Reviews of Tawi Lodge

"After coming from the remote Elephant Pepper Camp to relatively busy Amboseli (many more vehicles, also self drivers) we needed a short time to realise that this is normal - not what we've had in Mara North. The camp is beautiful and has an artificial water hole with almost regularly visit of different animals including the big tuskers. It has much more guests than we were used to and it was also the only camp where we had to share "our" game drive vehicle with another guest - really a luxury problem and totally normal at normal times!

If you go Lewa to see Rhinos, if you go to the Mara to see cats you go to Amboseli to see big herds of Elephants and the real big tuskers!! Tawi Lodge is located in a conservancy close to Amboseli National Park and this area is loved by big old males with really long tusks. We were lucky to meet Craig, a 52 year old bull with the longest tusks in whole East Africa - wow !!!

Amboseli National Park is very dry and dusty but has also some lakes (lots of flamingos and other water dependent birds) and marsh land. Every late afternoon the Elephant herds leave the swamp, cross the roads and move to the area with trees and bushes - and next morning way back!!! Because Amboseli is national park and the drivers have to stay on the few roads predators are not easy to find or in some distance to the road.

In the Conservancy where the lodge is located we saw some nice Gerenuks we wouldn't have expected so far in the south!" See all these reviews: 16n in Kenya

"Tawi is the loveliest lodge - the rooms are attractive and spacious, food is tasty, varied and plentiful and the chefs were happy to accommodate our off menu requests (nothing outrageous, things like turning down pudding for fresh fruit), guiding is excellent and the setting is verdant and beautiful. Highspot of Tawi itself if the watering hole which attracted zebra, giraffe and particularly elephants: one day a group of 9 turned up in the morning and stayed all day frolicking in full view of the open dining room, the lawn and lounging areas, as well as our bathroom and verandah. The grounds are carefully landscaped, the swimming pool is flanked by lily ponds, and the discreet electric fences allow the larger animals to come almost within touching distance without being a danger.

Resident wildlife is charming - acacias full of weaver birds, little monkeys (you have to keep the tenting zipped as they are partial to expensive night cream), superb starlings and the mongeese which live under the lounge. The area around the lodge was very lush when we were there (January 2022) and as soon as you left Tawi you encountered elephants, zebra, gazelles - there was never any time spent driving around not spotting anything, and you can of course go off road as it's a private conservancy.

Once you get into the main reserve there are spectacular herds of elephants: the guides know when they are going from morning grazing to waterholes and back again so you can just wait in the road and watch them file past - dozens, hundreds in a single sighting, with Kilimanjaro in the background - extraordinary photos. The elephant families of Amboseli have been much studied and our guide recognised and named many individuals, understood family relationships and histories, and explained how to distinguish them, and the conservation issues. There is a copy of the study, "The Amboseli Elephants, a long-term perspective on a long-lived mammal", Moss et al, University of Chicago Press at the lodge and it is fascinating reading. There was so much else to see - flamingo lakes, baboons, ostrich, but really the elephants were outstanding.

One last point, the staff were all friendly, interesting, gentle and very charming - they really went out of their way to make our stay very happy. The manager, Alphonse, made a point of speaking to guests in the evening to check that the day had gone well - he leads an exceptional team." See all these reviews: 14n in Kenya

"Tawi is a wonderful lodge with an amazing views overlooking Kilimanjaro. The staff were extremely friendly and professional. Food very good and nice little swimming pool overlooking the bush where you can see giraffe drinking. Our guide Wilson was really excellent, particularly knowledgeable on birds (we saw thousands of flamingo and a flock of >100 guineafowl) and we really enjoyed our game drives with him.

The lodge is located just outside of the National Park, but a short 15 mins drive to the gate. It felt like the Kilitome conservancy is quite young, but that Tawi's presence in the area has the potential to really benefit conservation in the long run. When we stayed the whole area was waiting for rain, so it was very dry and dusty. We got the impression that there is normally more wildlife closer to the lodge at other times of year, but nevertheless is seemed particularly good for Gerenuk and Grant's gazelle. The rooms were amazingly spacious, and ours had a fantastic and very private view of Kilimanjaro.

I also have to mention the beautiful gardens and ponds surrounding the reception area which were full of birds and amazing tropcial flowers." See all these reviews: 15n in Kenya

"The setup at Tawi takes full advantage of amazing views of Mt Kilimanjaro when the clouds lift. We enjoyed a lovely rain shower our first afternoon there which cleared the air and put some snow on the peak.

We were somewhat lazy in our time here, doing one game drive in Amboseli, and taking a camel ride around the Kimana Conservancy. The garden at Tawi was so lovely that it was an inducement to sit beside the pool and just relax.

The food was delicious and inventive, with daily menus written on a blackboard. A lot of the food was grown at the lodge." See all these reviews: 12n in Kenya