Julia's River Camp

Location: Maasai Mara, Mara National Reserve, Near Talek Gate, Talek, ke

Star Rating: 9.1 Stars

Property Type: Luxury tents

About this Property

Important Information

Policies

Check-in: 12:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Check-out: 10:00 AM

Amenities & Facilities

• Offsite parking discounted rates available
• Guest education on local ecosystems and culture
• Parking
• Non-smoking rooms
• Restaurant
• Room service
• Terrace
• Family rooms
• Luggage storage
• Express check-in/check-out
• Safety deposit box
• Car hire
• Packed lunches
• Private check-in/check-out
• Shared lounge/TV area
• Shuttle service (additional charge)
• Concierge service
• Kid meals
• Public Bath
• Outdoor furniture
• Staff adhere to local safety protocols
• Guest rooms disinfected between stays
• Cleaning standards that are effective against Coronavirus
• Physical distancing rules followed
• Hand sanitizer in guest room and key areas
• Fire extinguishers
• First aid kit available
• Sanitized tableware & silverware
• Invoice provided
• Guests can opt-out any cleaning services during stay
• Property cleaned by professional cleaning companies
• Physical distancing in dining areas
• Access to health care professionals
• Express check-in
• Free wired internet
• Self parking (surcharge)
• Airport transportation - pickup (surcharge)
• Airport transportation - drop-off (surcharge)
• Offsite parking discounted rates available
• Game drive nearby
• Internet access
• Private picnics
• Wine release events
• Reception hall
• Japanese garden
• Secured parking
• Charcoal grill
• Guest education on local ecosystems and culture
• Vegetarian menu options available
• Accessible shuttle
• No accessible shuttle
• Accessible train station shuttle
• No accessible train station shuttle

Rooms Available

• Exclusive Tent

  2 Twin Beds OR 1 Double Bed and 1 Twin Bed

  291-sq-foot room, balcony/patio with river views

  
  

  Food & Drink - Room service

  Sleep - Bed sheets

  Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower, towels, and toilet paper

  Practical - Safe

  Need to Know - No housekeeping

  Non-Smoking

  Max Occupancy: 3 (3 Adults)

  • Shower
  • Safety deposit box
  • Private bathroom
  • Toilet paper
  • Room service
  • Balcony or patio
  • Bedsheets provided
  • No housekeeping

• Superior Tent

  2 Twin Beds

  274-sq-foot room, balcony/patio with river views

  
  

  Food & Drink - Room service

  Sleep - Bed sheets

  Bathroom - Private bathroom, shower, towels, and toilet paper

  Practical - Safe

  Need to Know - No housekeeping

  Non-Smoking

  Max Occupancy: 2 (2 Adults)

  • Shower
  • Safety deposit box
  • Private bathroom
  • Toilet paper
  • Room service
  • Balcony or patio
  • Bedsheets provided
  • No housekeeping

• Classic Tent

  Located at the Hippo Camp, this tent comes with sewn-in mosquito net, a bed with cotton sheet and duvet, bedside tables, solar powered lighting and private private bathroom with hot running water 24hrs a day and flushing toilet. Please note that this room type cannot accommodate any extra beds.

  Max Occupancy: 3 (2 Adults)

  • Shower
  • Safety deposit box
  • Seating Area
  • Toilet
  • Private bathroom
  • Private entrance
  • Mosquito net
  • Terrace
  • Linen
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Outdoor dining area
  • Entire unit located on ground floor
  • Clothes rack
  • Drying rack for clothing
  • Toilet paper
  • Bottle of water
  • Trash cans
  • Cots
  • Body soap
  • Lockers
  • Smoke alarm
  • Hand sanitiser

• VIP Tent

  This spacious tent is located in the VIP camp, which is located in a secluded wood on the river bank. The tent comes with a sewn-in mosquito net, a bed with cotton sheet and duvet, bedside tables, solar powered lighting and private private bathroom with hot running water 24hrs a day and flushing toilet. Please note that the rate includes all meals.

  Max Occupancy: 4 (3 Adults)

  • Shower
  • Safety deposit box
  • Seating Area
  • Toilet
  • Private bathroom
  • Private entrance
  • Mosquito net
  • Terrace
  • Linen
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Outdoor dining area
  • Entire unit located on ground floor
  • Clothes rack
  • Drying rack for clothing
  • Toilet paper
  • Bottle of water
  • Trash cans
  • Cots
  • Body soap
  • Lockers
  • Smoke alarm
  • Hand sanitiser

• Classic Superior Tent

  Located at the Buffalo Camp, this spacious tent comes with sewn-in mosquito nets, a beds with cotton sheet and duvet, bedside tables, solar powered lighting and shade netting. The private private bathroom has hot running water 24h/day and a flushing toilet. Please note that this room type cannot accommodate any extra beds.

  Max Occupancy: 3 (2 Adults)

  • Shower
  • Safety deposit box
  • Seating Area
  • Toilet
  • Private bathroom
  • Private entrance
  • Mosquito net
  • Terrace
  • Linen
  • Outdoor furniture
  • Outdoor dining area
  • Entire unit located on ground floor
  • Clothes rack
  • Drying rack for clothing
  • Toilet paper
  • Bottle of water
  • Trash cans
  • Cots
  • Body soap
  • Lockers
  • Smoke alarm
  • Hand sanitiser

Guest Reviews

• FREDERIC (10/5): Génial, authentique et chaleureux - Le cadre atypique, pleine nature tout en ayant un confort très satisfaisant et toujours la gentillesse du personnel dans sa globalité. Un peu éloigné, il faut le mérité, mais cela est vite oublier
• Romana (10/5): Atemberaubend, unvergesslicher & wunderschöner Aufenthalt im Julias River Camp! - Wir hatten einen dreitägigen, wunderbaren Aufenthalt in diesem einzigartigen Camp. Freundlicherweise wurden wir geupgraded, da zu unserer Reisezeit Anfang Februar in der Nebensaison zu unserer Überraschung relativ weniger los war. Dadurch waren wir in einem Zelt direkt am Fluss, wo es auch viele Flusspferde gab. Die (auch nächtlichen) Geräusche der Tiere waren herrlich! Das Personal war äußerst freundlich, hilfsbereit und herzlich. Wir haben jeden Tag unvergessliche Game Drives mit unserem großartigen Fahrer und Guide Leo unternommen. (Der Name war Programm :-) Er war der beste Guide, den man sich vorstellen kann. Was wir durch ihn an Natur Wildtieren gesehen und erlebt haben, war einzigartig und atemberaubend. Es waren die besten Game Drives die wir bisher erlebt hatten. Auch die Informationen, die wir durch ihn und seine Assistenten über die Kultur der Masai und die Tiere bekommen haben, waren sehr interessant. Alles in allem können wir Julias River Camp unbedingt wärmstens weiterempfehlen. Wir werden mit Sicherheit wiederkommen. Es war großartig! -
• Md Waqif (10/5): -
• laurent (6/5): - Bon établissement un peu sommaire. Le personnel était très agréable C’est un peu loin de tout
• Marco (9/5): - Sehr gute Lage am Talek River, beste Tierbeobachtungen, super Guides und freundliches Personal. Sicherheitsstandard top.
• Karen (10/5): Julia's has that real, isolated safari camp experience with an incredible safari. - We had 2 breakfasts out on our game drives and 2 in camp. All were amazing. On the game drives we had pancakes, french toast, maple syrup, bacon, sausage, hard boiled eggs,, fruit, yoghurt, tea, coffee and juice all served up on the bonnet of our vehicle. We had the same in camp with the addition of cereal and a choice of eggs. Really filling and delicious. Nothing. Everyone and everything was wonderful.
• Fiona (8/5): - The staff at Julia's are super friendly, welcoming and helpful. Everything was arranged super smoothly and the team was very helpful also in advance to help us prepare our stay. It's a great location with good rooms/tents. We liked how quiet and low-key it is - and the local connection. The logistics of safari are complicated, we appreciate that - but somehow the food didn't feel commensurate with the price paid.
• Gupta (9/5): -
• Oskar (10/5): Tolle Safarilodge - Freundliches und sehr aufmerksames Personal, Wünsche der Gäste werden schnell erfüllt -
• Louise (10/5): - Perfect stay, right on the river to see the hippos too :)
• Sophie (10/5): - The staff as phenomenal!!!
• Mariam (8/5): Very good - The location was amazing, inside the Masai Mara nature reserve. We could see and hear hippos, crocodiles, baboons and we even saw a lion from our camp while having breakfast one day. The tents are very comfortable, with hot water, and the staff (the game drivers and camp staff) is beyond sweet and helpful. The game drivers made sure all our game drives were epic. My 5 year old made friends with all the staff, and would roam around the camp with them, going to see the animals around. He thoroughly enjoyed his time, and they all took such great care of him. Big shout out to all the security guards, who made our trip unforgettable!
• Thomas (10/5): Fantastic experience, great camp and super friendly staff. - Excellent location with animals around the camp. Very clean and comfortable tents, really good food and very friendly and service minded staff. Can highly recommend Nothing we did not like
• Verified traveler (6/5): - This is a camp so amenities are pretty basic. That is very understandable. If you’re a light sleeper, you might not find the area conducive for you as hippos could get loud at night. My biggest issue with this camp is that by default they would clean the tent and rearrange your stuff. I get that cleaning is essential but as someone who functions in a very specific manner, I’d hate to find out that my things have been rearranged. I talked to the camp manager about this and he wasn’t apologetic at all. He just said there’s nothing he could do. Very rude!
• Ahmar (10/5): 7 out of 10 - Good place for photographers
• Lisa (10/5): - I stayed at this property for 3day/2nights. The staff was amazing. They are some of the nicest kindest people you will meet. We felt safe and learned an enormous amount about the animals in the area. It was my bday and they made me a cake and sang, it was unforgettable. Memories for a lifetime. I wish I could have stayed longer. The reviews do not do this place justice. The accommodations were more than we expected and the game drives were exciting and thrilling. We loved every moment. (One tip: make sure to bring US or Euro, we were short to pay for small items like drinks)
• Marc (9/5): Superb - Awesome place. Great camp
• Courtney (10/5): - Loved Julia’s. Dennis, our driver, was exceptional.
• Paul (2/5): - They stated that their CC machine was broken and I need to pay in cash!!! Park Fee—-520 bucks…?… who really got the cash!!… Game rides … can’t put it on your account .. gotta pay cash !!!.. Bar bill —- cash Laundry —-cash And had to go to a town to get mate cash !!.. Just brought Tip monies … of which we were pretty generous… So I asked .. for all this inconvenience.. how bout comp 1 game ride ….100 bucks!… The GM .. Mark Mutua said no… he did t even bother to meet … I said am not paying cash .. so they eventually found a “link to pay them… I feel this place is very very corrupt.. The staff .. were wonderful … of which I feel bad for them that I write this…. But it is disgusting that some guy from Spain that owns it is also inept at running a resort… Do t go there !!!! I will never …. There are 600 other camps to stay at …I just believed there website …. DO NOT go to this camp!!!!!
• William (4/5): Very disappointing. - We have just stayed here for 3 nights as part of our month long Kenyan self drive. We are hardened African Safari guys, who have done ground tents in remote locations with no water (and dig your own toilet) to similar camps like this so not writing as novices. Having read some of the great reviews before booking, we had high hopes for this place - unfortunately we were disappointed. Whilst the camp is in a truly great location on the Talek River that’s where the word great ends. There’s a big difference between eco /authentic and dirty and forgotten! For starters it isn’t actually in the park despite their assurances it is - it isn’t!!!! The Talek Gate is a good 35 minute drive away or it’s a 2 hour drive out past the airstrip where you can cross the river into the park. Chairs around fire are old and torn. Cleanliness is generally lacking throughout the camp - see pics. Whilst the staff are really friendly and helpful, there’s a lack of supervision or management I feel that means there’s more listening to mobiles than cleaning etc. Food was average to very poor and the first nights dinner was freezing cold! They don’t cook the food at Buffalo Camp so it’s brought over from another camp so this probably explains the coldness. Tents are outdated, look old and tatty and you can’t lock. Beds are small and sheets and pillows were dirty. Basics like hand soap bottles by the hand basin were dirty and empty. We had no cold water in the shower so it was scalding and we had to use bottles of cold water to rinse down. Toilets don’t appear to be fixed to anything so when you sit down they almost fall over - it’s all a bit cheaply done. Cracked toilet seats and generally dirty bathrooms aren’t a great look for over £300 per night. Loud music and general noise from staff quarters isn’t in keeping with the signs around the camp asking guests to keep their voices down and isn’t great when you are trying to relax on the balcony!
• Arthur (8/5): An exciting bush experience. - Julia's Camp is wellsituated on one of the two rivers in the Masai Mara. It is a rustic camp but the service and the food were good. Although we checked that they had credit card facilities before we arrive when is came to pay the machine did not work.
• Larissa (9/5): Superb -
• Tito171 (10/5): Exceptional -
• Laetitia (7/5): Quick trip to Mara - The camp is very basic. Do not expect too much. There's for example not really a lounge area where you can sit and relax, apart from the dining area....but if you plan to not be at camp a lot, it is ok. The location is a bit tricky to find as there is only one or two signs and you kind of drive up and down to get to it. The tents are an ok size with decent bathrooms and hot showers. Bonus. There is no plug points in the tents so if you want to charge something, you have to leave it in the dining tent. The staff was extremely friendly and tried their best to accommodate us with all our requests etc. The beds comfy. The nice part is, you hear a lot of animals at night. It is very cool. We had hippos and hyenas right outside our tent. They have guards at night to escourt you if you need to leave ypur tent. Close to Talek gate but far enough out of town so that you dont hear the loud music from Talek. Peacefull and quiet. The food was ok for the price. The packed breakfast they made for us was very nice. For the price we paid, it was good overall. As long as you know that this is not a luxury campsite. The coffee they serve you, are the cheapest you can find in Kenya, they can maybe upgrade that a little. Drinks selection is very poor. Wine quite pricey for the quality. No power points in rooms. Lots of plastic and rubbish in the river and on the banks, the staff can perhaps just clean that up.
• Cari (9/5): A secret gem tucked in the Masai Mara. - This tented camp was in a beautiful location. We enjoyed cooked to order breakfasts and amazing game drives organized by the camp. The showers were great!
• Jess (10/5): Exceptional -
• Thomas (9/5): Superb -
• Dieuwertje (10/5): Exceptional - The staff was extremely kind, the place is beautiful and it’s really camping in the wild with the comfort of a bed and the safety of security staff
• Mahdi (10/5): Amazing! - Incredible experience! The tent was clean and roomy. They are situated in great location inside the park, serene environment by the river, awesome view from the tent. All the staffs are attentive, friendly, and professional, the guards, the chefs, all of them, thank you. Beatrice, our contact staff, was so kind and attentive. She made us feel at home, and totally spoiled us! :-) The safaris were just wonderful! Leo, our guide driver, is an incredible person all around. A Masai native, he knows the Mara like palm of his hand! And he is a great conversationalist. The food is amazing. We are on a vegetarian diet, and here we had some of the healthiest, most delicious food we could find in a restaurant.
• Adriaan (5/5): Passable -
• 帅 (1/5): poor - The location is OK, and you can see animals. The check-in experience is poor. Obviously, I booked three people online and became two adults here. In addition, I can't see anyone on the first day of check-in. Everything requires you to pay the bill on the last day. The last day is a high price, even beer. On the first day, it says two bottles of $4 dollars, and at the end, there is no socket in the tent. This price can't be accepted. Employee service can be
• Verified traveler (10/5): - Amazing stay at Julia's. Basic but comfortable camp in the Maasai Mara. Friendly staff, nice food, great location l, we could hear animals all around us every night. Our trip was made by George specifically. The experience he had and his warm smiling face greeting us at mealtimes and when we returned from game drives was the best part of our trip. We hope to see him again at Julia's when we come back next time.
• Ivan (10/5): - Lovely camp, placed inside Masai Mara Reserve, right on river Talek. Our VIP tent was placed directly on the river so we could see hippos regularly. Camp stuff is great, very king and helpful. Food was excellent, far beyond our expectations. We are vegetarians and we didn't espect such a great food. VIP tent is quite spacious and comfortable, with nice terrace. Hot water was available all the time. WiFi was working in common aeras, but we barely used it. Considering price/quality rate, this camp could be one of the best options in entire Masai Mara. Highly recommended!
• Jared (10/5): In the middle of it all... - Bearing in mind it is a camp, Julia's is an excellent stay. Right in the Mara, you don't have to wait for the game drive (which is amazing) to see the wildlife.
• Salma (10/5): - This camp is just lovely. Very clean and very comfortable yet allows you to be in the nature and wild. The staff and their service levels are truly fantastic and many thanks go out to Nick and his full team of staff.
• Julie (10/5): Masai Mara Safari - Spectacular stay at Julia's River Camp. Excellent location to immediately be immersed in complete Safari experience, friendly and professional team, the most excellent guide! Kios found 2 cheetahs about to hunt and positioned us with masterful ability to witness it. On a second cheetah hunt we were so lucky to observe he expertly maneuvered our vehicle to be the first forward to photograph unimpeded! Truly one of the most amazing experiences. Thank you Julia's River Camp for making our first family Safari utterly magical.
• celeste (4/5): - Beware of the management here as they will scam you. I booked on Expedia & for most dates you could book “2 game drives per day”, but there was no option to book them for the dates I wanted. I contacted Expedia & the property to see why I couldn’t book the game drives for my dates & they said I could pay upon arrival. At the camp, the manager told me that I owed double the rate per day shown on Expedia (hundreds of dollars different). I showed him the Expedia app, which clearly said 2 and my conversations with the camp before arriving that said the price included 2 drives. They fought me over WhatsApp for an entire afternoon. I got a hold of Expedia and they contacted the property. The manager eventually agreed to the posted price, but said I owed an additional fee/day, which I had already paid.  Also, another friend came to stay there with me. Other guests in the camp were going to the airstrip when my friend was arriving and they invited me to join, so that I could greet her. The manager told me that I would be charged an airport transfer fee if I went with them. It cost them nothing additional for me to ride out with one group and back with my friend who was additional business that I brought them. After several conversations, the manager hesitantly agreed that I could go for free. But this took about an hour to resolve. I lost an entire day to phone calls and conversations with management.
• Leslie (10/5): - We loved Julia’s! The meals provided were delicious three and four course meals, they had a nice selection of beverages to choose from, and the two daily game drives that are included in the stay were amazing. We had an excellent driver, Dennis, the entire time, and the rest of the camp staff were super helpful and pleasant. This place was comfortable and of excellent value. The setting was lovely and we heard hippos and elephants by the river at night. I don’t know why you would stay anywhere else. If we’re back in the Mara we will definitely stay here again.
• Carol (10/5): - The stay at Julia's River Camp was excellent. The location is near many lion prides, cheetahs and leopards (it is just a bit of a drive to the migration river crossing area). We saw many animals grazing on the other side of the river and hippos in the river from our tent and dining area. Hear all kinds of animals at night when sleeping but always felt safe in the unfenced camp with the security (always walking you to/from your tent after dark). The service was amazing- every staff was attentive and friendly and made sure we felt comfortable. Lastly, the game drives with Denis our guide and driver was truly excellent. We saw so much more than expected and every day there was something new. We will definitely come back to visit!
• Verified traveler (8/5): Unfussy tented camp with great game viewing - Unfussy safari tented camp with excellent food and local guides. Brilliant game viewing. Accommodation was simple but clean and comfortable. No frills, affordable and authentic.
• Forbe (10/5): Everything We Could Have Hoped For - We had a great time. The staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. The food was good. The lodging was a good, quiet, and dry tent. We would love to come back again.
• RICHARD (10/5): - Wow, couldn’t have enjoyed our stay more! Delicious three course meals, three times a day cooked by Steve - catering to dietary requirements and requests (delicious Kenyan banquet on the last night). The tents (more like luxury villas) had comfortable beds, hot water showers, WiFi, mosquito nets, and of course incredible views of the river and occasional lion and hippo! The location of the camp is unbelievable, we only had to drive 2 mins and we saw cheetah with 4 cubs, lion tribe, and countless other amazing creatures. The staff looking after us were great too - good fun, accommodating, and did all the could to share their knowledge of the area and keep us safe, special thanks to Mishak! We take with us great memories of campfires, star gazing, Masai traditions, and overall recommended without hesitation!
• RICHARD (10/5): Excellent - Beautiful peaceful spot, very comfortable tents, great staff, tasty food. Couldn’t fault it!!
• Verified traveler (8/5): - Great camp. Location and environment was a must. Meals good be improved a bit, particularly the take away ones.
• Isaac (10/5): Excellent Location and Employees - Julia’s River Camp has the absolutely best employees, so friendly and concerned that we had a good experience. We want to give a special thanks to Lucky (our game driver - the best), Patrick (our waiter), and Meshak (our Masai warrior). All these inidividuals made our stay so memorable...thank you. The location is perfect, tucked along side the Talek River inside the reserve for the best game viewing. The Masai Mara is so beautiful. We’d highly recommend this place for the special employees working there.
• Verified traveler (10/5): - Everyone was very nice.The food was okay.The location was good.There were many animals right outside.

Photos