Name: Ol Donyo Lodge
Address: Mbirikani Maasai Group Ranch,Chyulu Hills National Park, Mbirikani, Mbirikani, Mbirikani, 00502, Kenya
Rating: 10

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Non-smoking rooms

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Conference Hall

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Amboseli Airport

Ol Donyo Lodge

Mbirikani

This was the highest rated lodge or camp we stayed at - out of 6. Sad that it was by far the worst. The good - Our safari guide Seki was excellent. Extremely knowledgeable with an uncanny eye for spotting any type of wildlife and an easy way of communicating information.  Jackson worked hard for us in the dining areas. The rooms are lovely. The blind (viewing area) by the watering hole was fabulous.
On the negative side - 1. There is no airflow in the rooms. It was not possible to cool the room down, even with three fans sucking outside air in and blowing it out a different direction, at 10pm. 2. The small window in the toilet area lacks a screen so things can come in. 3. There is an open space to the outside, in the bath area, that cannot be closed or covered over so there are always flying and crawling creatures in the room. 4. our room attendant was inadequate - refrigerator not restocked with water, even after asking, facial tissues not replaced, portions of the laundry not returned, etc. 5. The blind is a short walk from the main lodge. A lion killed a warthog along the path our first day and we were admonished to not walk the path alone. While at the blind the attendant told us he would walk others back to lodge then return. 35 minutes later neither he, nor anyone else, had come back to us. There is no phone, intercom, radio or buzzer to contact the lodge and there is no cell service. So we were abandoned. We were later told that policy was to not leave guests alone at the blind. Good policy for what it's worth. 6. And finally,on our last night, immediately before my wife's special birthday dinner, we were told that our room would be needed for new guests the following day so we would need to vacate the room by 8:00 in the morning. We were offered a day room which turned out to be a Guide's tent, not a guest room, at the far edge of the camp. And, though we would not leave the lodge until 2:00pm there were no activities available to us. Repeated negotiations were required which eventually led to our having an early morning drive then vacating the room after returning and having breakfast. This was a completely unacceptable demand made by Ol Donyo. One I haven't seen in 50y of travel and unbecoming of any destination worth staying at.

We had high hopes but the reality didn't match up

Ol Donyo was our first stop on our safari honeymoon and it couldn't have been more perfect. The lodge is beautiful with individual bungalows (including an optional sky bed on the roof!) and a spacious property. Our bungalow actually overlooked a waterhole and it was amazing to see the animals interacting right from our patio. The service was impeccable with an overabundance of expertly curated cuisine for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks. Jackson was an exemplary server looking after us for the duration of our stay. Our guide Jeremiah was with us all four days and his personality, wealth of knowledge, and overall demeanor was the highlight of our trip. We were so lucky to be paired with him to learn about the safari animals/local environment and culture. We'll genuinely miss the connections we made at this property and have already recommended it.

Perfect Start To Our Honeymoon

My wife and I had a great 3 nights at ol Donyo. The accommodations were the best that we experienced in Kenya, and the staff was extremely friendly and helpful. Would definitely recommend this property. This is not Massai Mara, so the animals are not crawling all over the place, but there are plentty lions, cheetahs, wildebeests, elephants, giraffes. 

Great Job ol Donyo

This is an absolutely stunning resort.  The rooms are incredibly spacious and gorgeously appointed.  The views are stunning and the watering holes make it awesome to just sit on your private deck and watch herds of different animals come in for a drink or swim.  An added bonus is the "underground" viewing perch where you can view the animals up close while being protected.  The food and service are exceptional. The trip to the Maasai village was a special treat and well worth the drive.

Fantastic!

Great place to experience a part of Kenya and also to relax and enjoy the facilities. Excellent people, very friendly and helpful. Meals were delicious, water was hot and abundant, beds comforting, and room spacious.

Kenya experience

Upon the arrival at ol donya lodge, my husband & I didn't have any expectations, im glad we didn't.  We are so overjoyed with our amazing stay at the lodge! From the warm welcome upon our arrival, to the delicious food that Kevin prepared which we are still craving even though we returned home, to the best ever massage received by Jackie and lastly, the professional, warm, kind, joyful interaction with the entire staff & management (we very much felt welcomed every minute of our stay). We built relationships & experienced unbelievable safari game drives that has given us memorable memories for a lifetime!

Greatness

Ol Donyo has moved up to #1 on my must return to list. The facilities are gorgeous, the service exemplary (thank you Sweet John and Benedict) and Jackson, our guide was one of the best we’ve experienced. My only disappointment was not being able to sleep under the stars. Rain showers , but maybe next time.
I must give a shout-out to African Travel Resources (ATR) for the excellent planning and packaging of our trip. This is not the first time you’ve cared for us and I trust we’ll be speaking with you again. I’ve been spreading the word about you. 

ol Donyo — a bit of Paradise I was very sorry to leave.

After staying at Ol Donyo Lodge in 2022, when we returned to East Africa in 2023, taking with us our son and his wife, we insisted that we must return to Ol Donyo, for our family but for ourselves as well, as it was the perfect place to finish up a month long expedition to be with the animals of Kenya.  We absolutely love this lodge, for the wonderful staff, the elegance of the accommodation, the great food and good bar,  but most of all the beauty of the landscape and the animals. This lodge gives you the sense of the history of wildlife care in this place and its association and care for and with the local Maasai people, many of whom you will meet on staff here.  Excellent guides, informed waiters, bartenders, the sheer pleasure of Ol Donyo is everywhere. We hope to go back in 2024.

A Lodge to Share with people you love.

My husband and I went to Africa for the very first time in February of 2023. I'd been planning and saving for this trip for 4 years (it ended up being 4 years because of COVID) My husband had never been anywhere outside the US, so I was very excited for him to travel outside his comfort zone!! 
We stayed at 2 Great Plains properties, and ended at Ol Donyo. Kenya, and it's proud people have filled my heart with love and gratitude for the rest of my life. My husband and I are not wealthy, or fancy, and the people at Ol Donyo made us feel like we were the most important people that ever stayed there!! Believe everything you read about James, driver/guide/friend/ teacher/ all around wonderful young man!! One day we had the privilege of being in the presence of 2 rare striped hyena pups, and he seemed just as excited as we were!! We sat there with these young gorgeous animals for over an hour, and since there's no other lodges in the area, we had these 2 playful pups all to ourselves!! There's so many people that took care of us, Joshua our waiter/ butler, that doesn't seem fair to call him that!! He too was so wonderful, and truly treated us like friends. Rita, who also took such great care of us, and was literally the NICEST person I think I've ever met!!! Jackie who runs the gift shop, and masseuse extraordinaire!! The food really was SOOO GOOD!! Lunches were my favorite. They were so good, and fresh!! A lot of Mediterranean inspired dishes ( being from Detroit, my favorite kind of food) garlicky dips, and pita, and lamb meat balls!!! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. 
The room, I think it was bigger than my house!! Huge open air living room with fireplace, we had a deluxe room, which had the open air living room, and I know there were smaller bungalows, which I believe didn't have the living room, but honestly, I have to imagine they are still spectacular. ALL the rooms have the private plunge pool!!! Which for a Midwestern girl in Africa in February, their Summer, was absolutely a life saver!!! It was so cool and refreshing, not to mention a source of water for the resident Vervet monkeys, blue starlings, baboons, and other beautiful birds. There were a few bugs, and geckos that made their way into our lovely palace, but it's the African bush, and  I thought it added to the excitement of being there. Our first day, there was a giant green praying mantis, just chilling on the desk. She was GORGEOUS!!! I just picked her up and put her back outside. I may never be able to go back to Ol Donyo, it is after all, pricey, but the memories, and pictures, and kindness you gave me and my husband, will be with us forever, and even though you may not remember us, we will remember you all forever.
Oh, one more thing!! I almost forgot, they also have a starbed they will set up for you on the roof of your room. A must do, for at least one night!!! I was awoken by lions roaring at 3am!! C'mon, that's the coolest thing ever!!

Be prepared to never want to leave!!!!

Wonderful and unique Safari experience. Location is amazingly mixing Savanna, bush and small hills where the lodge is standing which offers a great overlook on the water spot where all animals are regrouping.
Lodge is providing high level comfort within an authentic African atmosphere.
Service and staff was amazing, extremely kind and really attentive to small details that reinforces the sentiment of entertaining unique moments. Special mention to our guide Dan who offered us different experiences at every game drive and to Jackson who did take care of us so nicely during our stay, Food was of quality and offering a nice combination of local mixed with Indian style cuisine. All in  all a unique experience with great memories.

Ol Donyo Lodge

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