The Melting Pot saved us. Driving back from the private Olare Motirogi conservancy one night during the rainy season, we were stuck on the wrong side of a fast-flowing river. Our vintage 4×4 had no snorkel, and the grunts we heard from distant hippos suggested that wading through the river might be a bad idea. So we turned up at The Melting Pot, soggy and feeling sorry for ourselves (an earlier near-scrape with a buffalo hadn’t helped), and we were welcomed in with open arms.
On the edge of the Masai Mara near X GATE, The Melting Pot is fenced on three sides. French-run, it’s popular with Parisians, and many of the staff come from francophone African countries. The food, too, has a French twist. And although France isn’t exactly famous for its service and hospitality, The Melting Pot should be. We were shown around the camp and, after a simple, hearty supper and a bottled beer, given tents down by the river (the only area that isn’t fenced), and warned not to emerge until daybreak. We soon learned why, watching hippo-sized shadows amble along the sides of the tent from our beds, lit up by the full moon.
The Melting Pot isn’t glamorous; the tents are simple, with warm Kenyan blankets, bucket loos (not eco-friendly, sadly), and flashlights. But they are spacious and cozy. If you’re looking for a luxury experience, The Melting Pot isn’t it. But there’s something lovely in its simplicity. The gardens, which roll down towards the hippo river, are calm and peaceful, perfect for a morning yoga session to a soundtrack of birdsong. The bucket showers aren’t as fancy as those at other camps, but we emerged fresh and clean after arriving caked in mud: and that’s all that mattered.
Breakfast didn’t involve champagne, but it was simple and good: poached or fried eggs, white toast, jams and cereals. The safari drives, too, are excellent value, and there’s a Maasai arts and crafts market in the grounds several times a week.
Much of the Maasai Mara is off-limits to budget travelers. The Melting Pot isn’t exactly cheap, but it’s much cheaper than anywhere else in this section of the park. And it’s near the gate, making it an easy option for those on self-drive safaris. As we drove away from The Melting Pot after a rested night, we realized that just being in the Maasai Mara was luxury enough.
Expert Review
The Melting Pot saved us. Driving back from the private Olare Motirogi conservancy one night during the rainy season, we...
The Melting Pot saved us. Driving back from the private Olare Motirogi conservancy one night during the rainy season, we were stuck on the wrong side of a fast-flowing river. Our vintage 4×4 had no snorkel, and the grunts we heard from distant hippos suggested that wading through the river might be a bad idea. So we turned up at The Melting Pot, soggy and feeling sorry for ourselves (an earlier near-scrape with a buffalo hadn’t helped), and we were welcomed in with open arms.
On the edge of the Masai Mara near X GATE, The Melting Pot is fenced on three sides. French-run, it’s popular with Parisians, and many of the staff come from francophone African countries. The food, too, has a French twist. And although France isn’t exactly famous for its service and hospitality, The Melting Pot should be. We were shown around the camp and, after a simple, hearty supper and a bottled beer, given tents down by the river (the only area that isn’t fenced), and warned not to emerge until daybreak. We soon learned why, watching hippo-sized shadows amble along the sides of the tent from our beds, lit up by the full moon.
The Melting Pot isn’t glamorous; the tents are simple, with warm Kenyan blankets, bucket loos (not eco-friendly, sadly), and flashlights. But they are spacious and cozy. If you’re looking for a luxury experience, The Melting Pot isn’t it. But there’s something lovely in its simplicity. The gardens, which roll down towards the hippo river, are calm and peaceful, perfect for a morning yoga session to a soundtrack of birdsong. The bucket showers aren’t as fancy as those at other camps, but we emerged fresh and clean after arriving caked in mud: and that’s all that mattered.
Breakfast didn’t involve champagne, but it was simple and good: poached or fried eggs, white toast, jams and cereals. The safari drives, too, are excellent value, and there’s a Maasai arts and crafts market in the grounds several times a week.
Much of the Maasai Mara is off-limits to budget travelers. The Melting Pot isn’t exactly cheap, but it’s much cheaper than anywhere else in this section of the park. And it’s near the gate, making it an easy option for those on self-drive safaris. As we drove away from The Melting Pot after a rested night, we realized that just being in the Maasai Mara was luxury enough.