Samburu Serena Safari Lodge

(Sat Jul 10th, 2010, by Alphaxad)

Samburu Serena Safari Lodge

Set in a landscape of endless skies and palm-fringed rivers, this classically rustic lodge is renowned for the timeless beauty of its landscape and the serene tranquillity of its setting. Uncompromisingly rugged yet vividly beautiful Samburu, verdant Buffalo Springs, and the wildly volcanic Shaba (once the home of Joy Adamson of ‘Born Free' fame, and famous for its large prides of lions) reserves, all offer virtually guaranteed wildlife encounters, while elephant roam in large herds and are best seen crossing the river at dusk.

Samburu Serena Safari Lodge draws its inspiration from the brightly coloured geometric icons of the Samburu culture and features authentic masks, beadwork and spears. Located on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River, which is the lifeblood of this otherwise arid region, the rooms are accommodated in pretty timber cottages, each with its own veranda looking out over the river. As for game viewing, this area is renowned for its large elephant herds, plentiful big cats and unique inhabitants of the arid lands, such as reticulated giraffes, gerenuks and Grevy's zebras.

Getting there

The Samburu national reserves is 343 kilometres north of Nairobi.
By road: transfers by road from Nairobi take approximately 6 hours.
By air: there is an airstrip adjacent to the lodge and a ‘meet and greet' service is provided.

Facilities

• 62 rooms (inclusive of family rooms and suites: all non-smoking)
• Central dining room, internal and external bar
• Free form swimming pool and sundeck
• Gift shop and business centre
• 2 game drives daily with dedicated wilderness guides
• Guided nature walks or bird-watching walks
• Dinner in the bush, breakfast by the river
• Sundowners by the river
• African theme nights
• Spacious interior bar with exterior terrace
• Riverside sundowner area
• Visit to Samburu communities, opportunities to buy Samburu handicrafts
• Samburu dance performances and resident guitarist
• Satellite TV (in communal areas only)
• WiFi
• 24-hour on-call medical services
• Conference room
• Baby-sitting, family rooms, children's dining/menus
• Massages, facials, pedicures, manicures
• Board games and library of Africana books
• Special dietary needs catered for with advance notification
• Complete wedding planning service
• Honeymoon suite

Rooms and suites

Our luxury ensuite rooms are accommodated in charming timber cottages, each with its own blossomed veranda looking out over the river. Surrounded by shaded gardens, each tastefully-appointed room features a Samburu inspired décor, lavish all-encompassing mosquito-curtaining, bathroom (with walk-in shower), writing/vanity unit, and private veranda.

Standard room facilities
All our rooms offer:

• Ceiling fan
• Telephone and WiFi connectivity
• Drinks only room service
• Complimentary mineral water and toiletries.
• Bathrobe and slippers
• Valet, laundry, shoe-shine.
• Hair dryers and safes

We offer 8 family deluxe rooms, each with a king-sized double and a single bed (additional beds and cots can be provided). All our deluxe rooms offer large bathrooms with showers and baths; they are also interconnected, allowing us to custom tailor the accommodation of larger family groups.

What to do and see at Samburu Serena Safari Lodge

One of the most fascinating wildlife arenas in the world, the Samburu, shabaand Buffalo Springs Reserves are unique in that they offer you the chance to:

• Take 2 game drives daily (6.30 am and 4 pm), both in our custom-built open-sided six-person safari vehicles (professional guides, refreshments on-board, radio-links for fast location of game)
• See large herds of elephants, rare beisa oryx, Grevy's zebras, and gerenuks.
• Have ‘sun-downers' by the Ewaso Nyiro River
• Enjoy a unique ‘Samburu Bush Dinner' with campfire, hurricane lamps and a display of Samburu dance
• See a leopard at very close quarters as it comes for the meat that has been laid out for it in a tree just across the river from the bar.
• Watch enormous Nile crocodiles coming to be fed at our special feeding station just along the river.
• Take a camel trek along the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River, or take a guided nature walk - in the grounds or along the river.
• Learn more about Samburu's unique birdlife - professional ornithological tours - for amateurs or professionals
• Do some swimming or sun-bathing.
• Sample our Serena ‘Maisha Mind, Body and Spirit Spa' services; a massage, facial, manicure or more.