari houses. The product of more than 30 years’ work in developing one of the most genuine cultural safari experiences in Africa.
| 2017 | 6 Jan – 31 Mar | 1 Apr – 31 May | 1 – 30 Jun | 1 Jul – 31 Oct | 1 Nov – 19 Dec | 20 – 31 Dec |
| Low Season | Green Season | Low Season | High Season | Low Season | High Season | |
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Green season 1st April – 31st May
Low season 6th January – 31st March, 1st – 30th June, 1st November – 19th December
High season 1st – 5th January, 1st July – 31st October, 20th – 31st December
Season closure All three houses are open all year round .
Child rates
Rates include:
Full board accommodation, soft drinks, beer, house wine, non-luxury spirits, conservancy fees, laundry, 1 vehicle and guide per house, airstrip transfers (Mara North airstrip – Mara and Acacia House, Ol Kiombo airstrip – Topi House).
Mara & Acacia Houses include
Game drives on the Mara North Conservancy and Lemek Conservancy; (or to the Mara Game Reserve – entrance fees extra), sundowners/bush breakfasts, visits to local school, village and trading centre (village visit – US$ per person), night game drives, guided walks, participating in local community projects.
Topi House includes
Game drives in the Mara Game Reserve, visits to local school, village and trading centre (village visit – US$ per person), bush breakfasts and sundowners.
Rates exclude:
Cellar wines, premium brand champagne and spirits, transfers (other than airstrip transfers mentioned), extra vehicle hire with guide at US$ per day, all other activities & excursions not mentioned in the “included” section. Mara and Acacia Houses – Maasai Mara Game Reserve entrance fees are extra, additional lunch (picnic or in house) US$ pp.
The large open-air veranda is perfectly positioned to give you a window onto all the action at the busy Ol Chorro waterhole. Leading off from this veranda is an open-plan dining and seating area, complete with an authentic log fire. Beyond are two spacious double en-suite bedrooms and a third attic room, created specifically with children in mind.
To the side of the house, raised above the waterhole, you will find the pool (shared with nearby Mara House) and a barbecue area – the perfect place to dine and relax between safari expeditions and for evening sundowners. The house comes complete with a full complement of experienced staff members, including a chef, wildlife guide and house manager, to ensure a safari experience that delivers the very best the Mara has to offer.
Mara House is the most recent addition to Asilia’s collection of private safari houses and was designed to reflect the success of both Topi and Acacia House. The warm and inviting living areas are at the heart of Mara House and lead onto the outside veranda, which offers magnificent views of the hills and valleys as well as the famous Ol Chorro waterhole. The three spacious en-suite double rooms are beautifully furnished in a traditional East African style with a refreshing contemporary edge.
An experienced and friendly team, consisting of chef, private guide and house manager, is always on hand to ensure your stay is seamless and restful – your only decision will be whether to have lunch on the veranda or under the acacia trees beside the swimming pool (shared with nearby Acacia House).
Your private bush experience begins the minute you land at Ol Kiombo airstrip: even the short drive home to Topi House is an incredible game-viewing opportunity. Designed to be your very own private bush home in the middle of Africa’s greatest ecosystem, Topi House occupies a coveted spot with unrivalled access to the eastern side of the Maasai Mara Game Reserve.
The house has three spacious en-suite bedrooms that are linked by a large veranda running along the front facade. At the far end is the living area, which is made up of an open-plan sitting/dining room complete with an open log fire. Guests can also relax around a campfire near the house, under the stars.
Your team will prepare all meals to the usual high standard and will cater for bush picnics or lunches out on the lawn under the shade of the acacia trees. Like Acacia and Mara houses, Topi House is not hosted but comes with a full complement of well-trained and experienced staff at your disposal, including a chef, professional safari guide and house manager to ensure a seamlessly run and personal safari experience. The area, with its rolling hills, is also ideal for bush picnics and sundowners with a view.
Take your family on the greatest adventure Mara Bush Houses in the vast and unspoiled wilderness of East Africa. With a highly skilled, family-oriented guide at your side, you will discover untamed Africa the way few others ever do.
The earth vibrates with the thundering of millions of hooves as heaving herds of wildebeest, zebra and gazelles fill the plains to chase the rains in the epic annual struggle for survival known as the Great Migration. It is the greatest show on earth, a natural spectacle like no other and a life-changing experience. With a presence all along the migration route, Mara Bush Houses will transport you to the best seat in the house.
Safari is a very personal thing and can be enjoyed in many different ways. At Mara Bush Houses it is our firm belief that any safari expedition should be done on your terms, according to your routine and your time scale.
Expert guides take you on twice daily game drives. Watch herds of elephants drink at the waterhole or stay with a pride of lion as the cubs play and fight with one another. There is no rush and no preordained schedule – this is safari on your terms. Game drives occur in the general Greater Maasai Mara region. From Topi House you can explore the Maasai Mara Reserve on early morning and evening game drives, and at Mara and Acacia Houses, the drives explore the Mara North Conservancy and surroundings. Our vehicles are either open game-viewing vehicles, or closed vehicles with big windows, high roofs and hatches that open. All vehicles have power points where you can recharge your devices, and are fitted with fridges to keep your drinks deliciously frosty.
There is little better than exploring and learning about the bush on foot. At all our Bush Houses, the guides will teach your kids how to touch the earth, soil and leaves and smell the wild fruits and flowers on a vibrant and exciting bush walk around the properties.
The culture of the natural guardians of this land, the Maasai, is both complex and fascinating. Time spent with the local guides in their home communities is a rich and rewarding experience, often the most memorable moment of a safari here.
This is a romantic and evocative way to experience the wilderness of East Africa. Nothing can beat the feeling of gliding silently over the game-filled plains on a balloon safari, as the early-morning sun rises over the horizon.
No visit to Mara Bush Houses is complete without exploring the diverse cultures and traditions of the people of this region. It has an extensive fossil record of human evolution, and today’s East Africa is a rich tapestry of the constantly changing and mingling cultures that have lived here through the ages.
“We were 8 adults in our group and as we were the only ones in the Mara Acacia camp, we had the use of both houses. I have never been so looked after in all my life. The staff was attentive and adaptive and the guides knowledgeable and entertaining. They even had ice for our sundowner drinks at the edge of the ridge! ” –jdelasal
“We stayed one night at the Mara House. The house was clean and design details were beautiful. The dinner and breakfast was delicious and hearty. The rooms were very comfortable and the view of the watering hole was amazing. Our guide, Martin was the best! Next time we will stay three nights!” – Angel1955
“The Topi House was our last stop on our Serengeti tour. We were lucky enough to spend three nights in the house. It truly is a warm and inviting place that makes you feel right at home..even after a long bush drive!! The staff is very kind and helpful and the chef was outstanding, accommodating all of our dietary restrictions and allergies. Fred and the rest of the staff became part of our Kenyan family as we spent many sundowners talking, laughing, and sharing stories of our lives.” – Kristen F
