Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge

Where the lodge is

Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge stands inside Amboseli National Park, beside a gentle natural spring and a copse of tall acacia trees. You stay within the park boundary, so the swamps, the plains and Observation Hill are your neighbourhood. The lodge runs its own day and night game drives, birding outings and nature walks.

The lodge became fully solar powered in 2018, and its guests and staff have planted more than 6.7 million trees since 1991 under the Serena reforestation programme, according to the lodge.

Getting to Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge

By road, the lodge is reached via Emali and Iremito Gate, about 204 km and four to five hours from Nairobi (a KWS figure). Iremito is the park gate nearest the lodge, roughly 30 minutes' drive from the lodge. By air, flights from Wilson Airport reach the Amboseli airstrip in about 40 to 50 minutes. We handle the driver-guide, the park entry and the transfer, so you arrive at the lodge ready for the afternoon drive.

Kilimanjaro views, honestly

The lodge markets itself as a Kilimanjaro view lodge, and on a clear morning the snowy summit shows in the southern sky. Most rooms are single-storey buildings with a private balcony facing the gardens and grasslands, so the mountain is something you look up and across to rather than a view guaranteed from every bed. The Ol Donyo Oibor Suite is the room described with a Kilimanjaro view from its balcony and rooftop terrace.

Kilimanjaro rises across the border in Tanzania, and Amboseli is one of the best places in Kenya to see it. The first hours after sunrise and the hour before sunset give the clearest views, because cloud tends to wrap the summit by late morning. The dry months of January to February and June to October give the best odds, and March to May, the long rains, is the cloudiest stretch. The Observation Hill sundowner is a good way to finish the day facing the mountain.

Rooms

There are 92 rooms and one suite. The lodge lists 41 standard king rooms, 44 twin rooms, 3 triple rooms and 3 family rooms, each family room with two bedrooms and a shared bathroom. There are nine sets of interconnecting rooms for groups. Rooms are built in the style of a Maasai manyatta, with hand-painted wildlife murals, a private balcony, a fan, mosquito nets, a safe, a tea and coffee station and free Wi-Fi. The Ol Donyo Oibor Suite adds a jacuzzi, a minibar and satellite TV, and suits honeymooners.

Facilities and meals

The palm-shaded swimming pool is heated, and the lodge also has a restaurant set among water gardens, a lounge and bar opening onto a firepit terrace, the Kiboko terrace bar, a gift shop and the Maisha Spa. Breakfast is a buffet with full English and continental choices, lunch is a buffet and dinner is a three-course set menu with vegetarian dishes always available. Kosher, vegetarian and gluten-free needs are catered for with notice, and children's meals and an early dinner are available on request.

Extras listed by the lodge include a bush breakfast, a bush dinner under the stars with Maasai song and dance, nature walks, birding and cultural talks. Ask us to add the ones you like.

A typical day at Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge

Your guide collects you at the lodge for a dawn drive across the plains, with a bush breakfast as an option. Midday is for the pool or the Maisha Spa. In the afternoon you head out again, and the lodge's Observation Hill sundowner is an easy extra to add, with chairs facing the mountain as the light turns. Dinner is a three-course meal back at the lodge.

Who the lodge suits

It suits guests who want full service and generous grounds without leaving the park: couples marking an occasion, families who want interconnecting rooms and children's meals, and groups who want a conference-capable lodge. It also works well as the comfortable half of a combined trip, for example before a Tsavo West extension.

How Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge fits our packages

The lodge is a natural fit for our comfort-focused safaris and for family groups:

• Amboseli Luxury Safari: four days and three nights with a private guide and an unhurried pace.
• 3 Day Amboseli Safari: two nights, with a full day at the swamps and Observation Hill.
• 2 Day Amboseli Safari: one night, a sunset game drive and a dawn on the mountain.
• Amboseli Fly-In Safari: fly from Wilson Airport and start your game drive within the hour.
• Amboseli Group and Family Safari: a relaxed pace for families and groups.

Rates at Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge

Typical published rates: roughly USD 360 to 450 per person per night depending on season, ask us for the current rate. Rates are per person sharing a room on full board and change with the season, so we confirm the price in writing before you pay.

Book Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge with us

Send us your dates, group size and any room preferences. We confirm the lodge and build the rest of the safari around it.