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Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge

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Traveler (1589)
Room & Suite (412)
Dining (143)
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About

#3 of 4 hotels in Tsavo National Park West
Location
4.9
Cleanliness
4.8
Service
4.7
Value
4.6
Travelers' Choice
A tranquil, hushed and cool refuge framed by Mount Kilimanjaro and the rolling, volcanic landscapes of the deep green Chyulu Hills, Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge in Tsavo West National Park immerses you in stunning beauty and exhilarating adventures while surrounding you with every modern comfort. Arriving guests are enchanted by our classic stone design and views of elephants, buffalo and other plains game drinking and cooling off in our water hole. One of the earliest national park lodges in Kenya, our Tsavo West hotel includes 56 guest rooms including five suites that feature remarkably large living areas, ranging from our Standard Rooms to deluxe Suites and the resplendent Kilaguni Suite. Greet the morning with a bush breakfast or sip traditional sundowner cocktails at Lion Rock. Relax on the garden sundeck by our swimming pool. Savour seasonal, locally sourced cuisine in the dining room overlooking the water hole. Unwind in a day bed at the stone-built bar, sipping a perfectly mixed drink while taking in marvellous views of the Chyulu Hills. Allow us to arrange for unforgettable safari experiences such as a private game drive into Tsavo West National Park with a dedicated guide, a soothing aromatic massage or an outing to see the hippos and aquatic life of Mzima Springs. Surrender to the wild, ancient allure of Tsavo West, the land of lions and lava, at Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free internet
Pool
Bar / lounge
Hiking
Walking tours
Kids pool
Conference facilities
Secured parking
Internet
Pool / beach towels
Outdoor pool
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Breakfast buffet
Complimentary welcome drink
Kid-friendly buffet
Kids' meals
Special diet menus
Meeting rooms
Massage
24-hour security
Baggage storage
Concierge
Currency exchange
Gift shop
Mosquito net
Non-smoking hotel
Outdoor furniture
Shops
24-hour front desk
Laundry service
Ironing service
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Room features
Desk
Housekeeping
Interconnected rooms available
Private balcony
Coffee / tea maker
Electric kettle
Bath / shower
Complimentary toiletries
Seating area
VIP room facilities
Wardrobe / closet
Bottled water
Wake-up service / alarm clock
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Room types
Landmark view
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Smoking rooms available
Good to know
HOTEL CLASS
3.0 of 5 stars
HOTEL STYLE
Romantic
Languages Spoken
English, Swahili

Location

Tsavo National Park West Kenya
Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge
5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles1,108 reviews
Reviews Summary
This summary was created by AI, based on recent reviews.
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Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge receives acclaim for its traditional, culturally rich atmosphere and welcoming staff, with travelers frequently commending its meticulous service. The lodge's location near a water hole allows for exceptional wildlife viewing, especially during the dry season, enhancing its scenic charm. While the spacious rooms offer picturesque views, some guests have mentioned issues with heat and insects. The cleanliness of the lodge is consistently praised. However, the value proposition is somewhat diminished by reports of costly extras and underwhelming food.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Traditional
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Expensive
Cleanliness
Meticulous
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Outstanding
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Adventure beyond imagination wrote a review Yesterday
Munich, Germany14739 contributions680 helpful votes
+1
Pro. - stunning view from room and restaurant area with waterhole nearby, elephants, zebras, giraffes… - outstanding service from reception, restaurant, housekeeping… - perfect location in the middle of the park - nice food buffets from breakfast to dinner - unique safari feeling
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Traveled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Mattdaviesuk wrote a review Mar 17
Salcombe, United Kingdom29 contributions10 helpful votes
Stunning location overlooking a large water hole out the back of the hotel. We didn’t see much wildlife unfortunately at the water hole due to it being wet and an abundance of water elsewhere, but can imagine in the dry season it would be amazing!!!
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Darren Obbard wrote a review Mar 17
7 contributions
+1
We loved Kilaguni Serena and would very happily return. We had seen some lukewarm reviews and had fairly modest expectations, but we were very pleasantly surprised by every aspect of our stay. The setting is absolutely stunning - at least when it's green! (we were there in February). There was a moment after lunch we could see Zebra, Elephant, Buffalo, Oryx, Eland, Impala, Waterbuck, Giraffe and Baboons in the same scene from the deck. On arrival, the check-in was super-fast and friendly and they let us grab a very late lunch before checking in. The room was clean, comfortable, well maintained, and had a nice view. The food was excellent (dining never felt crowded or busy, we always god a nice spot to sit), and the staff were all very friendly and helpful. For the price point, we thought the whole experience was great.
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Mats E wrote a review Mar 11
4 contributions
+1
After a few hours on the dirt roads of Tsavo West it was a delight to see this place. The atmosphere and the staff was incredible. I dont know if we were lucky but we got one of the cabins closest to the waterhole. The noise/sound from all the animals around us made us feel like we were in the middle of the savanna. Which in all fairness we were. Next time, Oh yes it will be a next time we are staying an extra night here. So worth it. Make sure that you dont miss the lava river, not the small one you drive thru but the vulcano it self. Long climb but a view to kill for.
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Date of stay: February 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Andrea F wrote a review Feb 2024
Dublin, Ireland8 contributions5 helpful votes
Fabulous hotel with spectacular views. Staff couldn’t do enough for us. Very comfortable rooms and bar and restaurant served lovely buffets. Don’t go on safari if you don’t want to deal with the odd bug or two. This is a beautiful hotel and we loved our stay
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Wylie Norwich wrote a review Feb 2024
United Kingdom121 contributions57 helpful votes
This is a large lodge in Tsavo West National Park. One of its main assets is the view from the main lodge and most rooms, which encompasses the water holes and views of the Chyulu Hills and if you are lucky Kilimanjaro. The front of the lodge is entirely open which enhances the experience. The rooms are mainly to the left of the lodge as you enter but there are some rooms to the right as well. On the left the rooms are on the ground floor or first floor. The rooms to the right I think are bit larger and are ground floor only. All rooms have a balcony so you can enjoy the view when back at your room. The waterhole is floodlit when it’s dark. We stayed a suite so I cannot comment on other rooms but I guess they have generally much the same type of facilities. We had a mini bar and tea and coffee which may not be present in all rooms. There is a bar which you can either order from or just take a seat in the viewing area and staff will come to you. At the time of our stay Tusker was on draft as well as in bottles. Breakfast is buffet style, with lunch and dinner soup is served at the table and then it is buffet style. Seating is allocated so groups will be sat together. With couples, in particular, staying for more than one night often have tables reserved for them. One possible drawback with group seating is someone might end up with their back to the view, however this may not be an issue for some. The breakfast times are enough to cater for most situations, e.g. early morning game drives, mid-morning departures. There are gardens you can walk around and a small swimming pool at the far left of the gardens as you face the lodge. What animals are seen and their number depends on the time of year or in the event of unseasonal rains, as in January 2024. The rain means there are other sources of water and animals do not need to come to the lodge water holes. This was most marked this time by only 2 elephants being seen and one of these just walked straight through. One person announced rather loudly to their group that the lodge was known as the “elephant hotel” and they would see loads of them, unfortunately it appeared that in their 1 night stay they saw none (although there were quite a in the nearby vicinity). This was in total contrast to our last stay in October 2022 with drought conditions and there was a almost constant turnaround of groups of elephants. That said the following were all seen from the lodge, Common Zebra, Impala, Giraffe, Giant Eland, Waterbuck, Buffalo, Dwarf Mongoose, Ostrich, Spotted Hyena, Jackal, Verreaux’s Eagle Owls. When I first came here in 1996 evening meals and post game drive drinks were generally very quite and some animals came really close, e.g. a leopard walking along the very front of the lodge and lion drinking from the swimming pool. Now, unfortunately, noise levels are much higher and it appears from my observations over 6 nights were in 2022 and 2024, for quite a few the attention to meals is more important than attention to the water hole and what’s happening. Speaking with the staff the lodge does cater a lot for one night stays for those taking 3 night safaris out of the Mombasa cost areas (Tsavo east, west and Amboseli). Nothing wrong at all with this, we stayed a week near Mombasa and took a 1 night trip to Ziwani Tented Camp. But the safari enthusiasm appears rather less than in the past and more about mobile phones and updating social media. The staff we found to be helpful and friendly. Apart from perhaps the noise issue I was perfectly happy with our stay and would certainly return again.
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Date of stay: January 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Trevor W wrote a review Feb 2024
Taunton, United Kingdom13 contributions2 helpful votes
A true oasis for humans and animals. Great food, great staff, great food, amazing location overlooking waterhole inside park. All rooms (I think) overlook the waterhole where we saw elephants, hyenas, zebra, buffalo during the one day we stayed.
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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S.Y wrote a review Feb 2024
10 contributions1 helpful vote
This was the first stop of our two week safari and what a great place to begin! I found it to be a great way to ease into our safari before jumping straight into tented accommodations. We were greeted with welcome drinks and a brief orientation of the lodge before being sat down for lunch and then assisted to our rooms. The room itself was incredibly spacious! We had a wonderful balcony with a view of the watering hole. Large counter space with reliable hot water. Food was buffet style with servers coming to offer bread and drinks. The dining area had a wonderful view of the watering hole and seemed to be the star of the lodge. You could probably spend the whole day sitting at the bar watching for animals coming and going. Dinner is enjoyed in a candlelit fashion and we were well advised to wear thicker socks for mosquito prevention :)
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Date of stay: January 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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MauroGiorgi wrote a review Feb 2024
Brescia, Italy1194 contributions87 helpful votes
+1
This safari resort was the third one my girlfriend and I stayed at during our 4 day safari. It has an african charm and the people were very kind. The room was clean with a deck on the back and mosquito screens around the bed, like all of the other rooms we were in during our stay in Kenya. We loved the view from the balcony they had where you have dinner and lunch. It's a watering hole where you have the chance to see many animals such as elephants, giraffes, gazelles and so on. On a rare occasion, you may even get to see a leopard, however unfortunately we did not have this privalege.
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Date of stay: January 2024
Value
Location
Service
Trip type: Traveled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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jenniferstodt wrote a review Feb 2024
Vancouver, British Columbia5 contributions3 helpful votes
Exceptional property with watering hole and animals right in front of the restaurant! The rooms have no screens on the doors and no windows and no air conditioning which makes sleeping very very hot!! There are several bugs at night so this is a major oversight. and the pool is old and needs an update
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Date of stay: February 2024Trip type: Traveled solo
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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PRICE RANGE
$249 - $315 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
kilaguni serena safari hotel tsavo national park west, hotel kilaguni serena safari
LOCATION
KenyaCoast ProvinceTsavo National Park West
NUMBER OF ROOMS
56
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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KILAGUNI SERENA SAFARI LODGE $186 ($̶2̶4̶2̶) - Updated 2024 Prices & Hotel Reviews - Kenya/Tsavo National Park West

Frequently Asked Questions about Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge
What are some of the property amenities at Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include a pool, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
Which room amenities are available at Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge?
Top room amenities include a desk, a view of a nearby landmark, and a mosquito net.
What food & drink options are available at Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge?
Guests can enjoy an on-site restaurant, a lounge, and breakfast during their stay.
Is parking available at Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge?
Yes, free parking and secured parking are available to guests.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge offer any business services?
Yes, guests have access to meeting rooms and conference facilities during their stay.
Which languages are spoken by the staff at Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge?
The staff speaks multiple languages, including English and Swahili.
Does Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge have any great views?
Yes, guests often enjoy the mountain view available here.
Is Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access. For specific inquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.