Mara River Safari Lodge Bali Review: Family-Friendly Safari Stay in Bali

When Bali comes to mind, beaches, rice terraces, and temples are usually the first things that come to mind. However, Taman Safari Bali, nestled in Gianyar about a 40-minute drive from Ubud, offers a completely different Bali experience.

Right inside Taman Safari Bali sits Mara River Safari Lodge, one of the most offbeat hotel options on Bali island.

In this Mara River Safari Lodge Bali Review, I’ll take you on a whirlwind tour of everything I did, saw, and loved while staying at this safari lodge with my family: from the rooms and facilities to the safari ride, animal feeding, and family fun. If you travel with kids or simply love unique accommodations and wildlife in one place, this is definitely one to put on your radar.

Why Stay at Mara River Safari Lodge in Bali?

Mara River Safari Lodge is located within the Taman Safari Bali, so a stay at the lodge is more than just accommodation. As you can see from the photos, the hotel rooms have balconies overlooking the real-life safari animal enclosures.

I can’t even explain how cool it is to have giraffes, zebras, and antelopes grazing just outside your window or to take breakfast in the morning with lions pacing just a few meters behind glass walls!

This is not a beach resort with flashy infinity pools, Instagram cocktails, and postcard-perfect sunsets. This is a different Bali, and if you love wildlife, it’s a Bali you need to experience at least once.

The safari lodge experience is not exactly luxury-level, but it’s a lot of fun and absolutely worth it for families and animal lovers.

Room Types at Mara River Safari Lodge Bali

The four main room categories at Mara River Safari Lodge are:

• Swaga Room – Ground floor double room
• Twiga Room – Double room on the second floor with a better view.
• Kifaru Suite – Four-person family suite.
• Tembo Suite – Six-person suite.

We stayed in the two Twiga Rooms (recommend it!) as we were a family of 6. The suites are larger and very family-friendly, but they are located on the back of the property and a bit further from the safari animals. They are closer to the pool though, so it depends on where you want to be.

The rooms (at least the two connecting ones we stayed at – 203 and 204) are the best for wildlife viewing. Your animal view changes based on the room, your balcony or window position, and, I’d say, a little bit of luck as well. In our case, we had more antelopes and zebras wandering by compared to those staying in a room with a view to the giraffes.

Online, people say Room 201 has the best animal view, but to be honest, you never know who will walk past your window at any time. All the animals roam around on their own, so we frequently saw them cross the whole compound.

A regular Twiga room costs under 280 USD per night (about 4–5 million IDR). The room includes free access to the Taman Safari Bali.

If you have more guests and want to add an extra bed or person without bed, expect to pay an additional 1.6 million IDR and 850k IDR per person, respectively. Children over 3 years old are considered adults for pricing.

The Hotel Rooms Themed Like an African Safari

The interior of the rooms and suites is really unique. The moment you step inside, you immediately feel like you’ve been transported to a safari lodge in Africa.

You can expect rustic furniture, dark wood tones, safari-style decor, and an outdoor shower!

Overall, the rooms definitely have a vintage vibe and feel a little bit retro. They are not super modern, sleek, and shiny but honestly look like they are meant to be that way. The interior design and facilities scream raw safari.

One thing you have to watch out for, though, are mosquitoes. This is the middle of a safari park full of greenery and ponds, so insects are inevitable. I had to go out of the hotel with swarms of mosquitoes at one point. Just stock up on repellents.

Despite my worries that staying right next to giraffes and zebras means lots of animal smell, it was totally odorless.

Included with the Stay at Mara River Safari Lodge Bali

When you book a room at Mara River Safari Lodge, it includes:

• Entrance tickets to Bali Safari Park
• One complimentary Safari Journey ride
• Entrance to the water play zone
• Buffet Breakfast at Tsavo Lion Restaurant
• Night Safari cultural performances

Things not included with your stay at Mara River Safari Lodge:

• Jungle Odyssey ride (30k IDR per person)
• Night Safari Jungle Cruise
• Animal feeding experiences
• Dining options other than the complimentary buffet breakfast.

Getting the Full Experience: Safari Journey

The single most important and exciting activity at Taman Safari Bali (Mara River Safari Lodge) is, of course, the Safari Journey.

When you book the room, the safari journey ticket is included in the price. It’s the signature safari truck ride where you will have a close encounter with animals.

You hop onto the open-air safari truck, and for about 30 minutes, you’ll be riding around the park. The guide (speaking in English) will point out animals, introduce them, and tell you some facts.

The difference between the safari ride here and most zoos is that you are so close to the animals. The safari truck is a big open truck with huge panoramic windows, so you have unobstructed views. The truck also drives into shallow water to give you the feeling of driving right through the middle of the park.

One of my major concerns was that the animals would just be lazing around. This is sadly a reality with some zoos in Africa where many animals have resigned themselves to life in captivity. But the animals here were much more active than I expected.

Hippos were lounging in the water, rhinos were grazing, giraffes were wandering around, and zebras were even running from time to time.

Of course, it’s not real-life Africa and the wildlife is nowhere near as abundant, but for Southeast Asia and Bali in particular, it’s excellent.

Enjoy a Pool with a Wild Side

Another benefit of staying at the Mara River Safari Lodge is the swimming pool. The pool view is next level, and you can even wave at giraffes and zebras walking by while you take a swim.

The best time to use the pool is in the morning when the sun isn’t too hot yet. In the afternoon, it is really sunny, and since the pool is not shaded, it can be a bit too hot for a swim.

I noticed when we were there that there were many Korean tourists in the pool (even groups on honeymoon who were taking wedding photos in the pool).

Surprisingly, I saw very few Chinese PRCs visitors during my time there.

Dining at Tsavo Lion Restaurant

Dinning (Western and Indonesian local cuisine) is available at Tsavo Lion Restaurant, where massive glass panels separate you from lions!

Breakfast: What to Expect

Breakfast is included, and it’s a regular buffet. It includes a mixture of Indonesian and Western breakfasts. My little girl could only have Western breakfasts (bread, eggs, etc. ), and breakfasts were enough for her each morning. I tried to get her to eat some Indonesian breakfasts, but she wasn’t interested in trying them.

Dinner: What to Expect

Dinner is… interesting. You eat at a giant table with massive glass panels separating you from lions. In the middle of the dinner table is a feeding show area for the lions. The Night Safari feeding experience is a show where guests watch the keepers do the lion feeding up close.

We tried the Tsavo Lion Restaurant for dinner the first night. My daughter loves animals (mainly animals you can find in the wild), and she’s very interested in watching the safari rides, zoo, and feeding experiences. 

Overall, I think it’s not a great dinner option since it’s pretty pricey (about 160k IDR per person) compared to the average taste. 

Night Safari Show

After dinner, we sat through the Night Safari show.

Lion Roars at Mara River Safari Lodge

If you stay at Mara River Safari Lodge Bali, prepare to be woken up by lion roars.

The first morning, I got up in the room before sunrise to use the bathroom, and I heard lion roars just after I opened the door. I thought it was just one of those sound effects played on a speaker, like many hotels have, to create a jungle-like ambiance.

It was the middle of the night, and these were not even soft lion roars. When I went out, I could see lions in their enclosure, one of them even as close as 10 meters from where we were! I was shocked and couldn’t believe my ears, so I assumed they were played from a speaker.

Imagine my surprise when I realized the roaring was real! These were actual lions that had woken up and started roaring, and you can even hear them from your room at night. The hotel rooms have double glass panes on all the windows, and I could still hear them muffled through the glass!

Night Safari: Beasts on the Loose

At Mara River Safari Lodge, there’s also a Night Safari that takes place at night.

You are in a caged vehicle inside the zoo, and you drive through the safari park in your car to see nocturnal animals.

I did not like the Night Safari as much compared to the Safari Journey in the morning. The Night Safari feels very gimmicky and just not as fun as the real safari ride. You also don’t feel so immersed.

I do recommend you try the Night Safari only for the experience. It’s not as bad as it sounds, but not a highlight of Mara River Safari Lodge in my opinion. It’s more fun for kids.

Animal Activities at Mara River Safari Lodge Bali

If you travel with kids, Mara River Safari Lodge is fantastic as there are so many activities for them.

We also found the child attended the safari rides very interested in animals, and they gave her an animal passport book that kids can have their safari ride passports stamped each time they ride.

Our daughter especially loved these:

• Petting zoo with rabbits, goats, and small farm animals
• Animal feeding experiences (our daughter fed giraffes for 200k IDR per session)
• Water play zone and small amusement park (available only after 11 a.m.)
• Animal shows: we saw the tiger show which was excellent and very engaging.

One thing we saw at Mara River Safari Lodge Bali and loved was elephant rides in the morning.

Kids must be at least 8 years old, so we will save this for our return trip. Our daughter is only 5 right now.

Tips for Staying at Mara River Safari Lodge Bali

• Pack repellant – there are mosquitoes
• Arrive early – the safari journey truck seating is on a first-come-first-serve basis.
• Clothing – wear something comfy but not too casual for the safari ride.
• Book in advance, especially during high season.

Activities at Mara River Safari Lodge Bali: Pros and Cons

Pros

• Totally unique and memorable safari lodge experience in Bali.
• Chance to see giraffes, zebras, antelopes, and elephants from your room.
• Safari Journey included with the stay.
• Cool swimming pool with a safari view.
• Kid-friendly with a petting zoo, animal feeding, etc.
• Includes breakfast with lions at Tsavo Lion Restaurant.

Cons

• Rooms are a little dated and rustic.
• Mosquitoes can be a problem.
• Night Safari experience less enjoyable compared to Safari Journey.
• Activities like Jungle Odyssey are not included in the room price.

Final Thoughts on Mara River Safari Lodge Bali Review

Would I recommend Mara River Safari Lodge?

Absolutely, especially to families. Mara River Safari Lodge is one of the most memorable places we have stayed in Bali thanks to the animal encounters. Sure, the rooms are not that luxurious, and mosquitoes will get on your nerves, but the experience of waking up with giraffes grazing outside your balcony is just unforgettable.

If you want to do something different in Bali beyond beaches and rice terraces, this is the place to go. It’s not just accommodation – it’s an adventure.

Overall Rating: 8.0 / 10

• Location: About 40 minutes drive from Ubud, very convenient for central Bali touring)
• Rooms: Rustic and dated, but charming in their own way
• Activities: Safari Journey and animal shows excellent, but some additional activities at extra cost.
• Food: Average taste, but views at Tsavo Lion Restaurant amazing
• Value for Money: Great benefits included with the stay

Thank you for reading my Mara River Safari Lodge Bali Review. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out and I’ll do my best to answer! Are you planning a trip to Mara River Safari Lodge Bali? How did it go for you? Tell me which animals you saw in the comment section below.