Angama Mara
Angama Mara is a safari lodge in the Maasai Mara in Kenya. In the Kiswahili language, "angama" means "suspended in mid-air"; the name refers to the lodge's location 300 metres (980 ft) above the floor of the Maasai Mara.[1]
History
[edit | edit source]The lodge was developed by Steve and Nicky Fitzgerald and opened in June 2015.[2] It is located on the site where several scenes of Sydney Pollack's Out of Africa (1985) were filmed.[3] It was chosen for the film as the landscape reflected what the Ngong Hills just outside Nairobi would have looked like in Karen Blixen's time, before the area became urbanised.[4] Guests can see Denys Finch Hatton's "burial site" from the movie and also experience an Out of Africa picnic in the same location where the film's original poster was photographed.[5]
Accommodation
[edit | edit source]Angama Mara comprises two separate camps of 15 tents each. Each camp has its own guest area, kitchen and staff.[6]
In 2020, Angama Safari Camp opened. It is a light footprint, sole-use camp comprising four guest tents, sleeping a maximum of eight people.[7]
Wildlife
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Angama Mara has a private entrance to the 512 square kilometres (198 sq mi) Mara Triangle where all game drives take place. The Mara Triangle has abundant year-round wildlife, including the Big Five. It is also where the Great Migration enters and exits the Maasai Mara National Reserve and crosses the Mara River.[8]
Angama Foundation
[edit | edit source]Guests contribute a small nightly donation to the Angama Foundation which has been set up as a separate non-profit entity. These funds are used for various initiatives in the fields of education, healthcare and conservation.[9]
The Angama Foundation works closely with neighbouring schools and several conservation organisations including the Mara Conservancy, the Mara Elephant Project and the Anne K. Taylor Fund. It has also built a clinic on the property of Angama Mara for guests, staff and the neighbouring communities.[10]
The Angama Foundation was the creator of The Greatest Maasai Mara Photographer of the Year competition.[11]
Accolades
[edit | edit source]In 2018, Angama Mara was listed in Condé Nast Traveler as the #1 resort in Africa.[12] It has also received other accolades including being featured in the Travel + Leisure World's Best Awards in 2020[13] and Fodor's Finest Hotels in 2020.[14]
References
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