Amboseli Serena Lodge

This is definitely more like a hotel or resort and is less intimate than a safari lodge. The main area houses a curio shop and conference centre, and the comfy lounge and bar area opens up on to a veranda with a fire pit. Buffet breakfast and lunch and a set-menu dinner is served in the communal dining room, reached via a wooden bridge. There is a free-form pool and a sun deck in the centre of the grounds.

The views of Africa's highest mountain in the background is almost enough to make one look past the somewhat dated facilities. Not that guests will want for anything (except maybe air con instead of fans) - the 92 rooms are kitted out with large bed with an overhanging mosquito net, en-suite bathroom with bath and shower, and each has a private veranda. The decor is Masaai-inspired and not over the top. The rooms are either garden-facing or plains-facing; your request which you prefer.

Keep windows and doors closed when not in the room to avoid unwanted visits from mischievous monkeys.