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The essence of Africa Ol Tukai Lodge is one of the best spots in the world to watch elephant with the backdrop of Africa’s highest mountain, Mount Kilimanjaro. Writers have described Ol Tukai and the surrounding Amboseli National Park as a 'home for the Gods.’ Ol Tukai is an eco-rated lodge having excellent outdoor and indoor facilities with its unique collection of African art. The property receives overwhelming response from the international and local tourism market.
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Ol Tukai Lodge Amboseli strikes a chord with guests for its charming atmosphere and prime location, offering stunning views and close encounters with wildlife. The clean and comfortable rooms, coupled with commendable service from friendly staff, generally leave a positive impression, despite some remarks about outdated decor and occasional slow service.
While opinions on value are split, with the gift shop receiving both praise and criticism, the hotel's amenities, including the mosquito-netted rooms, swimming pool, and diverse dining options, are frequently lauded.
Location
Picturesque
Atmosphere
Charming
Rooms
Comfortable
Value
Mixed
Cleanliness
Spotless
Service
Friendly
Amenities
Well-appointed
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You live in a small house with one room and very high ceilings. The toilet and shower are in a separate room. The houses are very cute with a small terrace at the front. In the evening, someone comes and closes the mosquito net and sprays because of the mosquitoes. You should also sleep under this net! The shower is very dark because the light hangs above the toilet and the two are separated by a shower curtain. The staff are nice, the food in the restaurant is so-so. We have eaten better, especially when it comes to pastries at breakfast, we found the selection very limited and the bread/rolls are really forgettable. The view from the rooms is great because you can sometimes look straight into the distance and watch elephants, hippos, monkeys, etc. bathing and grazing. You can also see Kilimanjaro from some of the rooms. WiFi is available in the rooms and in the bar, but not in the restaurant. The prices for drinks are relatively cheap (large bottle of water, for example, €1.50).
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Date of stay: November 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
It's all about location and this hotel has it as it is located inside the park. The grounds are fenced so the most animals stay out. The exception are the vervet monkeys. There are lots of the on the grounds. They are looking for hand outs, but don't do it as the may carry disease. There are no door knobs on the door so to keep the door closed and the monkeys out, use the deadbolt lock. I had one look through the window one day. The bed was comfortable and equipped with mosquito netting. The room has a ceiling fan, but it was to the side of the mosquito netting of the bed. Some reported it to be not very effective. Bottomless bottled water was supplied with the room at no charge. It was recommended not to drink the water. Large shower, but mine had a cracked window. Plenty of hot water. Above average room condition. Buffet restaurant on site se only option. Wide selection, but it was labeled by one of the group as "survival food" and just ok. Tip: either bring your own knife or ask for a steak knife as the standard table knives were not effective. Ok, that also means the meats were tough. Which leads back to the "survival food" label. Choose wisely the food especially the desserts. Many good great but the gelatin ones could be used as super balls. Friendly staff, fully stocked bar and quiet location. Oh yes, there is an out door open fire ring and pool. In December, we did not encounter any mosquitos but this really depends on the weather.
It takes 20 minutes to get out to where the elephants cross the roads.
The parks opens at 6a and closes at 6p. No one can leave outside of there hours. For the elephant crossing the road, which are dirt and bumpy and dusty, expect numerous vehicles. We encountered a lion passing the elephants one day and that was really a great experience to hear the elephants trumpeting and surrounding the young ones. The lion was not interested in them, just passing by.
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Date of stay: December 2024Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:To see the elephants up close, this will attract lots of vehicles and clouds of dust. Come...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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We had an amazing stay here. The rooms are very well designed and spacious. Everything was very clean and the bed was very comfortable. The grounds are very well kept with unbelievable views of the plains beyond it and the amazing mount Kilimanjaro in the background. We loved sitting for pre-dinner drinks up in the balcony above the bar and round the fire pit after dinner. The food was good (not amazing) and there was enough variety for everyone's taste. Service was very good and Raphael, our waiter, was very efficient as well as friendly. There were a couple of birthdays on other tables and all the staff joined in to sing the "jambo" song and danced while taking a cake to their table. It added a bit of fun to the lovely atmosphere. The bar was very nice and the waiters and waitresses did a good job, even scaring the thieve monkeys away!! Check in and out was also very easy. All staff in the lodge seemed very friendly and efficient. A very well run hotel. If I would improve something would probably be the pressure of the shower was quite poor, and also two keys per bedroom would be helpful, as you so need it if someone is asleep in the bedroom and tge other one would like to go for a swim, or if someone would like to go to bed earlier than the other...
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Date of stay: February 2025Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Relatively large but very beautiful lodge in the middle of Amboseli park. Surrounding the lodge is an abandoned ghost village that was flooded years ago but has never been rebuilt/renovated. However, you will not notice or see anything of this in the 'green oasis'. The lobby, bar and restaurant look authentic and cozy. The staff are very friendly and hospitable. The view of the savannah with elephants and zebras is of course fantastic. In the garden there is a (small) swimming pool with approximately 20 sunbeds and you will encounter baboons everywhere. The rooms (houses) are spacious with comfortable beds and a bathroom with an excellent shower. Every evening the staff comes by to close the mosquito net around the bed, close the curtains and turn on the lights so that you can go straight into bed after dinner. The buffet food is above average with a lot of choice and variety. The prices for drinks are at European level. Coffee and tea are free by the way. During our visit there were large groups of Chinese, Americans and a handful of Europeans. I don't know how many lodges the park has, but I would book this one again without a doubt.
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Date of stay: August 2023Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My husband and I booked a trip to Africa for our anniversary with Shadows of Africa (amazing tour company!!) and Ol Tukai was one of our accommodations on our trip. This place is nothing short of incredible! Located right in Amboseli, the wildlife is truly abundant here, and you are surrounded by incredible animals! When you drive into the property you are sure to pass by elephants, and once on property there are countless baboons and vervet monkeys, and not to mention the property overlooks grassland with literally hundreds of zebra, wildebeest, gazelle, buffalo, elephants and other animals, and has an incredible view of Mount Kilimanjaro on top of all of that! (Weather permitting, of course!)
Our room was very clean, quiet and comfortable. The bed was covered with mosquito netting (as someone who is very prone to bites, this was a must!) and was very comfortable, and the bathroom and shower were very clean, had great hot water, and had a private window looking outside the back of the building. There was unlimited wifi as well, and for being in the middle of Amboseli it was pretty good! We honestly weren’t expecting internet at most of the places we stayed, since everywhere is so remote, so it was nice to be able to connect if needed. Each room had its own front facing balcony as well, with either an ‘elephant view’ (like our room) or a Kilimanjaro view. You must make sure to lock your doors to your room though, or one of the baboons or monkeys would definitely find its way inside!
The swimming pool was absolutely gorgeous and overlooked the park so you could see elephants and zebra and other animals while lounging at the pool (though it was a little bit cold to swim in!!). There was also a fire pit for when it got cooler at night, and a lounging area in the lobby.
All of the staff were extremely friendly, inviting and helpful; we had one server in the bar area, and I wish I remembered her name but she was absolutely lovely and always greeted us and brightened our day when we saw her! The bar area was gorgeous, with a circular bar and upstairs patio with a great view.
The food selection was excellent as well, with lots of different options to choose from, and there was also an ala carte menu available at the bar.
There was also a small gift shop on property with some really nice souvenirs available, and again the woman working there was so lovely and friendly.
I hope we are able to stay at Ol Tukai again, it’s not an understatement when I say it’s one of my favourite hotels I have ever stayed at, what a beautiful place!
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Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
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Service
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from E-marketing Oltukai, General Manager at Ol Tukai Lodge Amboseli
Responded 3 Oct 2024
Dear Guest, Thank you so much for taking your time to share your feedback on your stay at Ol Tukai. We are happy you gave us a chance to serve you on your special day. We are delighted to know that you enjoyed every minute with us right from the views to the staff and the whole property. We are pleased to know that we made your stay memorable and enjoyable. Thank you for choosing Ol Tukai and we hope to see you again. Thank you.
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good Indian food, excellent service, clean. did not get time to use the pool. Good range of food choices. Rooms were well lit - using natural light. On the last day elephants decided to grace us at breakfast. The toilets were clean, would have expected toiletries - toothpaste, toothbrush, shaving blade - I carried mine, but a friend needed it. Visiting Indians may find it odd that toilet paper was the only option! The shop for curios was very good and surprising well priced too.
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Date of stay: November 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Carry toiletries and for Indians, toilet paper is the only option, so be prepared for that.
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from E-marketing Oltukai, General Manager at Ol Tukai Lodge Amboseli
Responded 31 Dec 2024
Dear Guest, Thank you for sharing your review and for choosing Ol Tukai Lodge for your stay. We are happy to hear that you enjoyed indian food, excellent service and the natural ambiance of our rooms. The visit from the elephants at breakfast is truly a magical experience, and we are glad you got to witness it. We appreciate your feedback regarding toiletries and will take it into consideration as we work to enhance our guests' convenience. It's also wonderful to know that you found our shop well-stocked and reasonably priced. We hope to welcome you back for another enjoyable sty in the future.
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We have dreamed about Amboseli and its elephants very often, we discovered this beautiful park in September in the most beautiful way. Our agency had advised us Ol Tukai Lodge, Lodge inside the park near the marshes where we could see many elephants and this at any time of the day. Great!! The lodge is very nice and the rooms very decent but a bit old. The staff is extremely kind and always attentive to the customer. Many thanks to Suzan says "the snake" 😂🤣. If you are staying in this beautiful place, ask for a room on the elephant side, the Kilimanjaro does not show up very often!!!!!
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Automatically translated
Date of stay: September 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We are a family of four with two kids aged 9 and 7, and stayed at Ol Tukai Lodge during our safari trip. We absolutely loved the lodge and the staff was fantastic! This was the first stop on our safari and we didn’t have anything to compare it to, but we were very pleasantly surprised when we arrived. As soon as we walked outside the reception area, we were greeted by an amazing display of animals just across the fence. The entire stay we had elephants, zebra, wildebeest, gazelle and water buffalo just outside the property – close enough to take pictures with.
We had an adjoining room that worked perfectly for our family. We were close, but had separate spaces to put the kids down while we stayed up. Our cleaner, Lydia, was very sweet and remembered our kids’ names, saying “hi” to them, by name, each time she saw us. The rooms were always made up perfectly when we came back from our game drives.
The food was served buffet-style and there was always a great selection for all three meals. Our kids are typical, picky eaters, but found plenty that they enjoyed. The staff was always ready, remembering us and where we were sitting. The grounds were very peaceful and we enjoyed an after-dinner drink at the bar each night. We loved our stay and would absolutely love to go back!
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Date of stay: October 2024
Value
Rooms
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from E-marketing Oltukai, General Manager at Ol Tukai Lodge Amboseli
Responded 24 Oct 2024
Dear Guest, Thank you so much for your wonderful review. We are delighted that your family had such a memorable stay with us at Ol Tukai Lodge. Its heartwarming to know that the close encounter with wildlife and comfortable setup of the rooms made your experience special. Our team, especially Lydia , will be thrilled to hear that their efforts left a positive impression, especially with the kids. We are also glad that the buffet catered to your family's tastes and that you enjoyed the peaceful surrounding and the atmosphere at our bar. It was a pleasure hosting you, and we look forward to welcoming you and your family back in the future for another fantastic stay.
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We stayed in Chalet no 3 for 3 nights which had a great view to Mt. Kilimanjaro. It is a huge lodge with 80 chalet- style accommodation in the Amboseli National Park. All 3 meals ( drinks not included) & game drives were included in our package. All 3 meals are buffet style & self service with lots of food & desserts to choose from. Game drives are 6am in the morning & 4 pm in the afternoon. We saw lots of different animals often with Mt. Kilimanjaro in the background. Our game drive guide, Lemomo, was very knowledgeable & friendly. Our room was very spacious, clean & comfortable. Everyday we had Vervet monkeys wandering around our Chalet & sometimes they even looked into our room through our window, they were very curious ! Free Wifi in the room with good reception. All staff are friendly & pleasant. If you are an elephant lover, Amboseli is definitely the best place to see large herds of elephants.
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Date of stay: July 2024Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
My mother sister and I stayed here for what was only supposed to be one night. After trouble with the safari company we picked we extended our stay to 2 nights. There was originally no space at all. However after the manager Kevin went out of his way to help he found room for us. The food is absolutely excellent. The kitchen staff, waiters/waitresses are extremely happy and attentive. Raphael in particular was absolutely amazing. He was constantly clearing our plates , making us tea and always made sure we made it to watch the Masai dancing in time. Anne and Isaac were great at helping us with our heavy luggage too. The rooms are clean and exactly the right size. We loved the little monkeys running around everywhere too. We absolutely loved our stay here and if we come back to Kenya for safari this accomodation will be top of our list.
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Date of stay: March 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from E-marketing Oltukai, General Manager at Ol Tukai Lodge Amboseli
Responded 4 Apr 2024
Dear Guest, Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We are thrilled to know that you loved and enjoyed your stay with us. We appreciate your compliments towards every staff that you interacted with. It was a pleasure hosting you and we will be glad to host you again. Asante sana !
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Vancouver, British Columbia107 contributions1 helpful vote
If I remember right, the alcoholic drinks were about 700-1000 KSH (most less than 10 USD) on average (beers and cocktails) I think water might have been complimentary, and they served juice and coffee complimentary at breakfast, and coffee/tea in the afternoon was also complimentary. I am not sure about soft drinks!
For toiletries, they had small bottles in the room which I imagine is enough for three people, or they likely would provide extras if asked.
"Try to come early due to the park closes at night try to take your mind off from work and relax and enjoy yourself.try to spot some animal and write it on the sporting book.."
Green Valley, Arizona1,121 contribution103 helpful votes
"To see the elephants up close, this will attract lots of vehicles and clouds of dust. Come prepared.
Ask for a steak knife @ restaurant.
Lock the room door for the monkeys"
There are more places to choose from in the Amboseli National Park area.
PRICE RANGE
AU$511 - AU$821 (Based on Average Rates for a Standard Room)
ALSO KNOWN AS
ol tukai hotel amboseli national park
LOCATION
KenyaRift Valley ProvinceAmboseli Eco-systemAmboseli National Park
NUMBER OF ROOMS
80
Prices are provided by our partners for one room, with variable occupancy rules as provided by the property, and reflect total costs of the stay, including all taxes and fees known to our partners. Please see our partners for more details.
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