Ol Tukai Lodge, Amboseli

Where Ol Tukai Lodge is

Ol Tukai Lodge stands inside Amboseli National Park, in the central Ol Tukai area between the park's two great swamps. Elephants feed along the swamp edges close by, and they regularly pass near the lodge boundary. From Nairobi the usual road in is via Emali to Iremito Gate, about 204 km, and the lodge sits in the middle of the park, near the Amboseli airstrip.

The lodge opened in 1996 on the site of the camp built for the 1948 film of Hemingway's The Snows of Kilimanjaro. Its name comes from the Maa words for "dark palms". Staying inside the park means your game drives start at the lodge door, so you spend your time on the plains instead of on the road.

Getting to Ol Tukai Lodge

By road, Ol Tukai is about 204 km from Nairobi via Emali and Iremito Gate (a KWS figure), roughly four to five hours with tarmac to Emali and gravel for the last 21 km. By air, flights from Wilson Airport reach the Amboseli airstrip in about 40 to 50 minutes, and the lodge is close to it. Choose the drive for a day-by-day feel of the landscape, or fly and start your game drive within the hour on our fly-in safari.

Kilimanjaro views, honestly

The lodge describes every room as facing either the wetlands or Kilimanjaro. That means the mountain view depends on your room, and the wetland rooms trade the summit for elephants and birds in front of your terrace. The roof-level deck above the Elephant Bar gives every guest a wide panorama of the marshes and the mountain, which is the best place to be at sunset.

Kilimanjaro stands in Tanzania and Amboseli gives you the classic view of it from the Kenyan side. The summit is clearest at dawn and again in the late afternoon, and cloud usually builds around it as the day warms. January to February and June to October are the clearest months. March to May brings the long rains and the most cloud. If a mountain-facing room matters to you, tell us when you message and we ask the lodge for one. Room allocation stays with the lodge.

Rooms

Ol Tukai has 80 chalet-style rooms, each with a private bathroom, an individual terrace, a safe, a fan and a tea and coffee station. The lodge lists standard, twin and triple rooms, so couples, friends and small families all fit. Two rooms are designed to EU accessibility standards. For groups who want sole use, a separate three bedroom private villa, Kibo Villa, stands close by in the park. It has its own pool, a private chef and butler, and its guests can also use the lodge facilities. It is sold through the same reservations desk as the lodge, and we can quote it on request.

Facilities and meals

The dining room opens onto a garden veranda where lunch is usually served. There is a pool bar for snacks between meals and the open-air Elephant Bar for cocktails and fresh juices. The swimming pool sits under acacia shade, which is welcome before an afternoon game drive. The lodge also has a gift shop, a spa and massage service, a clinic, currency exchange and Wi-Fi.

Signature experiences listed by the lodge include a bush or gala dinner, a champagne breakfast at Observation Hill, bird walks from the entrance, a Maasai village visit and an elephant research centre talk. Night game drives are offered with a warden and a guide.

A typical day at Ol Tukai Lodge

Your driver-guide meets you at the lodge for a dawn drive to the swamps, when the mountain is at its clearest. Back for breakfast, you rest by the pool through the heat of midday, then head out again for the golden hour. You finish with a drink on the Elephant Bar deck, looking across the marshes to the mountain. If you like, we add the Observation Hill champagne breakfast the lodge offers.

Who Ol Tukai Lodge suits

It suits first-time visitors who want to sleep inside the park, families who want a pool and triple rooms, and photographers who want to be at the swamps at first light. It is a sociable, full-service lodge with a mid-range feel. If you want a tented camp with only a handful of tents, look at Tortilis Camp or Tawi Lodge. For a comparison of all nine, see our lodge comparison.

How Ol Tukai Lodge fits our packages

Ol Tukai Lodge is one of the most flexible places in our line-up, so it appears in most of our safaris. Here are the strongest matches:

• 2 Day Amboseli Safari: one night, a sunset game drive and a dawn on the mountain.
• 3 Day Amboseli Safari: two nights, with a full day at the swamps and Observation Hill.
• Amboseli Photography Safari: dawn and dusk shoots positioned for elephants and 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 Ol Tukai Lodge

Typical published rates: roughly USD 190 to 325 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 Ol Tukai Lodge with us

Tell us your dates and group size and we reply with a plan, a price and a confirmed room request. We book it as part of the safari that suits you.