African Safari – October 27th – From the Park gate to the Sopa Lodge.
What a relief to finally get to the gates of the Masai Mara National Reserve. Over 300 km of roads and just a few more kilometers to go! Not paved with gold though so still a few more bumps before the much awaited shower.
About Sopa Lodge:
We reached the lodge just in time for a late lunch and later went out for a late afternoon safari in the Masai Mara National Reserve. The lodge itself is pretty spectacular, offering not only great views from its hillside perch but all of the amenities that one might expect (except in-room telephones and wi-fi, that is). Every Kenyan that we met seemed to have full cell phone access to the world so the lack of internet access and land-line connections only inconvenienced visitors. There is an Internet cafe about seven kilometers from the lodge but we didn’t get to it. SIM cards are apparently readily available for those with cell phones that are compatible. Lacking in-room phones, to get a wake-up call, you put in your request at the front desk and at the allotted hour the next morning, someone would come to your cottage and knock on your door a few times until they heard a response.
The lodge would be our home away from home for a few days and a nice home it was.
More info about Mara Sopa Lodge
The Mara Sopa Lodge is set in the Oloolaimutia valley within the Ngama Hills and on the edge of the Masai Mara National Reserve. The Mara Sopa has been sympathetically built in traditional Masai style and its location provides ample opportunity for game viewing within the park, which is only a short drive away. The forested slopes of the Ngama Hills provides one of the more likely places to view the Mara’s 20 or so black rhino as well as offering some great elephant sightings on the fringes of the forest. The lodge has 90 rooms, all of which are ‘rondavel’ (round huts) style and have en-suite bathroom. Every room has a private, elevated verandah on which guests can relax and enjoy the views. Mini-bars are also available in each room along with 24 hour electricity.
