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Hello! Today's post is about our stay in Serena Mountain Lodge in Mount Kenya National Park.
Serena Mountain Lodge is located within Mount Kenya National Park about 193 kilometers from Nairobi and It took us about 3 hours to get there.
Mount Kenya (5,199 m) is Kenya's highest mountain, a national icon, a climbers' Mecca, the nation's namesake, a UNESCO Natural World Heritage site and a wildlife stronghold. One of the world's highest National Parks, it is also an extinct volcano some three and a half million years old and the sacred home of Ngai, God of the Kikuyu people.
It is second highest mountain in Africa (after Kilimanjaro) that is why we considered it to be a-must-destination in Kenya.
Map of Kenya
Serena Mountain Lodge is located at 2,134 metres above sea level, on the lower slopes of the mountain and is surrounded by dense rainforest. The lodge is cool, tranquil and hushed for optimum game-sightings. The open-air viewing-deck looks down on to its own water hole and salt-lick, which attracts numerous herds of elephant and buffalo. There is also a tunnel leading to a photo-hide, which offers spectacular viewing and photographic opportunities just metres away from the wildlife at the water hole.
Lodge and the water hole in front of it
Waterbulk
Pair of hamerkops
Monkeys
Couple of times during the day they have an optional 2-hour mountain hike, which is fantastic and highly recommended. You are taken in a small group with a couple of guides and an armed ranger to see all the plants and animals. If you happen to visit the Lodge during the rain season the forest will be even more steep and muddy, but it is definitely well worth it. They supply you with boots, rain coat (if there is any rain) and walking sticks.
Our guide was very knowledgeable and very entertaining.
They even layed on a treat in the forest. We were walking along to find porcelain tea cups and saucers on tree stumps! Amazing tea party in the middle of a forest served with biscuits and cake. That was a great touch!
Staying next to Fig Tree
After the walk we went to have our lunch. The food was the typical buffet with a touch of class added at dinner.
All snugly comfortable, cabin-styled rooms have a balcony overlooking the water hole - watch the monkeys though as they'll try anything to get in your room.
In the evening there is another attraction provided by the Lodge - seeing gennet cats coming for dinner just next to the viewing point where staff leave scraps of meat for them.
Gennet cats
After a long and exciting day we went to sleep. Early in the morning my husband woke up to picture the sunrise as usual. During the day it is difficult to see the peak of Mount Kenya because of the clouds, but it is clearly seen during early hours.
All in all it was a great journey, which I hope, one day will be repeated.
Mount Kenya view
Leaving the park
For those who decide to visit Serena Mountain Lodge and stay there here are my advices:
- From Nairobi, travel north-east on the A2 to Thika, Karatina and Nyeri. 13 km before Nyeri town; turn right with the A2 towards Kiganjo and Naro Moru. After 10 km, at Chaka shopping center the lodge sign posted to your right, turn here and follow the clearly marked signs for a further 27 km.
- Activities include guided walks through the forest, trout fishing in the clear mountain streams, trips to the high moorlands of the mountain, and 5-day luxury climbs of the mountain.
- It is important to bear in mind that this hotel is at a very high elevation and it became very cold in the evening, so take some warm clothes with you.
- You can actually sign to have the hotel staff awake you should any of the big five make an appearance in the middle of the night.
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Serena Mountain Lodge In Mount Kenya Park - Lodge Overview
Sailing like an ark amid the primeval forests of Kenya's highest mountain, Mount Kenya, this timbered tree hotel offers champagne-clear mountain air
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