AA Lodge Amboseli served as the accommodations for two nights at Amboseli National Park. It is located two miles (4 km) from the park’s Kimana Gate. Lamara Tourism selected this lodge as part of an all-inclusive eight-day visit to four national parks in Kenya. This post is the next chapter in the series about that African adventure.
The lodge occupies about 60 landscaped acres. In certain places Mount Kilimanjaro is visible through the trees. The hotel offers lodging in cottages and tents. I was booked in one of the cottages.
Arrival
Similar to AA Maasai Mara Lodge, the lobby, restaurant and bar are located in separate buildings at the front of the property and the cottages and tents are spread out over grounds in the rear. Check in was fast and easy because I was with a tour. There was no need to run a credit card, show ID, or talk about an upgrade. The clerk gave me a key, sated the times for breakfast and dinner, and I was on my way. After nine hours on the road, the efficiency was most appreciated.
The lobby has a gift shop that sells souvenirs, clothing and personal items that guests might need during their stay.
Outdoor walkways connect the check-in area to the cottages and tents. After check in, a porter accompanied me to my cottage.
There are directional signs on the paths. Still I managed to have difficulty finding my cottage at night a couple of times. And no alcohol was involved.
Cottage
My cottage had a porch and was about the size of a typical three-star hotel room. The porch was a good place to sit in the evening for a few minutes. Like Maasai Mara, mosquitos were not a problem here surprisingly.
The room was furnished with a king-sized bed with a mosquito net canopy, wardrobe with safe and slippers, reading table, sitting area and tea/coffee service.
The bathroom included (shower gel/shampoo/conditioner) amenities and a walk-in shower.
The only thing I didn’t like about the room was that you needed a key to get out.
Dining
The restaurant was very similar to the one at AA Maasai Mara Lodge. There were only a handful of guests — enough for the restaurant to offer a buffet. It was very convenient and there was no bill unless I ordered an alcoholic beverage.
The basic meals were satisfying and very similar to the fare at AA Maasai Mara Lodge. Having good food at the lodge was important because there were no alternatives.
Other Services and Facilities
AA Lodge Amboseli has a swimming pool, spa with massage services, and wifi in common areas. The drive from Nairobi takes about four hours, or a flight to Amboseli Airstrip takes 35 minutes.
Overall Impression
AA Lodge Amboseli’s location makes it a great base for safaris in Amboseli National Park. My cottage was comfortable and in line with my expectations for a moderately priced tour. One improvement I’d suggest is having wifi in the cottages.
The next part in this series will cover the safaris in Amboseli. Enjoy the weekend!
Shame about the key and wifi situation, glad the location is helpful for safaris 🙂 Glad you had a great stay, I enjoyed reading your review. Feel free to check out my hotel reviews too. Have a great day 🙂
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Thanks for visiting. I’ll take a look at your reviews.
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Very welcome and much appreciated 🙏:)
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I love the way colour is applied to the building in that top image.
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Thanks for sharing 👍 fair review
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Glad you visited and left a comment! 😊
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Your cottage looks so charming and the food in the dining lodge looks delicious! Glad to hear that you didn’t have any issues with the mosquitoes.
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I agree that it would be nice to have the wifi in the rooms. I don’t have an international data plan, so I like being able to disconnect during the day and check back in when I’m back at my hotel room.
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I had an international data plan but canceled during the pandemic. On second thought, being disconnected isn’t such a bad thing. 😉
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I like the look of your cottage (and that bed is HUGE)! I would have been pretty pleased to stay in a place like this – it fits the bill for a lodge somewhere deep in Africa 😉.
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The room fit its purpose nicely. It was comfortable without being unnecessarily luxurious.
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The whole place looks characterful and I love all the wood. The shot of the cabins set around the main path with its pruned hedges looks really appealing. When you mentioned the porch the first thing I thought of was mosquitoes, so what a bonus that they weren’t an issue.
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Mosquitos were not a problem. Maybe it was the time of year. Thanks for checking out the posts and commenting Leighton! Enjoy the rest of your weekend.
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I wouldn’t have expected such nice accommodations at a national park. The cottage looks great, the food looks wonderful and they even have a bar! Nice post, John!
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Some Kenyan safari lodges look like 5-star hotels. I was very comfortable at this lodge. Thanks for visiting and have a great day Kellye.
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The interior of the cottage looks like it does not belong with the exterior. Looks like a great place John. Have a great Saturday. Allan
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True. The furnishings don’t scream “safari” do they.😀 I trust you are having a wonderful and active weekend.
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looks basic but like a place that certainly does the job!
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My sentiments exactly!
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I love the building John and the all inclusive. I guess you’re not supposed to be on wifi but just hangin and enjoying the trip so maybe it’s a good thing?..
This is odd “The only thing I didn’t like about the room was that you needed a key to get out.” Why a key to get out?
The kids just got to Arusha Coffee Lodge in Tanzania with a honeymoon gift of African beads for her waist and a sweet funny letter I may have to post.
Great post.
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The cabins are the mode I’d personally take advantage of, too. They look modern and convenient.
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I liked the accommodations a lot more than a traditional hotel.
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I think that might have been the lodge we stayed . The food was great. We really loved being there on Safari .
Anita
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Sounds like you enjoyed Amboseli as much as I did. Thanks for visiting, Anita. John
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Wonderful expierence, amazing people, delicious food!
Thank’s for share, John.
Great weekend!
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Thanks much. You as well!
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You are welcome.
As well!
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