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Kikuyu Lodge Hotel & Safaris – reviews, photos

Waiyaki Way | Rungiri / Magana, Nairobi, Kenya
Hotel amenities
Special offer
Family Holiday
Kikuyu Lodge Hotel & Safaris
Ranked #9 of 79 Nairobi B&B and Inns
4.5 of 5 stars 25 Reviews
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25 reviews from our community

    Trip type
Traveller rating
    14
    8
    3
    0
    0
Date Rating
NM
Reviewer
4 reviews 4 reviews
Reviews in 3 cities Reviews in 3 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“far, far away from the elephant orphanage.....and transportation is an issue”
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 1 January 2012

Trevor and staff are quite accommodating, and the lodge is very homey and welcoming, but prospective visitors need to understand that this place is far away from the center and even farther from the Sheldrick elephant orphanage, which was a particular problem for us.

As "adoptive parents" of several baby elephants we were afforded the opportunity to visit with our elephants from 5:00-6:00 pm on two separate occasions, in addition to seeing the daily feeding that occurs at 11:00 each day. We were quite enthusiastic about this until we got into our taxi and spent the next 60 minutes driving to the other side of a terribly congested Nairobi in order to get to the elephant orphanage. Our one hour evening visit therefore took three hours, with two hours spent in the taxi! For the 11:00 visit we left Kikyu Lodge at 10:00 am and actually got there a bit after 11:00--it had taken more than one hour and we missed part of the feeding. We consequently decided to forego our visit to the orphanage that evening, which was a shame, as visiting the elephant orphanage was really a high point of our time in Nairobi.

Visitors need to be aware that this is a problem, both from a time perspective and also from a financial standpoint. We stayed two nights at $100/night--very comfortable and wonderful meals, so no complaints there. But we spent an additional $210 on transportation in a mere 1 1/2 days: a full day taxi lease which included a trip to the elephant orphanage, the Nairobi Museum, and the Maasai Market (near the embassies) cost us $100. But to be picked up from downtown initially (in order to get to the lodge), the aforementioned evening trip to the elephant orphanage, and a ride to the airport at the end of our trip cost an additional $110! We were really not expecting that.

For our purposes, since we wanted to spend additional time at the elephant orphanage, I think we would have been better off staying closer to Karen. If you are interested in the elephant orphanage, as well as Giraffe Manor and the Blixen Museum, you might want to consider this as well, as Kikyu Lodge is an hour away from these sites.

  • Stayed December 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 3 of 5 stars Value
    • 1 of 5 stars Location
    • 3 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 4 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Trevor Kent, Owner at Kikuyu Lodge Hotel & Safaris, responded to this review
27 January 2012
I must say that I welcome all responses to our services both positive and negative. However I must apologise for the problems with taxi's over the Christmas period. Most Kenyans travel to their homes over this period and there is a shortage of experienced drivers. There is no need to go through Nairobi to reach Elephant Orphanage, Karen Blixen, etc. It should never take more than 30 minutes each way. Regarding the cost of Car and Driver Hire by the day I consider US$100 for 9 hours unlimited travel around Nairobi to be reasonable. Vehicles and Vehicle maintenance are very expensive in Kenya and fuel costs are high approaching 5.50US$ per US gallon. We do our best to minimise cost, it being better to hire by the day than pay by journey. It is unfortunate when people are disappointed and we endeavour to please.
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Sweden
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“an oasis to relax in”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 7 November 2011
2
people found this review helpful

We stayed (3 teachers and 13 students) for a night on our way back from the Masai Mara before flying out of Nairobi. Trevor was a great help in organising our stay and booking a bus to take our group to the airport at 4am. When we arrived after our journey Hanna had made a delicious meal for us and we were made to feel at home. Would definitely stay here again. Trevor is very quick in answering inquiries and has lots of local contacts to help you with other arrangements while in Kenya. And the garden out the back is lovely...

  • Stayed November 2011, travelled on business
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Location
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Trevor Kent, Owner at Kikuyu Lodge Hotel & Safaris, responded to this review
8 November 2011
It was a pleasure to deal with this group of student , the work and research such people do in Kenya is much appreciated and we are here to assist in any way. Being a small business with local knowledge means that we can offer special arrangements and it is nice that this is valued by our guests.
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Huddersfield, United Kingdom
Contributor
14 reviews 14 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
9 helpful votes 9 helpful votes
“Want a homely place to stay ... choose Kikuyu Lodge today!”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 4 November 2011

Both my husband and myself have just returned a wonderful week's holiday in Kenya!
It all began when we found the website for Kikuyu Lodge Hotel and realised they organised safari tours. So we made contact with the owner, Trevor Kent, and were SO impressed and grateful by his speedy detailed responses (I think I must have contacted him over 20 times in the run up to departure and he ever failed to respond with the necessary information ...a truely first class personalised service!!!). He organised our entire trip from our collection at Jomo Kenyatta airport, the local tour to places of interest around Nairobi with a driver, all the wonderful accommodation in the Maasai Mara and Lake Nakuru plus the safari tour bus with an amazing driver named Sammy (also highly recommended!) Both of the places Trevor arranged for us to stay, The Mara Sarova in the Maasai Mara and Flamingo Hill Tented Camp in Lake Nakuru, were first class! We consider ourselves extremely lucky to have found Kikuyu Lodge!
Staying at the lodge is like home away from home. We cannot rate it highly enough! We felt totally relaxed and welcome throughout our stay. The room was clean and spacious, the bed was comfortable and there was always plenty of hot water for showers. Each bedroom has a wooden carved animal outside its door, we were in giraffe room. I really liked this attention to detail!
Hannah, the housemaid, made a wonderful selection of meals ... breakfast often consisted of a selection of fresh fruits, cereal, a western cooked breakfast and plenty of tea/coffee. Lunch time sandwiches were always tasty and evening meals were delicious ... spicy fish and chips was a favourite! Nothing was ever a problem. I mentioned to Hannah my love of sweet potato and the next day she went out and bought me some to have for breakfast! She is SO lovely, always smiling and wanting to please her guests.
Trevor is great! He is an interesting man and we had many great conversations over dinner. He has lots of knowledge about the country and is willing to answer all your questions. Daniel, his son, was also on hand to help us throughout our stay. We want to thank them both for being so brilliant!
The downstairs living area at Kikuyu Lodge is cosy with sofas and a television plus many travel books and maps to browse. I enjoyed chilling in my tracksuit and slippers over a hot cup of coffee whilst my husband enjoyed a 'Tusker' beer. There are many traditional African artefacts around the house which are interesting to look at and determine their use.
The garden is lovely at Kikuyu Lodge and we sat outside soaking up the sun in the peaceful surroundings.
We have no hesitation in recommending Kikuyu Lodge Hotel ... A+++. We will always have fond memories of our time there! xxx

  • Stayed October 2011, travelled as a couple
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 4 of 5 stars Location
    • 4 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 4 of 5 stars Rooms
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Trevor Kent, Owner at Kikuyu Lodge Hotel & Safaris, responded to this review
8 November 2011
We are so happy to know that our guests enjoyed their special trip to Kenya. It is a pleasure to deal with appreciative people, this make it more than a job, visitors become friends. Your words of gratitude and recommendation mean a lot to our business, to future visitors and to us personally.
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West New York, New Jersey
1 review
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“Home away from home”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 5 July 2011
2
people found this review helpful

I really enjoyed my stay here, top notch meals (kudos to Hannah), great conversation (thanks Trevor), and a warm homey atmosphere. Safari excursions were perfect. Did I mention it was a great place. :)

  • Stayed April 2011, travelled solo
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask kaybee0825 about Kikuyu Lodge Hotel & Safaris
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Trevor Kent, Owner at Kikuyu Lodge Hotel & Safaris, responded to this review
7 July 2011
We really appreciate your comment it is great aid to promoting smaller businesses. The personal service we can offer, and advice for new travelers to Kenya. It is also good for our staff to feel their efforts have made customers happy and their future more secure.

Many thanks.

Trevor
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Cardiff, United Kingdom
2 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
2 helpful votes 2 helpful votes
“This is a terrific place to stay”
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 15 June 2011
2
people found this review helpful

A real sense of family here at the Lodge. Amazingly good food, extremely friendly and relaxed atmosphere. The staff always want to " go the extra mile" for you.
Bedrooms are large, very clean and spacious with modern bathroom and shower.

Room Tip: There all the same quality so no need to give adv.
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  • Stayed February 2011, travelled with friends
    • 5 of 5 stars Value
    • 5 of 5 stars Sleep Quality
    • 5 of 5 stars Cleanliness
    • 5 of 5 stars Service
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Ask graham_dent2 about Kikuyu Lodge Hotel & Safaris
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC
Trevor Kent, Owner at Kikuyu Lodge Hotel & Safaris, responded to this review
7 July 2011
We at Kikuyu Lodge Hotel genuinely enjoy the company of our guest, they are always doing something interesting, whether it be holiday making on safari or working. They bring interesting stories of their experiences and plans and it is a real pleasure to host them and assist in their needs whilst they are with us. We wish you well on your further travels and appreciate your time in sharing your experience with other travelers. Our business and the well being of future visitors is in the hands of those making genuine recommendations. Many thanks.
Best regards
Trevor
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Additional Information about Kikuyu Lodge Hotel & Safaris

Waiyaki Way | Rungiri / Magana, Nairobi, Kenya
Price range (per night):* INR2,779 - 5,558

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