Famous for the abundance of lion, the Great Migration and local Maasai people, the Masai Mara is without a doubt one of Africa’s most famous safari destinations.

Almost hidden among the landscape owing to its natural materials and organic colors, Masai Mara Sopa Lodge curls around a central waterhole where wildlife comes to drink both night and day. 

With a superb location in the Isaaten Siana Conservancy just outside the national park’s eastern boundary, the lodge provides a perfect base for exploring the entire Mara. Set high on the slopes of the Oloolaimutia Hills, the architecture was inspired by the design of traditional African conical houses.

The 99 guest rooms crown a ridge that extends on both sides of the main lodge buildings. From the giraffe-zebra-leopard patterned planters to the Masai shield chandeliers above the main entrance and pool terrace, and the antelope and elephant motifs that grace the lobby area, much of the interior design reflects the Mara wildlife scene.

In between morning and late afternoon game drives into the reserve, guests can lounge around the lodge’s classic kidney-shaped swimming pool, take to the air in a hot-air balloon, dive into guided nature walks, organize a Masai village visit, or quaff Africa-inspired cocktails at the Ol Murrani Bar.

Masai Mara National Reserve covers more than 580 square miles at the northern end of the vast Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem. As such, it serves as the northern terminus of the Great Migration when around two million total wildebeest, zebra and antelope flood across the border from the Serengeti Plains in Tanzania.