Amboseli Hotels

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Which of the Amboseli Hotels Will Give You the Best Safari Experience?

Amboseli hotels offer you the best of both worlds - the treatment and amenities you'd expect in a world class hotel and the priceless exotic feel of the African wilderness. Which is the best? Um ... Check out these independent reviews and decide for yourself - I am torn between a couple:-)

Tortilis Camp

The crème de la crème of all Amboseli hotels, Tortilis Camp is an award-winning ecotourism lodge set on top of Kitirua hill just outside the southern boundary of the national park and surrounded by a luxuriant acacia grove which itself bustles with birdlife particularly in the mornings. Its altitude guarantees soul-searing views of the Amboseli plains and its wildlife as well as those of the resplendent Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru.

Accommodations consist of 1 family house and 17 rustic tents, each of which is elevated on a wooden deck and roofed with thatch and features a private en suite bathroom that consists of a pressured hot shower and flush toilet.

Tortilis' food – which is prepared from the owners' North Italian family recipes using herbs and vegetables grown in the camp's own kitchen garden – is part of its charm.

As Tortilis' guest, you can opt to view Amboseli's wildlife from the comfort of a luxury open-sided Land Rover or on foot; walking with a trained Maasai guide. To get a complete feel of an African safari, be sure to gaze at the picturesque pink sunset over the Kilimanjaro snow while sipping tantalizing sundowners and, to try out the camp's sumptuous bush breakfasts. Tortilis is yours for the taking if you just loooove being pampered.

Charges are US$ 450 per person per day full board during the low season and US$ 650 during the peak season.

Ol Tukai Lodge

Half of Ol Tukai's rooms face a watering hole where elephants, zebras and wildebeest roam and the other Mount Kilimanjaro. Therefore, you can check either of these attractions from your cottage window but remember to specify your preference when checking in.

Accommodation consists of 80 cozy rustic wooden cottages (2 of which are designed for disabled visitors) and well-thought out communal areas – a swimming pool, al fresco bars and restaurants as well as patios with fireplaces where colorful Maasai dancers perform most evenings.

Rated #1 of Amboseli's hotels on TripAdvisor's popularity index, charges as US$ 170 per person full board during the low season and US$ 260 during the high season.

Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge

This Serena lodge's service and ambience are in keeping with the standards we have come to expect from the Serena Hotels Group. It is located by the banks of a gently flowing spring which attracts herds of elephants as well as lions, buffaloes, cheetahs, giraffes, baboons, gazelles and wildebeests. It is set amidst an acacia grove and offers incredible views of the Kilimanjaro. Its 96 recently refurbished rooms are well-appointed with Maasai beadwork, hand-painted Amboseli flora and fauna murals and gourds while the gardens are perfectly manicured.

Guest Services and Amenities at one of the most famous Amboseli hotels include bush dinners (don't leave Africa without experiencing one of these!), sundowners at Observation Hill, private picnics, beauty and massage parlors, a well-stocked gift shop as well as forex facilities. Charges range from US$ 210 during the low season to US$ 385 during the high season.

Amboseli Porini Camp

Set in the midst of the Selenkay Conservancy just outside the northern boundary of the park on a 15,000 acre private game reserve, Porini offers a small and exclusive ecofriendly Amboseli safari.

Accommodation at the uniquest of the Amboseli hotels consists of 9 spacious en suite tents where they cater for a maximum of 18 guests at any one time. Porini offers an authentic feel of camping in the unspoilt African bush as there are no permanent structures such as swimming pools, bars and restaurants. Meals are taken under acacia trees and you will be serenaded by African sounds at the campfire every evening.

All transport is on open-sided 4WD custom-built Land Rovers and guests can go on a walkabout in the conservancy escorted by Maasai warriors. Sipping sundowners against the stunning backdrop of the Kilimanjaro and night game drives are all part of the Amboseli Porini safari experience. A 2-night road trip from Nairobi starts at US$ 500 person full board and is certainly worth every penny.

Amboseli Sopa Lodge

The Amboseli Sopa Lodge is set on 200 acres of private land just outside the eastern park gates. Accommodation consists of 18 deluxe rooms, 20 double rooms and 9 single rooms. Each of these spacious and tastefully decorated rooms has a private en suite bathroom and deck from which you can conquer - certainly visibly:-) - the snowcapped peaks of the Kilimanjaro.

It is one of the few Amboseli hotels that makes an effort to cater for the physically challenged with some of the rooms and all the common facilities being wheelchair-accessible.

The highlight of the communal areas is a rustic bar and dining that serves a combination of European, African and Asian cuisine. Remember to utilize the safety deposit box at the reception for your valuables such as passport, money and cards.

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