Amboseli Sopa Lodge is set in 200 acres of private land. This comes with a rustic charm all of its own. The lodge nestles in the foothills of Mount Kilimanjaro. It is Africa’s highest and most famous snowcapped mountain. It was this region of Kenya that, in the 1930’s, inspired Ernest Hemingway’s writings. They are ‘The Snows of Kilimanjaro’ and ‘The Short, Happy Life of Francis Macomber’.  Amboseli National Park is an easy twenty minute drive away from the lodge.

Amboseli Sopa Lodge Features

Amboseli Sopa Lodge is set within mature wooded gardens. There is a wide variety of trees and plants here. They include thorn trees, Acacias, fragrant Frangipanis and colorful bougainvillea. You will also find the giant cacti that thrive in these surroundings. The gardens are also home to numerous species of birds. There are monkeys, mongooses, squirrels and duikers here. Occasional gazelles and the elusive leopard do visit once in a while.

Reception

The reception area is designed around the curves of a traditional Maasai house. The walls are decorated with Maasai beaded necklaces and tribally themed murals.

Lobby

The lobby at Amboseli Sopa Lodge is open, spacious and airy. It has a high ceiling with elevated and painted glass. This forms an atrium above an indoor garden. Both round and tubular calabashes form the suspended chandeliers. The above walls are decorated with a Maasai theme. The lobby is comfortable and colorfully cushioned. It comes with rough timber furniture above bright. The lobby is furnished with locally woven carpets to complete the décor.

Attached to this area is a colorful and vibrant a handicraft market.  Here traditional beadwork and woodcarvings are manufactured. These are sometimes to the designs requested by the guests. Beyond this is a well stocked boutique. It has a wide variety of souvenirs and books. You can find safari clothing, T-shirts and toiletry items.

Leading away from the lobby is a bridge. This goes over the large, split-level fishpond. It leads to the Kibo restaurant and the Mawenzi bar.

Accommodation at Amboseli Sopa Lodge

Amboseli Sopa Lodge accommodation comes in rustic, well spaced cottages. They meander through the vast expanse of the mature gardens. Amboseli Sopa Lodge has eighty three guest rooms. These are all brightly decorated with Maasai themed wall murals. Each room has been built to have either one or two queen sized beds. Each of the room comes with a well placed veranda. Amboseli Sopa Lodge has a two bedroom Presidential suite. This comes with a private dining room. There is an attached kitchenette and a huge lounge. This suite has a quite simply vast veranda. There are 40 rooms with 2 queen size beds. 6 of this have interconnecting doors. They are ideal for those on Africa safari with children in Kenya. 24 of these rooms can be turned to triples on request. 21 rooms at Amboseli Sopa Lodge have one king size bed. 2 of these rooms are suitable for those on Disables safari in Kenya. 1 of the rooms is a honeymoon suite. 22 rooms at Amboseli Sopa Lodge have one queen size bed. 6 of the rooms have interconnecting doors ideal for those on African family safari in Kenya.

Amboseli Sopa Lodge Dining Experience

The Mawenzi Bar is divided into two. This is by a massive central fire place. There is also a freeform wall with subtly concealed lighting. The inner section has suspended wrought iron, shaded chandeliers. It has beautiful furnishings made of authentic African driftwood. The walls are decorated with a multitude of Maasai handicrafts and artifacts.

The outer section is surrounded by a semicircle of glass walling. This allows guests to look out over the gardens and Mount Kilimanjaro beyond. It is furnished with comfortably cushioned, woven hyacinth sofas and chairs. At the centre of this area is an ornamental tree with a table and high bar stools. The long, freeform bar counter is lined with high wrought iron bar stools. It has a timber top and a multicolored timber fascia below it. There is a recessed, back-lit wine and spirits display shelves. This provides an extremely warm atmosphere.

Hemingway’s Bar is perched on top of massive boulders. This is at the highest point of the property. It offers uninterrupted 360ᴼ views of the surrounding landscapes. It is the perfect place for an evening sundowner. It is dedicated to the memory of Ernest Hemingway. The bar is furnished and decorated in period style. Photographs of Hemingway adorn the walls, as do posters of the films. Steps lead down from the bar to a grotto with a sand floor. It is from here that you can get a closer view of the spotted and striped hyenas. There are also the white tailed mongooses and the Genet cats. They often come to feast on the meat put for them every night.

The Pool Bar is set in a brightly colored, rodavel-style building. This is adjacent to the swimming pool’s deep end. There is a central decorated pillar that supports the conical thatched roof. High tables and chairs fill the floor area beside the bar counters.

Kibo Restaurant is named after the tallest peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro. It is a round structure with a thatched palm frond roof. This follows the design of traditional African huts. The glass windows and doors face the mountain. The floor is made of a mixture of multicolored marble shards and clay tiles. The side of the mantle of the circular central fire place has wood carvings of wild life. There are evenly spaced carved wooden panels that line the walls. The chandeliers have been made with small traditional African drums as light shades.

The restaurant has a small but attractive recessed bar. There an outdoor terrace from where views of Kilimanjaro are quite simply majestic. Beyond this is a camp fire used for sundowners and after dinner drinks. To one side of this there is a large, freeform fishpond.

The Mawenzi Terrace is an outdoor dining area. It is set beside the Mawenzi Bar. This is named after Kilimanjaro’s second highest peak. The terrace is shaded by an enormous Acacia tree. The branches of the tree also spread out over the buffet table.