Mara Sopa Lodge

Masai Mara Sopa Lodge is a pioneer of the Maasai Mara Game Reserve. As one of the very first safari lodges built in the area, it boasts mature, lush gardens and trees that effortlessly blend with the surrounding natural landscape.

In the Maa language, “Sopa” translates to “welcome,” a philosophy deeply embedded in the lodge’s warm hospitality. All the buildings follow the beautiful design of traditional African roundhouses with conical thatched roofs, stretching along the hills. With sweeping savannah views, spacious rooms, and incredibly vibrant public spaces, Masai Mara Sopa Lodge ensures guests experience the very warmest of welcomes and a deeply authentic Kenyan safari.

Location & Accessibility

The lodge is located at the far eastern corner of the Masai Mara National Reserve, perfectly positioned for exploring the world-famous wildlife conservation area.

By Road

✓ Distance from Nairobi: Approximately 250 km west of Nairobi
✓ Travel Time: Roughly a 4 to 5-hour drive from Kenya’s capital (2 hours from Narok, 4 hours from Naivasha)
✓ Local Proximity: While the lodge is situated barely a kilometer outside the reserve boundary on a hillside of the Oloolamuita Valley, guests enjoy immediate access to the park. Entry is typically facilitated through either the nearby Oloolaimutia Gate or the Sekenani Gate.

By Air

✓ Scheduled & Charter Flights: The flying time from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport to the nearest park airstrip (Keekorok Airstrip) is about 1 hour
✓ Transfers: From the Keekorok airstrip, it is an approximate 30 to 60-minute scenic game drive transfer to the lodge, allowing your safari to begin the moment you touch down.

Accommodation

The lodge offers 99 tastefully furnished rooms divided into two wings on either side of the main public areas. The guest quarters are housed within 50 traditional round cottages with thatched roofs, featuring beautifully appointed interiors and mosquito netting.

Honeymoon Suite (1 Unit)

An extremely large, luxuriously appointed space tailored for romance and intimacy.

✓ Layout: Features a massive king-size bed, dressing table, and an indoor seating area.
✓ Bathrooms: A lavishly appointed en-suite containing both a shower and a romantic sunken bath.
✓ Views: A sheltered veranda offering some of the most magnificent, uninterrupted views available over the African landscapes below.

Guest Suites (12 Units)

Housed within 6 of the cottages, these suites offer an upgraded spatial experience.

✓ Layout: Each suite features a noticeably larger bedroom and bathroom, alongside dedicated indoor and outdoor seating areas for maximum relaxation.

Standard Cottages (86 Rooms, including 4 Inter-connecting)

Spacious and comfortable standard rooms perfect for couples, families, and friends.

✓ Bathrooms: Private en-suite bathrooms
✓ Layout: Each cottage houses two spacious guest rooms equipped with queen and king-size beds
✓ Views: Sheltered verandas in every room featuring views over the lush gardens and the game reserve beyond

Room Features & Amenities

✓ Evening turndown service
✓ Electronic safes and dressing tables
✓ Protective mosquito nets over the beds
✓ Handicraft Market/Gift shop adjacent to reception

Dining & Culinary Experience

The Circular Dining Room

A visually stunning round structure featuring a high ceiling, a centrally located fireplace with an extremely high chimney, and red-painted walls adorned with exquisite natural-stone framed paintings of everyday Maasai life.

✓ Themed Dinners: Every other evening, the executive chef hosts an “Africa Night” food extravaganza on the outdoor timber deck, fusing the best of traditional African cuisine under umbrella-shaded tables
✓ Offerings: Generously sized buffet tables featuring garden-fresh salads, succulent main courses, live cooking stations, an extravagant choice of desserts, and a wide selection of cheeses. Special dietary needs and children’s menus are available

Bush Dining

✓ For a truly wild culinary experience, the lodge expertly arranges Bush Breakfasts (with optional champagne), Bush Lunches, Barbecues, and elaborate Bush Dinners right in the heart of the wilderness.

Lounge & Common Areas

✓ Jumbo Bar: Features a warm ambiance with a free-form, cowrie shell and bead-embedded counter.
✓ Swimming Pool & Pool Bar: A centrally located outdoor pool offering views of the reserve, complete with a sheltered Pool Bar tucked beneath an overhead garden
✓ The Baraza Room: A dedicated conference room situated away from the main building, accommodating 18 to 90 guests (70 theatre style) for corporate events and social functions
✓ Ol Murrani Bar: A stand-alone structure with a sports TV, pool table, and an adjacent open-air campfire area. It features a huge outdoor timber deck where guests can safely view Hyenas, Mongooses, and Honey Badgers feeding at night
✓ The Main Lounge: Accessed via the airy reception, this sunken, circular area features a massive central fireplace with a 20-meter chimney. It connects to an outdoor veranda via a bridge, offering complimentary afternoon tea/coffee and cakes before the evening game drive.

Experiences & Activities

Masai Mara Sopa Lodge provides the perfect launchpad for exploring the wonders of the Mara, with a mix of high adventure and relaxed cultural immersion.

Included / On-Site Activities

✓ Cultural Entertainment: Traditional Maasai dances, cultural talks, and access to the on-site handicraft market
✓ Leisure: Relaxing by the pool, bird watching in the mature gardens, or enjoying board and card games in the lounge
✓ Nightly Wildlife Viewing: Watch from the Ol Murrani Bar deck as nocturnal wildlife (hyenas, honey badgers) visit the lodge grounds

Optional Safari & Adventure Activities

✓ Cultural Immersion: Authentic visits to a neighboring Maasai village
✓ Active Exploration: Guided nature walks, walking safaris, mountain climbing, and archery
✓ Guided Safaris: Exhilarating daily game drives across the sweeping savannahs of the Maasai Mara
✓ Hot Air Balloon Safaris: Float above the plains at dawn, often concluding with a flower-bedecked champagne breakfast in the bush
✓ Sundowners: Enjoy cocktails, canapés, and bar snacks at a dedicated open area with magnificent views of the stunning Mara sunset
✓ Destination Weddings: Tailored ceremonies amongst the huge fig trees lining the Mara River or an open-air savannah event with wild animals as the backdrop

Highlights of Masai Mara Sopa Lodge

✓ Unique Architecture: Distinctive traditional African roundhouses with soaring 20-meter thatched chimneys
✓ Prime Proximity: Located just a kilometer from the Oloolaimutia Gate, offering rapid access into the National Reserve
✓ Pioneer Heritage: One of the oldest lodges in the Mara, resulting in uniquely lush, mature gardens and deep-rooted local connections
✓ Nocturnal Wildlife Deck: The Ol Murrani Bar offers a rare, comfortable vantage point to watch hyenas and honey badgers up close at night
✓ Versatile Venues: Fully equipped to handle everything from intimate honeymoon escapes to 90-person corporate conferences and grand destination weddings

Non-Resident Accommodation Rates Per Night Include;

Full Board Accommodation

Notes

* Check-In 12 Hours
* Check-Out 1000 Hours
* Picnic Lunch 20 US Dollars
* Extra Lunch or Dinner 25 US Dollars
* Reduction for Half Board: 5 US Dollars per person per day
* Masai Mara National Reserve & Conservancies | Click Here
* Easter Supplement: 40 US Dollars per person, per day, will apply on the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th of April 2026
* Christmas supplement of 50 US Dollars per person will apply to all bookings on the 24th, 25th, 26th, and 31st of December and on the 1st of January

Child Policy

* Children under 3 years of age (sharing with adult/s) are free of charge
* 2 Children 3-15 years sharing their own room: 75% of the twin/double room rate
* Children 3-15 years sharing with 1 or 2 adults: 50% of the per-person adult twin rate

Non-Resident Accommodation Exclude:

* Flights
* Activities
* Park Fees
* Game drive
* Alcoholic drinks
* Gratuities/ Tips
* Domestic Flights
* Excursions from the lodge
* Medical/ Travel insurance
* Items of a personal nature
* Transfer to and from the lodge
* Medical evacuation and flying doctor insurance

Masai Mara Park Fees

* 100 US Dollars per adult, per night from 1st January to 30th June
* 200 US Dollars per adult, per night from 1st July to 31st December
* 50 US Dollars per child, per night all year (aged 3 to 17 years inclusive)

Mara Sopa Lodge has 99 rooms. Each room is en-suite and tastefully furnished with a mosquito net, an electronic safe, dressing tables, and a sheltered veranda with views over the gardens.

Each suite has a larger bedroom and bathroom, as well as both indoor and outdoor seating areas. Mara Sopa Lodge’s dining area is a round structure with a high ceiling and red-painted walls adorned with paintings depicting the Masai going about their everyday lives.

Garden-fresh salads, succulent main courses, live cooking stations, an extravagant selection of desserts, and a wide selection of cheeses are offered in the dining area. Mara Sopa Lodge lounge is a large, comfortably furnished circular area with a massive central fireplace whose chimney soars 20 meters up to the top of the thatched conical roof.

The walls and their murals are painted with a pleasant fusion of earthy colors to create an extremely warm ambiance, and the room has a Jumbo Bar on one side and comfortable seats all around for lounging. There are 3 bars; jumbo Bar, Pool Bar, and Ol Murrani Bar which serve a wide range of both alcoholic drinks and non-alcoholic drinks.

The outdoor veranda has views over the swimming pool, the gardens, and the game reserve beyond, and this is linked to the outdoor dining room patio by a bridge. Guests can visit the outdoor swimming pool for a dip or for an afternoon of ease beside it. The lodge has a conference facility for meetings and corporate events.

The conference facility can accommodate up to 90 guests. Masai Mara Sopa Lodge has ideal settings for wedding ceremonies, such as among the huge fig trees that line the Mara River, or even an open-air event where both wild animals and the landscape are visible.

Activities at the lodge include: archery, birdwatching, walking safaris, hot-air balloon safaris, bush breakfasts, bush dinners, mountain climbing, Masai cultural talks, a visit to a Masai village, and a guided nature walk.

Other Accommodation Options in Masai Mara | Masai Mara Luxury Lodges Camps | Masai Mara Budget Lodges Camps.

Mobile: + 254-721-242-711
WhatsApp: +254-721-242-711
Reservations: +254 718-179-967
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://africanspicesafaris.com