Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge

The first lodge ever to be built in a Kenyan National Park, Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge is superbly situated in the lee of Mount Kilimanjaro, encircled by volcanic splendour, adjacent to a teeming water hole and daily visited by vast herds of elephant, buffalo and plains game.

Although the original lodge was opened in 1962, the Serena Hotel Group only took over the management of Kilaguni Lodge in December 1999 and has spent the subsequent period in extensive renovation of the existing buildings to suitably eco-sensitive standards. The Serena Group is also committed to repairing much of the damage that was inflicted on the area around the hotel by the previous occupants.

Inspirationally positioned so that not only all the rooms but also the open-air restaurant, timbered game-viewing decks and rock-built bar enjoy uninterrupted views of the legendary snows of Kilimanjaro, the lodge also stands central to miles of lion-stalked grasslands, elephant-studded plains and wildlife-teeming bush and is ideally placed for visits to all the park's prime attractions. Faced in volcanic stone and utilising the natural rocky outcrops of a valley known as ‘the place of the young rhino', from which it takes its name, the lodge has been designed to blend chameleon-like into the savannah landscape.

Cool, tranquil and hushed for optimum game-viewing the open-air dining area, timbered decks and rock-hewn bar blend the traditional “khaki-and-canvas” look with bright-painted banners, sepia-hued paintings and evocative olive-wood carvings of elephant herds and tail-erect wart hogs.

The traditionally thatched, breeze-cooled dining room overlooks the Lodge's action-packed water hole where lumbering herds of elephant, roving buffalo and playful zebra collect to drink whilst the guest menu features a sensitive blend of ethnic cuisine, internationally-themed dishes and traditional safari favourites.

The Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge has 52 elegantly renovated rooms draw on a sun-gold, sky-blue and bush-green savannah colour palette and have been so styled to provide world-class luxury and a quintessential African aura. The Lodge also has 5 Suites featuring private verandas with views of eternity.

Bushdrums.com highly honors the committment of the Serena Group to an escalating eco-policy that embraces sensitivity to the interests of the local population in relation to such matters as: cultural preservation, sustainable habitat and community development. The group also abides by a code of responsible practice in relation to: energy conservation, waste recycling, sewage disposal, air emissions, pesticides, noise reduction and visual pollution.

In order to support the local community the Kilaguni Serena, local Maasai art and ethnic Taita handicrafts have been woven into the fabric of the interior design concept and 70% of the food is purchased from the surrounding community. Kilaguni Serena is also a member of "Friends of Tsavo," a lobby group that complements the conservation efforts undertaken by the Kenya Wildlife Service and works with them to improve park cleanliness and provide much-needed picnic sites and park signage.

Finally, all Serena Group properties are built to harmonise with the local landscape and to utilise eco-friendly materials, local handicrafts and products. Wherever possible they also aim to enhance the environment via landscaping and indigenous plant material reinforcement.