10 of the Best Amboseli Luxury Lodges & Camps

Amboseli National Park may not have the sheer number of lodges and tented camps when compared to, say, the Masai Mara National Reserve, but there are still numerous outstanding choices. Only three of the lodges and camps are inside the national park boundary. The remainder of the Amboseli lodges and camps lie outside the park’s eastern Kimana Gate or on the Maasai-run conservancies or group ranches that surround the reserve to the north and east. Each location has its benefits and all of the lodges and tented camps are excellent. Here is our pick of Amboseli’s luxury accommodation.

The accommodations below are not ranked in a specific quality order. 

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1. Ol Tukai Lodge

It’s impossible to be more central inside Amboseli National Park than you are at Ol Tukai. Probably the best of the two Amboseli lodges inside the park, Ol Tukai combines handsome rooms with expansive lawns and fine Kilimanjaro views. You’ll often find yourself swimming in the pool, or enjoying a meal on the open terrace, when an elephant wanders past or, if you’re really lucky, a cheetah streaks across the horizon on the hunt. By staying inside the park itself, you get to begin your game drive each morning while those staying outside the park are still waiting to enter.

123 Ol Tukai Tours

2. Amboseli Sopa Lodge

Some distance east of the national park, Amboseli Sopa Lodge is one of the longest-standing of the Amboseli lodges. The rooms are nicely spread out, and from the swimming pool and elsewhere you can see Mt Kilimanjaro away on the western horizon. Strong safari colors are a feature of the rooms and public spaces here, and the bar and restaurant are fine places to retreat to when the sun is beating down.

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3. Kibo Safari Camp

Just 2km/1.2mi east of the national park, Kibo is one of the better Amboseli camps in the area. These are some of the largest safari tents you’ll find anywhere, with tiled floors, animal-skin rugs and rustic wooden furnishings. As you walk around the pretty grounds, you’ll find yourself stopping often to take in the amazing views of Mt Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain. And it’s easy to relax in the swimming pool, bar or restaurant.

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4. Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge

Wonderfully positioned in the center of the park, Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge belongs in the classic, old-school class of Amboseli lodges in the very best sense. Large rooms with bold safari decor, a decent buffet restaurant, a good pool, a massage center, and nightly entertainment by local cultural groups all make for a terrific base. There are no Kilimanjaro views from the lodge, but there are animals everywhere almost as soon as you leave the lodge car park.

91 Amboseli Serena Tours

5. Elewana Tortilis Camp Amboseli

Tucked away in its very own corner of the national park, Elewana Tortilis Camp Amboseli is a brilliant choice and the only one of the Amboseli camps that is inside the park. There are jaw-dropping views of Mt Kilimanjaro from many places around camp, and the safari tents are large and supremely comfortable. Although canvas is all that separates you from passing elephants and roaring lions, you’re perfectly safe, and it allows you to be spellbound by the night sounds of Africa while lying in bed. Because you’re a long way from the two lodges that are inside the park, you get to enjoy a quieter start and end to your safari day, with quiet trails around the camp.

21 Elewana Tortilis Tours

6. Tawi Lodge

Beautiful Tawi Lodge makes a virtue of its location outside Amboseli National Park’s Kimana Gate. Unlike other Amboseli lodges in the area, Tawi has its own wildlife areas surrounding the lodge. While you’re at Tawi, you’ll sleep in large and lovely thatched-roof bungalows. Many have bathtubs, some have Mt Kilimanjaro views from their terraces, and the grounds include a fine restaurant, spa center and swimming pool. You’ll meet lots of Maasai while you’re here, too, thanks to the lodge’s strong ties with the local community.

Tawi Lodge Tours

7. Elerai Camp

Elerai Camp takes full advantage of its elevated position east of Amboseli National Park, with some of the best views in the area. Not only can you see Mt Kilimanjaro whenever the weather’s just right, but you’ll be able to look out across the plains of the Amboseli Basin that seem to go on forever. The safari tents have handcrafted wooden furnishings, and there are lodge rooms to choose from as well. When you’re not out exploring, why not cool down in the infinity swimming pool.

Elerai Tours

8. ol Donyo Lodge

On Mbirikani Group Ranch, ol Donyo Lodge is one of the best lodges anywhere in Kenya. Everything about this place, which is part of the Great Plains Conservation portfolio of uber-luxurious lodges and camps, is a temple to good taste and sustainability. Rooms are huge and come with incredible views (including of Mt Kilimanjaro). There’s a photographic hide right by a waterhole where elephants come to drink. Activities on offer include walking or horseback-riding safaris, time spent with the Maasai, as well as more traditional game drives.

ol Donyo Lodge Tours

9. Campi ya Kanzi

Spread out across the foothills of the Chyulu Hills (Ernest Hemingway’s ‘Green Hills of Africa’), Italian- and Maasai-run Campi ya Kanzi has superb safari tents, big Mt Kilimanjaro views, and one of the best kitchens in southeastern Kenya. You can, of course, go on game drives while you’re here, but so much of what they do revolves around fascinating conservation projects and deep ties to the local Maasai community. Walking safaris and village visits here are real highlights.

10. Porini Amboseli Camp

The only tented camp on the Maasai-run Selenkay Conservancy north of Amboseli National Park, Porini Amboseli Camp has a delightfully strong sense of isolation. You’ll really feel as though there’s nothing between you and the African wild. And on most of your safari trails, you won’t see another vehicle. With an early start, you can visit the national park from here, but elephants, giraffes and lions all inhabit the area around the camp. The chance to spend a little time with the local Maasai is also a feature of staying here.

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By Anthony Ham

AU

Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of the Lonely Planet guidebook to Kenya.

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