Porini Camps -Yvonne Fitzgerald Knott

On the 15th of June myself and 5 of my colleagues flew to the Masai Mara as part of our trip around Kenya. We flew from Wilson airport in Nairobi to the Mara in just 1 hour where we were met by 2 masai Warriors in a safari vehicle ready to transport us to mara porini camp. The transfer took about an hour. On arrival we were greeted by David the Manager and more Masai warriors who offered us a refreshing juice and wet face cloth to freshen up. The camp was small and intimate with beautiful comfortable furnishings. We were shown to our tents which all had their own deck with seating. Inside the camp was simply decorated but very clean and welcoming.There was a double bed, single bed, lockers, wardrobe, the bathroom had a normal functioning sink and toilet and a safari Shower. This means that each individual staying at the camp can get 20 litres of water to shower and the Masai fill the water when you want it from outside the tent. You then pull a lever to start the water flow and shower as normal. I was surprised at how they got the water temperature just right. Also in the tent there is a flash light and a whistle to call for assistance if at any time you are frightened by the noises of the animals outside. The camp is completely open so animals can wander in from time to time. I found this experience really brought home the fact we were out in the middle of the wilderness. We were lucky enough to have 3 monkeys playing on a tree straight outside our tent and I enjoyed watching them for about 20 minutes messing about, it was beautiful.

We were taken on a sun downer that evening with a driver and spotter who were two mara warriors. They set up an area for us to watch the sun go down where we had some nibbles and a drink of our choice. It was so beautiful and peaceful and they were very knowledgeable and forthcoming with information on their heritage and customs. They were very willing to answer any questions we had. On returning to the camp we had a simple but tasty meal accompanied by drinks of our choosing. The atmosphere was very relaxed and after dinner the mara warriors did one of their traditional dances for us along with all the staff in the camp. It really was amazing. After dinner, David the manager joined us around the camp fire where we talked about the conservancy and the animals we saw that day. He is without doubt the best host I have ever met. He had a warm kind air about him and was a very interesting person to talk to. They kept the fire burning as long as we wanted to stay and I have never felt so close to mother nature. On going to bed we were delighted but surprised to find a hot water bottle waiting for us in bed which was a lovely treat and very comforting.

The following day we again had a lovely breakfast with homemade bread, eggs, bacon and fresh fruit. It was really lovely. We said our goodbyes to the fabulous staff who all came out to wave us off and made our way for Porini Lion Camp which took about 3 hours in our Safari Vehicle. The drive was relaxing and rather beautiful. We were there in June so the big migration had begun and we go to see hundreds of wilderbeast walk in an orderly fashion on their migration along with loads of other  game along the way.  On arrival again we were greeted by the Manager who was a very pleasant individual. The Lion camp is a lot bigger then the Mara camp and thus means the relaxation area and dinning area are also bigger. Again it is completely open and not fenced so you really feel like you are part of the wilderness.In fact on our game drive that evening we got some wonderful pictures of a lion with our camp in the background, he was that close. We had a lovely lunch, again just the right amount of portions but all very tasty food. The staff were just as friendly and helpful as the staff at the mara porini camp. The rooms were a bit bigger and brighter but the bathrooms were more or less the same.There were a lot more tents so we were further away from the dinning area and had to be escorted by a warrior to and from our tent in case of animals. Again we were taken on a night drive which involved a complementary sun downer experience. That evening we had a fabulous dinner with some of the best lamb I have ever tasted. The mara warriors joined us again for their traditional dance. The dining area had more families and couples eating also as they can facilitate for a lot more people than mara porini. So it did not feel quiet as intimate as the evening before and obviously the manager had to spread his time out much more to mingle with all the guests.

After dinner we again sat around the camp fire where we chatted with other people staying at the camp and talked about the wonderful experience and game drive we had earlier when we encountered a pride of lions and a leopard on our evening/night drive.
I feel very fortunate to have experienced the Masai Mara and the Masai warriors and will most certainly return. The friendly, warmth of the people was so refreshing. To see their simple way of life was very humbling. I think the outstanding thing about the Mara Porini was the intimate nature of the camp due to the fact it is small and David the Manager is one of the nicest people I have ever had the pleasure to meet. The Lion camp is bigger and brighter, not as intimate but the game viewing was amazing.

All in all I can certainly recommend the Porini camps for their exceptional staff, a real close to earth experience, lovely food, very clean and warm facilities and of course, the game viewing. Also the complementary sun downer experience is a fantastic bonus to staying at these camps.