The revamping of most lodges and campsites that were adversely affected by floods in the Maasai Mara Game Reserve has been completed in readiness for the peak tourist season that starts in July.
Maasai Mara Game Reserve is popular with tourists yearning to see the famous Big 5 and the spectacular wildebeest migration expected to occur soon, as has been happening over the years.
Following the heavy rains early in the year, 12 lodges and tented campsites at Maasai Mara Game Reserve were destroyed by heavy floods after some rivers burst their banks.
For instance, the PrideInn Mara Camp hotel, which was among those destroyed by floods, has fully resumed operations, and staff are busy registering bookings.
The hotel’s Manager Fiaz Ahmed, said that the facility has undergone renovations and is now operating, fully regretting that it incurred over Sh20 million in losses due to flooding.
Speaking to the press at the facility’s compound on Saturday, Fiaz added that due to the increase in demand by tourists, they are putting up more accommodation units that they expect to be complete by mid-July.
On his part, the hotel’s front office supervisor, Joseph Kaleku, concurred that business had normalised and regretted, “We have never experienced such in the past. River Talek burst its bank at midnight following the heavy rains upstream, affecting the operations at the lodge and forcing us to evacuate some of the visitors we had at that time.”
Kaleku thanked the camp management and the government for helping the community during the flooding disaster.
He assured that the hotel has rooms and suites surrounded by colourful gardens and offers a variety of accommodation services, including cottages and villas.
Both international and domestic tourists flock to the park to experience the eighth wonder of the world, the wild beast migration that occurs from July to September every year.
By John Kaleke
