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Amboseli Sopa Lodge has mature wooded gardens with a variety of trees and plants, from thorn trees and acacias, to fragrant frangipanis, colorful bougainvillea and giant cactus plants thrive in these surroundings. Different species of birds build their nests while monkeys with babies clinging under their bellies and squirrels dart through the gardens.
Amboseli Sopa Lodge reception desk is designed like the entrance into a Masai hut, and the wall behind is painted in bold brown strokes, and decorated with silver spear heads, and Masai beaded necklaces. The lobby is open, spacious and airy. It has a high ceiling, with glass painted with colorful Masai paraphernalia sketches, and the bottom of this are beautiful green plants.
Amboseli Sopa Lodge light fixtures are long and round calabashes, cleverly put together giving a warm lighting effect in the evenings. On one side of the wall are long, thin wrought iron Masai figures. To carry on the theme, silver spear heads are hanging from the roof. Large comfortable seats complete the décor.
Amboseli Sopa Lodge has a Masai market, which is owned by the local community, and the proceeds help run their community located near the lobby. Besides the market, is a well stocked boutique (gift) shop stocked with varieties of African souvenirs. A walkway over a fish pond, from the lobby, extending from the lobby, leads to the Kibo restaurant and Mawenzi bar.
Accommodation
The pathways leading to the rooms, are sheltered with beautiful plants and trees.
The rooms are constructed as individual huts, and they are all spacious, with en-suite bathrooms, and verandah.
The same building materials are used for all, but in different combinations.
The interior is painted with cream walls and a contrasting ochre colour. Local materials like sisal, driftwood, Masai blanket fabric, canvas, wrought iron, are all used for furnishings, maintaining the African theme.
Light fixtures include hurricane like lamps as bedside lamps.
The Amboseli Sopa Lodge honeymoon suite is perched up in a very strategic location. This is a large and spacious room with beautiful drift wood furniture, including the king size bed. An ornamental fireplace separates the bedroom and the lounge which faces the mountain. A spacious verandah surrounds the suite, ideal for lounging early morning and evening, when the mountain can best be seen in its glory. It also has a kitchenette and one is accorded total privacy.
Ammenities & Services
Kibo restaurant named after the tallest peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro, is a round structure with a thatched papyrus covered roof and an exterior giving it a feel of an African hut, with the exterior walls plastered to look like rough and painted earth red/mustard colour, giving it an African bush like ambiance.
The glass windows and doors face the mountain and right in the centre is a fire place with bakuba fabrics extended and tied to the ceiling. The fireplace is decorated all around with carvings of wild life. The walls have wooden panels carved with African artwork and framed bakuba fabrics completing the décor.
Light fixtures are calabashes hanging from the high ceiling cleverly hung with goat skin shade lamps.
The whole restaurant is painted in mustard and contrasting terracotta colours, and opens out onto the terrace which is used for dining weather permitting ad this has an awesome view of the mountain, sitting majestically right in front of it.
Right in front of the terrace is an area which has a bon fire pit and seats around it, perfect for after dinner drinks with a nearby by fish pond with colourful zebra fish.
Bars
Mawenzi bar is named after one of the peaks of Mt Kilimanjaro. It has a lot of character with beautiful furnishings made of authentic African driftwood.
The wall is tastefully decorated with spears, calabashes, wood carvings, shields and Masai beaded wall hangings.
The bar counter has a clay top finishing, and on the side, carved wood panels, with high wooden and wrought iron stools.
In the center is a large fire place with wood carvings around the perimeter and when lit at night, it gives the whole room a very cosy and intimate atmosphere.
A high ceiling covered with papyrus reeds keeps it airy and light.
The other side of this bar area has comfortable hyacinth seats, and the ceiling lights are covered with huge patch work goat skin hide lamp shade. In the center is a tree growing that has been cleverly utilized as a table with high bar stools around it.
Glass windows allow a magnificent view of the mountain. A terrace extends out and is ideal for relaxing and holding barbeques while enjoying the view during the day, and on warm nights.
Traditional Masai dancers entertain the guests here on alternative nights.
Hemingway's bar is a unique historical structure, designed like the shape of Africa, sitting right at the top if the property between rocks, and has an uninterrupted view of the park. A marbel stone-decorated fire place is strategically in the centre. Underneath is a natural beautiful cave furnished with the original African wooden stools.
The late Ernest Hemingway built it as a house and has a lot of history attached to it, and old pictures of this grand man in his hunting days, are framed and hung on the walls. Very old wooden lounge chairs with leather backs, add on to the character of the bar, and the drinks display counter is built on a natural volcanic rock.
Right at the bottom is a feeding area and water hole which is often frequented by elephants, mongoose and hyenas.
Pool bar is Painted in bright orange colour and blue mosaic tiled counter, it is situated in one corner, and adds a contrast to the greenery of the garden around the pool area and the azure water of the swimming pool.
