Masai Mara Sopa Lodge

Sopa means “welcome” in the Maa language, and Masai Mara Sopa Lodge has been living up to its name since August 1986.

Set high on the Oloolaimutia Hills, barely a kilometre outside the Masai Mara National Reserve, it was one of the area’s first safari lodges. That early start shows in the gardens, where mature trees shade the paths between cottages modelled on traditional African round houses with conical roofs.

At the heart of the lodge is a circular lounge built around a central fireplace, its chimney rising twenty metres into the thatched roof. Before your last game drive of the day, enjoy complimentary afternoon tea or coffee with sandwiches and cakes. Meals are generous buffets with live cooking stations, and every other evening the dining deck hosts an Africa night celebrating traditional African food.

Between drives, the swimming pool overlooks the gardens towards the reserve. There are three bars to choose from, including a stand-alone bar with an open-air campfire area. From July to October, the Great Migration brings vast herds of wildebeest and zebra onto the Mara’s plains.

ACCOMMODATION

Every room comes with its own sheltered verandah. Two wings on either side of the main lodge hold the cottages, each of the two rooms with king or queen-size beds, mosquito nets, an electronic safe, and an en-suite bathroom. Verandahs look out over the gardens and into the reserve beyond. Suites add larger bedrooms and bathrooms, plus indoor and outdoor seating, and interconnecting rooms suit families. The honeymoon suite is the lodge’s showpiece, with a king-size bed, a sunken bath and a verandah with some of the finest views at the lodge.