Booking a lodge safari is easy! Anybody can do it. Just call/email the lodges in several different parks and it's done!

Or is it?

How do you know where the lodges are and how will you get from lodge to lodge?

Booking a lodge requires knowledge of:

Our maps will help you locate all the lodges. But placing you in the right lodge at the right time is best done by experts (whose opinions will differ but an educated guess is lot better than nothing).

We define lodges as accommodation with no canvas!

The lodge landscape in East Africa is dominated by several large chains. Serena and Sopa are probably the best known and certainly the most requested but there are plenty of other choices.

While we prefer the more intimidate safari experience of mobile camps and the classic experience of tented camps, there are plenty of people who enjoy staying in lodges. Pools, bright lights, stocked bars, sumptuous buffets, gift shops, hairdryers, bathtubs, internet, telephones, television and other conveniences are more important for some people and that's OK!

A great safari is not defined by the style of lodging!

A great safari is placing the right people in the right lodge/camp at the right time with the right guide!

We often mix lodge and tented/mobile camp safaris.

The Kiliwarriors are the creators of the most complete and accurate maps of the popular reserves and parks in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. We visited, marked and photographed most lodges in these countries and continue to update our lists.

To see the pictures and maps, please visit our companion web site go-safari.com

Large hotel chains are very popular with tour groups. They are comfortable and some are in excellent locations (Mara Serena for example).

Sopa and Serena (and others) are household names in the world of African safaris. It is little wonder that these are the most requested accommodations when we first talk to potential clients.

Be aware that lodges are often fully booked for many months of each year. From an operators' point of view it is hard to book rooms at Serena or Sopa due to block bookings by large international consolidators and safari companies. While rooms may clear about 60 days or so before each safari, (when operators must pay or lose rooms) it is a frustrating position for both outfitter and client. The client wants a confirmed booking and the outfitter knows that rooms are waitlisted and there is nothing that can be done!

Safari lodges run like well-oiled machines! Safari vehicles come and go and the staff has seen it all! Some clients arrived in foul moods, others arrive in great spirits and some just arrive - expressionless after many days on safari!

Many lodges have water and electricity conservation rules. Hot water is only available during certain hours and even electricity may be unavailable at times. Choosing lodges vs. tented camps because you enjoy long hot showers is not smart!

Walls are often thin and you may hear your neighbors during the night!

Some rooms are smaller and very few have air-conditioning. Ceiling fans may be available but some rooms can get really hot at night with no natural air-flow. You cannot always open the windows due to the lack of mosquito netting.

Some dining rooms are small and during meal hours there are long lines at first. The lines to the dining room normally clear out quick but other lines form continuously during buffet-style meals. The food is plenty and fine - much like a Las Vegas strip hotel buffet! Service is efficient but nothing special and always friendly. Your waiters serve hundreds of people in a week so forgive them for being a bit robotic.  Dinner shows are always appreciated by the guests. In reality these are tourist "productions"  and if you watch closely you'll see some dancers with cell phones in their pockets and so on!

Larger groups often dominate public areas of a lodge such as the bar, pool and lounge and singles (even couples) may feel isolated at times.

Despite being touristy, many lodges are in good animal-viewing locations. Examples of lodges in good locations that we like to use are: Mara Serena, Mara Keekorok, Ngorongoro  Sopa and Serena, Serengeti Sopa, Serengeti Wildlife Lodge, Lobo Lodge,  Tarangire Sopa, and so on.

Exclusive lodges such as Klein's Camp and Crater Lodge are much more expensive and these attract a different clientele. We often include these in our itineraries and our client appreciate the personal butler services, open vehicles and good guides!

If you are interested in a lodge safari, the Kiliwarriors will assist to ensure that the experience is right for you.