Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge

I stayed here in July for the first two nights of my Safari adventures and what a start! As soon as my jeep arrived at the front door, I was met with such a warm, friendly welcome, a towel to freshen up & a lovely cold drink. Very easy check in & then shown to my room with all the lodge’s amenities & meal times explained en route. My room was perhaps the furthest from Reception & that really didn’t matter as I strolled through lovely planted gardens & palm trees, occupied by lots of monkeys! My room was on the ground floor with views of the waterhole & I could just step off my terrace on to the garden in front. The room is well appointed with everything you’ll need & very comfy bed. A nice surprise was the turndown each evening. On my first visit to the restaurant I was impressed with being given a lovely table to the side of the open air veranda which as a solo traveler, meant a great deal so I wasn’t overwhelmed & overlooked by other parties & I could actually enjoy a great view of the garden & all the restaurant’s activities. I was given the same table for all my meals & was served by a lovely young lady for them all. The buffet offerings at all meals were very well presented & very tasty. Amboseli, by comparison, is a smaller park yet still huge but means the concentration of animals are spread out over shorter distances but still incredibly abundant so you won’t be disappointed. A wonderful stay & would definitely recommend here. Thanks to all the Team for making my stay so memorable.

Whilst the food is excellent, and most staff are extremely friendly and efficient, there are significant shortcomings. The rooms are in need of upgrading, or perhaps even rebuilding. Some of the staff were out of their depth - they needed further training in procedures and efficiency. Unfortunately most of the rooms have no views of the National Park and any wildlife that may be passing. The gardens and seating areas are really pleasant.

Amboseli was such an experience for us.The four of us had an astonishing moment with views of the beautiful savanna with elephants,zebras,giraffes,buffalos,lion family and cheetahs.We got to see the big four but missed the rhino,although we met them at Nakuru National Park.Penfam tours did such an amazing job in ensuring that we had the best safari ever.Smooth bookings and pick ups from our hotels with an interesting driver.We will definitely book again with Penfam Safaris

After a long flight and an equally long drive, we finally arrived at Amboseli National Park, and the beauty of the park instantly made it all worth it. The view of Mount Kilimanjaro was absolutely mesmerizing. On our way to the hotel, which is nestled right inside the forest, we were greeted by sightings of elephants, birds, and zebras—it felt like a magical introduction to Amboseli. Upon arriving at the hotel, we were warmly welcomed with a refreshing cool drink, and the check-in process was smooth and hassle-free. Our room, while on the smaller side, was very cozy. We had booked the base category rooms with a garden sit-out, and although space for the third bed was a bit limited, it was manageable. In any case, the room size didn't matter much as we spent most of our time out on game drives, soaking in the incredible scenery and wildlife. The bathrooms were clean and basic, meeting all our needs. What really surprised us was the food. The hotel served an impressive spread of Indian dishes, from vegetable curries and daal to freshly made rotis. There was even a live pasta station and a tempting selection of desserts! Fresh avocados were served on demand, and the salads were mind-blowing. One of the highlights of the hotel was its beautiful bar, which overlooks the forest. We were lucky enough to spot elephants right from the bar while enjoying our drinks—a surreal experience. Overall, Amboseli National Park was stunning, and we even witnessed an exciting lion chase during one of our drives. It was an unforgettable trip, and we’d highly recommend a stay here for anyone visiting Amboseli!

We saw a group of pink flamingos as we were leaving...just beautiful...on the way to the airstrip. Also saw our first young zebra (as displayed with brown stripes). Amboseli was a wonderful place to start our safari...saw first glimpses at several of the big 5! The hotel service was great...but the buffet meals were a little rushed and food was not amazing. Of course, we didn't come on safari as a foodie trip. We prefer the restaurants with menus and food cooked to order. So, here we ordered from the pasta table where they cooked the meat you wanted and the vegetables along with pasta and sauce to order. It worked.

Lovely stay in Amboseli. The lodge’s location was perfect and only 3 minutes into the game drives vs the usual hour or two to see game. The lodge is beautiful, the rooms are well furnished and bungalow style. Lovely property. The buffet style meals were delicious and primarily Indian and Southeast Asian cuisine. The staff was wonderful and the bar and patio is great to sit and watch the elephants and antelope in the park. The rooms were great and the fans were fine for August. Really the lodge’s location is the big sell and it was perfect. Also, there are lots of silk monkeys and lizards which give you just enough to remind you you’re in the bush but not too much to impose on you.