Camp River Mara Africa Alex

Serian, one of the prettiest Mara camps, is strung along the gently sloping banks of the Mara River. Water is such a luxury in the heat of Africa - and you can see the river from every part of the camp, it's soft on the eyes, and the ears.

It seems like this camp might have the best of both worlds. It's only half an hour from the Mara Reserve proper with its large numbers of animals, but as it's actually outside the boundaries so there's a chance to ditch the car for a while. This makes a big difference here because Alex Walker who owns the camp, and his partner Francisca Sommelatte, love being in the bush. These are two people who've been around it most of their lives and you can tell it's very natural to them to be there; this makes it fun to be a part of their world.

Alex found the site when he was 11 years old. His family used to take a little tent and some friends and go camping here. 28 years on he's built a lovely place to stay. Though it's exquisitely done up, with cream and white bed-tents on timber decks, it's on the rawer side of wild. It tries to minimize the barrier between you and the outside, and anyone new to the bush would find this either thrilling or alarming depending on your temperament. - or maybe a combination of the two. This is the reason we really like it, but wouldn't recommend it to everybody.

One of their favourite things, if particular guests feel adventurous enough, is just leaving camp behind, taking a few mattresses and a frying pan, crossing the river and sleeping out in the open air, with no trimmings. There's a simple, transformational thrill in doing this kind of thing in Africa, stripping away what you think you need, and just throwing yourself out there. But don't worry you're in safe hands too - Alex, 39, used to be a professional hunter and Francisca is a trained Africa walking guide.

Do you need some help with this?

Call +44 (0)1747 898104

At Natural High, we've all lived and worked in Africa, so our knowledge is born of hands-on experience rather than simply visiting on holiday. We can't over-stress how worthwhile it is to take a few minutes to call us. We're not in the business of churning out thousands of packages so if you'd like to discuss things in detail, take a few minutes and call Catherine, Vanessa or Alex on +44 (0)1747 898104.

If you like this, why not consider these other camps in Kenya...
Ol Donyo Wuas The view from Ol Donyo Wuas must be one of the most sublime in Kenya. In front of the lodge are 300,000 acres of open plains, iconic flat topped acacia trees and... more	Ol Seki Camp Ol Seki is immediately striking, with its white circular and immaculately designed canvas tents, set on a low ridge at the northern end of the Mara Conservation... more	Offbeat Camp Offbeat Meru is a place to get your feet back on the ground - this is a camp on traditional lines, with smart but not elaborate tents on the ground. No decks here.... more

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Serian, Mara Conservation Area

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