We ended up being booked here by a travel agent when the lodges in Lake Nakuru National Park were all full up. We weren't sure what to expect, and were a bit put off by what seemed like a high price.

It turned out to be the favourite lodging place for all five of our traveling party during our recent trip in Kenya - adults and kids alike. The camp is small with only 10 cottages. But the level of service and quality of everything was far better than we saw in countless larger and more elaborate places.

The cottages are spread throughout the lovely grounds, each is a circular lava rock building, extremely tastefully (and simply) decorated. The beds were extremely comfortable with nice nets, ample blankets (it was a bit chilly at night during our visit), and made even better by the discovery of hot water bottles heating our beds when we returned from dinner. Each room included comfortable seating, a nice writing desk, nice wall decor, and a wardrobe for clothes storage. The ensuite baths were spacious and well-designed - the solar heated hot water took a few minutes to reach the shower, but after the wait it was ample and had great water pressure and made for a great shower. (I took one of the best showers of my life there, after a dusty day's drive, at dusk I lit the bathroom with the candle lanterns found in the rooms and indulged in a long hot shower by candlelight - perfect!) There is solar electric lighting in each cottage, but the plugs/mains don't work, so they are glad to recharge devices at the main building where they have a generator.

Each of the cottages also has a very nice patio seating area in front - one evening I relaxed out there before going to bed and listened to the sounds of a lion and jackals not far away as I enjoyed the beautiful African night sky.

The food was great. Each dinner offered a choice of 4 entrees - including 2 vegetarian choices at each meal. Our group could not stop gushing at how good everything was - a fantastic mushroom stroganoff, the best ratatouille and couscous I've ever had, an incredibly tender and tasty beef steak, finely flavoured lamb chops, a rich vegetarian lasagna, spectacular Andalusian vegetable soup, great desserts, etc. The eleven year old member of our party, an aspiring chef, enjoyed a personal tour of the kitchen from the chef David, making the food service even more memorable. Breakfast was a nice buffet with additional hot choices made to order. During the day we went on safari, they handpacked a nice lunch for us to enjoy en route.

The common area features an extremely comfortable sunken circular couch with a lovely fireplace in the centre (great for gathering around on chilly nights), a beautiful bar, a game area, and a number of seating areas scattered about. It was all elegant without pretension, classy and simple at the same time.

The staff were incredibly attentive and engaged - taking care of us without being intrusive, responding to any request, and full of advice and information when needed. When the tire on our 4WD developed a flat, they all pitched in to help jack up the car and fix it. One day, when returning from safari in the rain, we were met at the parking lot by a staff member with 5 umbrellas in hand. Joseph, the manager, was extremely accessible and a pleasure to talk with - full of great stories about the area, ready to answer any questions, and making the stay even more enjoyable.

There are doubtless fancier places to stay, but Mbweha puts together a perfect package of great facilities, top notch service, great food, and tasteful surroundings to offer an outstanding experience. I'm so glad we ended up there.

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The road to Mbweha isn't especially good -- from the turnoff on 104 at the pipeline, the road south at times is rocky, washed out, or smoothly paved at various points- all within 500 metres of any given spot. When rainy, the track from that road into the camp itself can be slippery and muddy. If you are driving yourself, make sure you've got a 4WD vehicle you trust for the trip. It isn't particularly well sign-posted on the main road, look for the sign that says "Elementitia 22km" and follow that south about 17 km until the turnoff for the camp.