Sarova Lion Hill Overlooks the Flamingo-Crammed Lake Nakuru

Sarova Lion Hill Lodge is perched atop well, Lion Hill within Lake Nakuru National Park. The gardens are full of beautiful indigenous flowers and pathways wind through some landscaped areas and tall yellow-backed acacia trees.

The extensive grounds are surrounded by a electric perimeter fence that keeps the park's wild residents out so that guests can wander around freely.

Activities

• Bird Watching. With over 400 bird species recorded, Lake Nakuru National Park is an ornithologists' heaven. The park is home to mind-boggling numbers of flamingoes, pelicans, eagles, vultures and even the majestic secretary bird.

• Game drives. While the park is famous for its incredible birdlife, it is also inhabited by a generous number of Kenya animals.

  Besides lions and leopards, rhinos, giraffes, buffaloes, waterbucks, zebras and gazelles can be seen grazing or browsing in the park.

• Picnicking. The elevated Baboon Cliff, which offers stunning views over the lake is a fantastic picnic site. It's also a great place for taking panoramic photographs.

• Every night, Sarova Lion Hill offers traditional dancing performances on the Rift Valley Bar Terrace. In addition, there is live music in the restaurant during dinner.

• Children are well-catered for with special menus and an activity room stocked with board games, movies and a table tennis table. They can also enjoy outdoor activities such as archery, walking safaris and birdwatching with specially trained staff.

Accommodations

Guests to Sarova Lion Hill Lodge stay in chalet-style rooms dotted around the grounds. Accommodation consists of spacious standard rooms, suites and a honeymoon suite. The latter 2 room categories have separate lounges and sleeping areas.

Each of the rooms is equipped with an en suite bathroom and has hot and cold running water, mosquito nets and a private deck that overlooks Lake Nakuru.

Services and Amenities

• Buffet-style meals are serves in the Flamingo Restaurant. On the menu are local, European and Asian specialties along with an elaborate salad and dessert station. And, because most of these come from the camp's own vegetable garden, you can tuck in some more with the added assurance that the food is fresh.

• Lion Hill's swimming pool is a great place to cool off after a game drive. Alternatively, you could laze around the pool on a lounger.

• Tucked away in a tent near the swimming pool is the lodge's wellness spa where you will probably be torn between Aromatherapy or Swedish, Holistic or Indian massages.

• The gift shop is a great place to pick up souvenirs and all those little things you forgot to pack. The handcrafted leather goods that are decorated with beads are especially stylish and make excellent gifts or mementoes.

• The Rift Valley Bar is a wonderful place to enjoy some sundowners as you watch the sun setting. There's also a powerful telescope nearby that you can use to get some stunning close ups of the lake and its pretty inhabitants.

Customer Reviews

This section highlights what real travelers liked and disliked about the Sarova Lion Hill. On the whole, guests enjoyed staying there with over 85 percent of them giving it the thumbs up. What's more, 37 percent of the guests rated the camp as excellent or very good.

What Travelers Liked

Location. The rooms. Staff. The Food. Here is a sample of guest quotations...

"The lodge is located right within the park so going on game drives is hassle-free as you don't waste time with the gate formalities each time you want to view wildlife."

"Great location - only 10 minutes' drive to the lake"

"Spectacular views."

"Birds sing in the lodge's gardens which is a bonus for ornithologists."

"The variety and preparation of the food was excellent. And the ambience was memorable - the well-appointed dining area opens up to a lovely deck."

"The rooms are clean and have character and charm."

"Placing a hot water bottle in the bed during the turn down service to warm up the bed touched us as it showed that the staff cared."

"Nice refurbished bathrooms with well-pressurized warm water."

"The cultural shows are great fun and interactive too."

"The staff is warm and helpful."

What Travelers Disliked

Cold pool. Lights out. Again, here are some past guest verbatim reviews...

"The pathways are not well-lit so you may need a flashlight to get between the common areas and the rooms that are located farther away."

"Electricity is switched off in the wee hours so if you want to use the bathroom, you have to grope around."

"The pool was freezing."

Summary

Sarova Lion Hill is a great base to launch your morning and evening game drives into Lake Nakuru National Park for a day or 2.

You can expect some good food, wonderful rooms and friendly staff. And, the spectacular views over the flamingo-crammed Lake Nakuru that most of the rooms provide come as a welcome bonus to most guests.

Return from Sarova Lion Hill to the Lake Nakuru National Park

Return from Sarova Lion Hill to the Kenya Travel Packages Homepage