There are many hidden gems in the heart of Africa, but there is something special about Amboseli National Park, Kenya. Many solo backpackers or groups visit Amboseli every year with the hope of watching the wilds in their natural habitats and safari experiences. If you are looking for Amboseli Hotels, and thinking about a perfect luxurious stay in budget, trust us you won’t regret booking it here.
Amboseli National Park is located in Loitoktok District, Rift Valley in Kenya, which is one of the most visited and beautiful wildlife reserves in East Africa, crowned by the magnificent Mount Kilimanjaro at the backdrop.
Kenya Safari of a Lifetime in Amboseli
We stayed in Kibo Safari Camp where we really had the best time staying for 2 nights. One weekend in the morning we woke up with the calls of wild birds and with a glimpse of Mt. Kilimanjaro from our tent. What a wonderful experience!
Elephants in Amboseli National Park with Mount Kilimanjaro in the background.
Location and Accessibility
Kibo Safari Camp is a luxurious 4-star tented camp lodge located 2km away from the Amboseli National Park (near Kimana Gate), overlooking the majestic Mount Kilimanjaro. It would take around 5 hours to reach from Nairobi depending on traffic. We started early by 5 am and reached by 10.15 am sharp; however, the roads were very comfortable. All you need to do is just turn on your Google Maps. That’s it!
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First Impressions and Check-In
Once we reached, we were provided with a wet towel and welcomed with a glass of tropical punch. While we waited in the lobby and finished our drink, in less than 5 minutes, we were allotted our room keys.
Accommodation
Kibo Safari Camp has a total of 73 tents with single, double & triple family occupancy surrounding a large acre. All the tents have individual kitchenettes, toilets (with toiletries), and showers. The rooms are pretty spacious and highly maintained; even the beds were very comfortable. They also offer 24*7 room service for anything you would need, which was really praiseworthy.
Tents at Kibo Safari Camp.
Dining Experience
We really liked the dining area and its décor. It was pretty spacious, overlooking Mt. Kilimanjaro, which you might witness during a bright sunny day. The chef was really great at his work. The foods were absolutely fantastic for every meal we had. The buffet had wide spreads comprising local & continental cuisine. We were really impressed with the great quality of food and services.
Also, on the opposite side of the dining, there is a bar lounge where you can definitely relax and unwind the day with some good music and wine.
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Entertainment and Activities
Later after dinner, we were entertained with local Masai dance and songs and their signature high jumps surrounding the bonfire.
During lunch, we met Mike who happens to be a Tour Operator and Wildlife specialist of sorts… He made for an interesting lunch companion, with dozens of stories to share! After a quick refreshing nap, we could almost hear the pool calling us by name! There, we met some lovely people: Joan, Samantha, Njoki and Tomiso who invited us to join them for a ball game! We broke into two teams, and had great fun nearly ‘wrestling’ for the ball! It was such a happy, carefree time, laughing and bonding with people we’d only just met.
The sunset though hidden, gave the sky a beautiful glow, and views of the peak Mount Kilimanjaro sneaked up behind a group of clouds… It was the perfect way to end the day. And though I’m not a huge cake fan, I thoroughly enjoyed the caramel cake for desert! There’s something really beautiful about the sounds (music) Maasais make, during their jumping performances… I can’t quite explain it, but I love it!
We ran into Patricia Wanjiru at the Swimming Pool. It felt like time had stopped, and we’d just stepped onto the set of an old Texan movie. So one of the guys, Tom, found a rickety tavern and someone bought a pack of cards… The lot of us stayed there playing cards and joking like old friends.
Amenities
- Free parking & internet (might be very slow)
- Swimming pool
Spontaneous Trip and New Friends
It started out on a cool Saturday morning, when we bundled up in a bus with 22 total strangers, all with one mission: travel and adventure! A second tour bus checked in shortly after us and our hosts then gave us a quick welcome brief, and run-through the itinerary for the weekend. Our tented room was a double, with a very earthy, safari-like feeling to it. Lunch was buffet, with a sweet spread of options.
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I’m glad we took the plunge into this Spontaneous trip, which led to meeting some amazing humans along the way. And a huge thanks to our gracious hosts at Kibo Safari Camp!
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tags: #Kenya
