Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge

Good lodge, location, environment

Fabulous lodge! The waterhole really is the highlight here, we saw hyena, bull elephants, dik dik, giraffe and gazelle! Even though it was the start of the rainy season and there were other places for the animas to drink there was plenty that still come here. Food was excellent and plenty of selection. Rooms were really nice and clean. We stayed in rooms that overlooked the waterhole which I would definitely recommend the view was spectacular! This is the same view also at the long bar were we ate and had evening drinks. We were also lucky and got to see Kilamanjaro both days. Staff were great and nothing was too much trouble. We stayed for 2 nights.

Stayed here as part of a safari. WOW this place was amazing. Rooms were lovely, clean and great view. Staff helpful and friendly. Small hotel and small buffet compared to other hotels on safari but the food was lovely. The best part of staying here was the amazing view over the waterhole whilst eating dinner. We were very lucky that a herd of elephants were there whilst we were eating. We sat for hours just watching them and staff just left us to it. Next morning after early drove we were taken to a rock where breakfast had been set up. A glass of champagne on arrival before sitting down to a lovely cooked breakfast with magnificent views including Kilimanjaro! Fantastic memories

I first went to Kilaguni on November 15 2024. I was there for a short work visit but I was truly impressed by the incredible views on Kili as well as the immense wildlife that would visit the watering hole which was in clear view from the hotel's lobby as well as the deluxe rooms. I also got to meet Dorcas Muchemi the kind, eloquent and very helpful receptionist. She made the checking in and out process so easy and went out of her way to accommodate the many requests my colleagues and I had. Since then, I have been back to Kilaguni severally and it is always a joy. The food is great. The staff are even better. And the wildlife never disappoint. Dorcas Muchemi is the icing on the cake. I needed her help with a surprise I was planning for a colleague during my last visit. It was last minute and I could only text and have a very brief call. She organised everything seemlessly. We arrived at the hotel a bit late and Dorcas had already signed out and was going on leave for a couple of days. I didn't get to see her and say a big thank you to her. So this review is also meant to serve as my thank you note to Dorcas. Dorcas Muchemi: Thank you for being an overall great person to be around and for genuinely and wholehearted serving your guests. I travel ALOT and so I know how overwhelming your job can be yet you chose to be polite, patient and helpful. If you have ever wondered if what you do matters, let this note always remind you of how even the little things you do, make a huge difference in the lives of those you interact with. Thank you, from the bottom my heart for all you do and who you are. I know your future is bright and I can't wait to see you grow in your career.

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

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!!!

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.

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

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