New Year, New things, right?
Do you have a new resolution? Does that include travel? New experiences? Well, last year we took a road trip to Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge and we promised to tell you just how much fun we had with a self drive and what we did at the lodge.
If you love the outdoors, you will love the experience. If you love chilling, having a swim and enjoying a cocktail, this is definitely a plan for you!
Let me share how our second day went.
The Nature Walk
Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge has an in house naturalist who knows the park inside out. From the birds on the trees, the animals that roam around to the community that resides in the park. You will get to learn so much about the environment and get to appreciate how the locals co-exist with wildlife in Amboseli.
The nature walk starts at about 10.00am and lasts for an hour. We got to pass by a herd of elephants, buffaloes, some Zebras and antelopes. Of course, i was worried the whole time, but our guide assured us just how we were.
Fun fact: At night, animals move closer to the community area, as there are a lot of trees and vegetation that protects them from the strong winds, then move back to their area at the break of day. How did they come to this agreement? hmmmh!
Maasai Village
When you travel, do you take time to learn the culture of the community that lives around you? Well, we decided to visit the Maasai village, just a kilometer away from us. The Maasai community have lived in Amboseli for a very long time. On the other side of Mt. Kilimanjaro, we have the Maasai community who live in Tanzania. Now, if you know this community, you will know that they are one of the few communities that still abide by their culture up to this date.
Now, don’t get me wrong, they have found ways to incorporate abit of the modern world into their lives, but you will be glad to know that they still abide by their customs.
So first, we got to learn how to make fire from two sticks. We then got to get inside one of the manyattas and we learned about different rites of passage, their way of life and how they interact with the wildlife in the park.
You will be happy to know that this was one of the communities who have rejected FGM and they actually take their girls to school. Yaay!
Finally, we got to buy some jewelery made by the women as a way to earn a living.
Fun fact: A Maasai can marry as many wives as he can. The price of one wife is 15 cows. Oh, same wife is the one who builds their home with her own hands. Not so fun fact now, is it?
After this, we went back to the hotel for lunch and the afternoon swim as we awaited the evening game drive.
Here comes the Game Drive
The great thing about a self drive, you can just jump in and drive around the park, of course with the help of a guide. It had rained so much the previous day, and since we were not familiar with the route, we decided to hop onto the Serena Lodges van.
I loved this van.It has a cooler for your soft drinks, pockets to hold your water and the best thing? Sockets to charge your gadgets. We had a very good driver and guide. We got to see more elephants, some buffaloes and then, right there on our path, we saw two lionesses taking a stroll. What a view!
Then we did the Sundowner drinks
The Kenya Wildlife Service has built an observational point, at the top of a hill, where you can chill, watch the sun set over Mt Kilimanjaro and enjoy the scenery. You will be lucky to share this space with some Zebras and gazelles. It was such a beautiful scene, the great breeze and the best sunset we had experienced in a while.
You will love this sundowner. Just 30 minutes up the hill, a great moment to share with friends.
After a whole day outdoors, we then left for the hotel to freshen up before the bush dinner.
Finally, the Bush dinner
Now, if you get a chance to come here, one thing you should definitely try is the bush dinner. It’s a dinner set up in the bush, with a whole 5 star experience. The chefs set up a whole mobile kitchen, BBQ grills where all types of meat are grilled. The chefs and the waiters go above and beyond what you would expect from a temporary restaurant setting.
In the background, you can hear animals playing. The locals come down to entertain you as you eat one a sumptuous meal. Guests also get to know a little bit about the Maasai culture, for those who did not make it to go to the village.
The experience of the bush dinner is something you will not want to forget for a very long time. Get a good camera that can get amazing photos at night.
What you can also do
If you have another day at the lodge, you can choose to chill. The weather is great so you can take a swim. You can also chill by the restaurant sipping some cocktails as you watch animals run by. If you get lucky and get a room facing Mt. Kilimanjaro, you can sit on the verandah of your room, and watch the mountain, with some monkeys keeping you company as well.
For me, i would recommend that you take a road trip to Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge and get to experience amazing hospitality, scenic views, great food and an overall mind blowing experience, one that will forever be memorable.
Let’s travel!
