Camp makes a telling impact on overall safari experience. The initial filtration must be made on reviews, facilities on offer, their utilization and own expectations. A fair knowledge of the park layout is a must. Reviews are generally inundated with adjectives, often lacking elaborate justification. The camp close to Mara river in main reserve are mostly over-priced which cannot be often justified. I therefore chose to go with narration of our thought process while selecting a camp and its final outcome for our 5 D/4 N Masai Mara Safari from 13-17 Aug 2022. a) Setting- More than 2/3rd time in safari is spent in the camp. An absorbing and engrossing surrounding is important to get rejuvenated and re-fueled for further venture. Mara river camp is beautifully laid out in the forested area along the bank of Mara river with serene, calm and attractive setting. It has an eye-catching rustic environment merging perfectly with wilderness of Masai Mara rather then an urbanite luxurious set-up. b) Mini safari within Main safari- The camp is abode to wild animals like Zebra, Thompson Gazelles, Warthogs, Baboons and numerous Warblers. The Mara river down below has a handful Hippos always engaged in playful fights to establish territorial supremacy with a few crocodiles watching quietly while basking in the sun. The slopes of Oloololo (serian) escarpment across the river has frequent visitors like Elephants, Giraffes, Antelopes, Hyenas, Wildebeests and wild Buffalos visible to naked eyes. c)Location: Camp located on so called ingress route of migration and near Mara River crossing in the main reserve are generally overpriced though both events are not guaranteed. Wild animals neither recognize park boundaries nor follow a set pattern. One has to finally traverse the dusty fairweather tracks to achieve aim. The Mara river camp located at 30 Mins distance from Musiara and Oloololo gate has been criticized for its location. In fact, we noticed large and diversified wild life enroute to these gates. This contention may hold water beyond or before migration period when resident wildlife throng the area. To cut down the monotony of repeating route again same day, we adjusted the Safari timings from dawn to lunch and after lunch to dusk. it catered for early morning and evening period when predators are mostly active. It gave us enough time to relax and enjoy other amenities/ facilities on offer in the camp. We still feel that "Setting" should take precedence over "Location". d) Staff. This was a big plus for the camp. Anne and Sheela in dining area, Joseph in bar, Rosie & her house- keeping staff were outstanding. We always found our living tents clean, tidy, well sanitized and neatly done-up with no sign of mosquitoes or insects in fore-seeable distance. e) Meals. This was a big miss. Food, though palatable, lacked in variety. Was it due to scarce availability or to compensate for cost-effectiveness? f) Drinking water. The policy to serve food without drinking water on table or counter must be reviewed. The tents should also cater for water bottles. Payments can be charged as hitherto. g) Security. The area was always under the vigil of security staff to ward- off any churlish behavior from wild animals though history defies any such incidents. h) Morning /Evening Tea. Tea is organized in the dining area. Option to serve it in the tents at scheduled time or deliver hot water thermos with tea/coffee sachets could be looked into. A low voltage Tea/Coffee maker machine in living tents can solve this this problem. I) TV sets. Satellite TV set must be installed in dining area and living tents. We found ourselves totally cut-off from the outer world. j) Additional Amenities /Facilities. Some recommendation may seem far fetched and other may have implementation hick-ups. Aim is to make the evenings in and around dining/bar area more absorbing, vibrant and interactive. It was noticed that evening were generally monotonous with only bone-fire or occasional Masai dance by local camp staff. Screening of movie / documentary on wildlife in Masai Mara and other parks, Kenyan history, culture and heritage could arouse great interest among visitors. Tambola or party games bring forth more interaction among various nationalities. A rope way or a wooden bridge across Mara river from deck area with screened scaffolding (Machan) on either side could become an added attraction to view wild life across. However, seeking permission for this adventure may be a stumbling block. Overall, we had an entirely satisfying and engrossing stay at Mara river Camp. We would strongly recommend to keep Mara river camp in the frame of mind while finalizing your Safari stay at Masai Mara.…