Selwo Lodge

Getting into the park before and after opening hours made it easy to take our time at each animal enclosure. The stay was a solid 9/10. Comfortable mattresses would have made it a 10/10.

We’d rate the experience a 9. There were five of us in Zulu, and the sofa bed hadn’t been prepared for use. One quick phone call sorted it out, though we were so tired that we fell asleep before checking whether it might be broken. Please check the sofa bed. Otherwise, really excellent, thank you. Also, this is Stephen.

The safari section was the real highlight. After walking around the huge zoo for 2-3 hours, you pass through several gates to reach it, then ride an open-back safari bus and see the animals up close. It takes an easy half day, and for most people it must be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Arriving at night and finding yourself alone in a mini jungle was amazing. It’s an unusual mix of zoo, camping and safari, all in one. We entered through the park and went to reception, then had to walk about halfway across the zoo to our unit. We stayed in a traditional Massai. It did the job, though it wasn’t very comfortable because the AC was tricky, and nobody mentioned that it didn’t come with internet. If you arrive after 7pm, security handles things. They had minimal English and even less information to give. Breakfast is fast-food oriented, and apart from the main restaurant there isn’t another option. For some reason, the pool doesn’t open until 3 pm, so you can’t use it on a one-night stay. The place is truly huge, which is surprising given that it’s in a city and surrounded by developments.

I thought the place was very poor. The hut was tiny and totally basic, and the rooms were outside it. There were loads of cigarette stubs outside, worrying when everything is made of wood. The walk up to the hut was very steep, I never saw the swimming pool, and the staff weren’t particularly friendly.