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.

There are two game drives every day, as well as guided nature and bird-watching walks, bush breakfasts and dining, sundowners, and cultural tours to local villages. Guests are entertained at dinner by Masaai dance performances and a resident guitarist provides live music. For those needing to relax and unwind there is an on-site spa, and kiddies (and adults) can entertain themselves with a range of board games.