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Mara River Safari Lodge Review

After doing research on Bali, I kept coming across Mara River Safari lodge as a top place to stay. The main charm was that you had a room overlooking zebra, rhinos, ostriches, and other animals and admissions included entrance to the Bali Safari & Marine park. Basically you had activities and lodging in one!

Mara River Safari Lodge was one of the most unique places to stay and I’m so excited to share my experience. I couldn’t find a lot of insider views on this park before so I made so to write an in-depth review of Mara River Safari lodge.

We stayed in the Swala Deluxe Room. Upon arrival the staff offered us a sweet orange drink and carried our bags to the room.

Front Entrance of Mara River Safari Lodge and Koi Pond

Staying at Mara River Safari Lodge- Review

Our room came with some water and coffee press for the morning. We also had carrots to throw to the animals! The bed was comfortable. The bathroom was fairly simple and nothing particularly fancy. The one issue I had was the wifi. Connection was not always consistent and I found it was just easier to go to the lobby to connect to the internet.

Mara River Safari Lodge Review
Views From our Balcony

We went out to the Bali Safari park for some time which I wrote about below before returning to enjoy the rest of the resort.

At the entrance they have a beautiful koi pond which we could relax at. If an attendant is around they let you feed the koi as well!

One of the highlights was their pool for hotel guests! They had a swim up bar and an infinity pool that overlooked the animals. I never thought I would say I would enjoy a margarita over a pool while watching zebras and rhinos grazing nearby.

Tsavo Lion Restaurant

We enjoyed dinner at the Tsavo Lion restaurant. Overall the food was more expensive than most restaurants, but still a great value. It was a mixture of Western and Balinese food. I enjoyed a Tasmanian Salmon and it was too good! Their Sangrias were very strong.

At night they offer different performances. The one we enjoyed was a safari themed dance involving fire.

After a restful nights sleep we woke up for one of the most memorable breakfasts of my life! Mara River Safari Lodge offers a complimentary breakfast buffet with lions! If you want a seat next to the glass make sure to reserve it the night before.

Breakfast at Mara River Safari Lodge

Their breakfast buffet included a mixture of Balinese food, American food, and Eastern food. I was able to try so many dishes I had never heard of! Sweet danishes, fried rice, dried fruits, and cheese, flavored pancakes, and this cool been porridge. I know this sounds funny, but this place knows how to make bacon! I still dream of that bacon haha! This was the most decadent breakfast buffet I have ever had!

Mara River Safari Lodge Review
I don’t know if I’ve ever seen such an amazing and diverse breakfast buffet!

The best part was that all of this happened while we enjoyed lions resting and playing nearby!

Mara River Safari Lodge Review

For a small fee we were able to reserve a meerkat feeding. They gave us fruits and crickets and played with meerkats!

Mara River Safari Lodge Review

The one thing we did not get to experience was the spa, but everything at Mara River Safari Lodge was more than I could have imagined. Having everything in one spot left us with endless fun and great memories! I loved that we were able to walk to the Bali Marine & Safari Park.

While I was there they were adding an even greater aquatic section, but we did not get to experience that.

Mara River Safari Lodge Review of Safari Park

At the Bali Safari Park we got to take pictures with a Binturang

Mara River Safari Lodge Review

Make friends with an Organgutan

Mara River Safari Lodge Review

And chill out with some birds!

Mara River Safari Lodge Review

There was a section to feed elephants. These elephants are not playing around! They go straight for the food and snatch it out of your hand!

Mara River Safari Lodge Review

They have a few animal shows and of course lots of animal viewings. I loved that mixture of architecture and all the beautiful mixture of their culture. Throughout the day you can also participate in a little bit of a dance class. I thought it was a group class at first, but basically you go mirror a dancer who goes through some fairly simple, but beautiful dance steps. I was still stepping over my own two feet!

Mara River Safari Lodge Review
Mara River Safari Lodge Review
White Tiger Exhibit. Mara River Safari Lodge also had many other exhibits and shows.

Final Thoughts on Mara River Safari Park

Between the Safari Park and  and the special accommodations that we received on location, the stay at Mara River Safari Lodge was beyond phenomenal. If anyone has at least one day to spare in Bali I cannot recommend this place enough. Do be ready to step away from your phone though because wifi is not the best. You can book your stay here.

Mara River Safari Lodge Review
Mara River Safari Lodge Review
Mara River Safari Lodge Review

This Mara River Safari Lodge review is in no way sponsored by or affiliated with Mara River Lodge. I simply wanted to share a place I loved. As always (sponsored or not) all opinions are my own.

Last Updated 5 years ago by Jessica Serna | Published: June 8, 2018

3 Responses
  • Raksha Rao
    June 23, 2018

    Each and every picture here is lovely! and adore your outfits here. This definitely seems like a great place to stay in Bali!

  • Erin
    June 23, 2018

    Wow, it looks incredible! I have to say, I’ve never been let down in any place I’ve stayed in Bali. As a whole, they really know how to spoil their guests! Your stay looks incredible. I love the white tigers and I also love that white dress you wore when visiting the safari area.

  • Selam
    June 23, 2018

    I had no idea an accommodation like this existed in Bali. This is very good to know as Bali is on my bucket list! 😉 This place looks dreamy, and your photos are so good!