Serena Mountain Lodge

The only ‘tree hotel’ ever to be built on the slopes of Kenya’s legendary Mount Kenya, Mountain Lodge offers a matchless game viewing opportunity whilst combining a glorious panorama of mountain vistas with the primordial splendours of an ancient rainforest.

Floating 2,195 m high on the flanks of Kenya’s highest mountain and secreted deep within her largest forest reserve, the lodge offers not only the champagne-clarity of mountain air, the tranquility of the forest and a colourful cavalcade of wildlife but also the chance of scaling the icy peaks of Africa’s second-highest mountain.

Guests can also awake to the trumpeting of elephant, fall asleep to the symphony of the African night or sit in stillness and observe the fascinating interplay of the animals as they arrive to drink, bathe, spar and forage around the water hole. Finally, they can venture down to the secret viewing hide by the water’s edge and experience the awesome thrill of being only meters away from some of the most massive beasts on earth.

The Lodge

Sailing like an ark above the rainforest’s waxy-green canopy, the first sight of Mountain Lodge sets the scene for the experience to come and provides a dramatic climax to the tantalizing approach up the lower slopes. A timbered drawbridge leads from a winding path in the depths of the rainforest, over a moat of sun-dappled jungle and up on to the wooden ‘decks’ of the forest-green, timbered lodge. Inside, the impression of having boarded a ship is perpetuated by a combination of log panelled walls, timbered game-viewing decks and winding stairs leading to a selection of snugly comfortable, cabin-styled rooms. Cool, tranquil and hushed for optimum game-sightings, the open-air viewing-deck looks down onto the endlessly shifting scenes of the wildlife theatre that troops and teems around the salt lick and waterhole below.

Come evening, the softly glowing lamps and warmly upholstered arm-chairs allow for optimum night-viewing whilst for those in search of a really close wildlife encounter, a special ‘hide’ has been built at the water hole’s edge delivering once-in-a-lifetime closeness to some of the world’s rarest animals.

Inside, the cosy welcoming bar centres on a glowing fire and has been tastefully decorated with traditional Kikuyu handicrafts and a series of sepia prints depicting the traditional Kikuyu way of life.

The brightly renovated rooms, meanwhile, feature thick-pile locally woven rugs and wall-hangings, whilst the décor has been designed to provide glowing warmth and fireside comfort against the evening chill of this unique tropical mountain environment.

Dining

The traditionally timbered dining room is surrounded by windows and has been built on stilts so as to seemingly float above the liana-strung forest whilst commanding enchanting views over this primeval environment. The menu has been planned to offer a blend of traditionally hearty safari favourites, spicy ethnic cuisine, crisp salads and internationally-themed dishes.

Unique features at Mountain Lodge include :

• The chance of a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ climb to the glacial glades and jade-green tarns of Mount Kenya’s mythical Lenana Peak
• Exploration of the forest and moorlands via a series of 4km trails that can be tailored to suit the fitness levels of the party
• ‘Sundowners’ on the hushed, timbered game-viewing deck overlooking the water hole where cavalcades of buffalo, elephant and other wildlife come to drink
• Exclusive trout fishing in the crystal streams and tarns of the mountain
• A lamp-lit, safari-dinner, ‘under canvas’ and high on the roof of the lodge
• Safari tea in a forest glade whilst following the winding paths of the Rainforest Nature Trail in the company of the resident naturalist
• 'Wildlife and Mountain Wilderness’ talks and slide-shows by the resident naturalist
• Kikuyu dancing and cultural displays
• Walking in the forest (accompanied by our resident naturalist)
• A 20-kilometre hike through the bamboo-covered slopes of Mount Kenya to 3,600m
• A five-day round-trip trek to Lenana Point, close to the summit of Mount Kenya
• Trout fishing in the crystal-clear mountain streams
• Game-spotting and wildlife observation by the water hole and salt lick
• Rooms with en-suite bathroom facilities

Price on enquiry.