stayed here June 2008. We just did one night and thank god we didn't stay any longer! we had a long, hot trip from nairobi and when we got here we just wanted to freshed up a bit before going on safari. ummmm....not a chance. it was so disgusting. didn't shower. and lets say i purposely dehydrated myself so i wouldn't need to use the washroom. sleep quality was awful. it was SO cold. food was great....but one of the staff members scolded us for being 5 minutes later than expected. overall...would NOT stay here again.

Useless people from Nairobi to the camp. Dont waste your time or money. Pay more and go to serena or sarova. MAra hippo is useless. Paid 100Euro deposit for safari but my nany fell in and cancelled 4 days before the safari. I did not get even a single cent refund. The People in the office were so unfriendly and avoided me all the time till i left

My goodness where to start????
went there in December last year and i was horrified........and am Kenyan!!!! how is that possible??
the brochure says that its a four star??? Lotsa nonesense that is!!
The tent was in a terrible state of disrepair, there was a slug in our closet, the shower had muddy water running instead of clear water, they said that they were an eco-lodge so thats why they rationed the electricity (we had to charge our phones at the reception area which could easily be stolen) When we suggested they use solar, they said that it doesnt work on a commercial level.........more nonesense!!!!
Some friends had their bathroom roof caving in. When they were moved to a new cabin, it didnt have water and they had to wait 2hours in vain. At the bar they asked for a glass of wine to compensate, you know on the house, as they waited for their water to be fixed.......the waitress said that it wasnt part of the lodge policy.......what happened to customer service?????
the food sucked, lacked variety, taste, and because the lodge had been overbooked, we had to wait outside the dining hall for an hour, in the cold in order to get food, at which point there was almost none left.
Then there were no fruits for desert at all (This is Kenya.....fruits are everywhere)
Except for 2 or 3 staff the rest were all cold and had a dont-care attitude.
I spoke to the manager only once and he was a guy who didnt care either.

I could go on and on, but the thing is I have stayed at the Mara before, at Fig Tree Camp to be exact and in lots of other places around my country. This is such a despicable portrait of Kenyan hospitality.

NO ONE SHOULD GO TO MARA HIPPO SAFARI LODGE AND AVOID AT ALL COSTS USING SANA TRAVEL AGENCY!!!!

Please, please please DO NOT GO to the Mara Hippo Safari Lodge and do not use Sana Highland Tours. Do not go to see the wildebeest migration (millions of flies, probably including tumbu flies) or the Mara River and waterfall (other dangerous flies).

We went to these places and on our return, our apartment was infested with insects because we did not throw away suitcase and dryclean everything on arrival. If you do go remember not to bring anything into your apartment, change clothes and wash somewhere first, and rub yourself all over the body with hand hygiene gel, especially soles of feet.

I am doing nothing all day except wash and clean clothes and bedclothes every day, for the last 3 weeks. We have got rid of the bedbugs with a lot of hard work bur we still have scabies and lice that have to be treated with lotions day and night.

Mombasa is very dirty and, do not go to hotel Blue C which is filthy. If you go to the beaches, do not swim and do not walk barefoot in the sand, no locals do. You can get giardiasis from the sand (worm disease).

I caught a parasite worm disease that is potentially dangerous and may last years. It is not nice having worms come out of the hands. You catch these things by being bitten by a blackfly. Or by walking barefoot on sand on a beach. Or by touching rock bottom with your hands. Or by showering in not clean water. Or by eating salad that has been washed in dirty water.

so this just as a word of warning.

How about another destination?

If you have to go to Kenya, only stay at Sarova and Serena hotels. They are expensive but clean. The trip providers can get them for much cheaper than the internet prices which are sky high. It is important that where you are staying is placed high on a hill where it is windy. There will be less chances of getting an illness. The Hippo Lodge is placed low in a wet area.

When we got there we were told we could sleep in a lodge instead of a tent. In the whole lodge which sleeps 250 people but it was empty, everything was run down and there was no electricity and no hot water except for a few hours. The hotel reception was dark! The hotel personnel were absent during part of the day! We were only a few tourists by ourselves in that big place. We had not read the reviews. I do so wish I had. Very insecure as you can imagine.

Sana Highland Tours are terrible. Mara Hippo Safari Lodge is probably where I caught a worm disease. The gnu migration means millions of flies in the air and some of these are the worm disease kinds, tumbu fly and botfly.

how to pack is just as important as what to pack:
Pack all clothes into plastic bags sealed tight and especially put a knot on dirty linen bag and wash in 90°C as soon as you can, and dry inside the house or better in a dryer. Tumbu flies lay eggs on clothes hung out to dry and that is how people get the worm disease as they can enter your skin. Don't dry yourself with any towel without inspecting it first, and don't use the same towel twice or share towels or clothes. For ladies, you should have a clean wrap to wear each day, to protect you from the sun. Pack an insect repellant with DEET in it. Carry a plastic sheet that you use on top of the bed if it seems unsanitary. Take a mosquito net that is treated with permethrin insecticide, and use it. Don't walk barefoot in the hotel room, always use flip flops. Buy a DETTOL antibacterial soap to use in the shower. Use VASELINE (Petroleum Jelly) on your body to further protect from bugs, like locals do.

When you get home, throw away your suitcase or have it dry cleaned. The unwelcome bed bugs and other bugs get into the lining of your suitcase. Choose a suitcase with no lining. If you get bedbugs you will spend more on getting rid of them than on the trip itself, am still battling with worms and scabies.

In one word, PLEASE do not go to the Mara Hippo Safari Lodge.

If someone is going there, please take IVERMECTIN and METRONIDAZOLE tablets to the adjacent village, a few of the inhabitants are in dire need of deworming medicine. I don't know whether there is any WHO programme going on there but there should be. Also, they have nothing for childbirthing and would need help in this domain. Ask for the village nurse if you take medicines to any village. Do not give any medicine that is more than 3 months overdated or does not have instructions in English. Do not shake hands & do not go into houses, don't touch your face with your hands, scabies is rampant. A friendly smile is best.

have a safe trip!