Reviews of Elsa's Kopje

"We loved this lodge. Our room was amazing, sculpted out of the rock, and so comfortable. The management and staff were brilliant - welcoming, warm, knowledgeable and friendly. George and Theresa were great and the staff, generally, were more at ease in their interaction with us than at the other two lodges we stayed in, whilst being entirely professional. The food was a cut above, second only to Giraffe Manor, no mean feat given that they are cooking in a much less high tech kitchen, and it was so lovely to eat out under the stars.

It was great to have a pool which we made use of in the afternoons.

The guides were excellent, making sure they showed us as much as possible. The wildlife was good but more difficult to find than in the Mara - you had to go looking for it, and we didn’t come across a cheetah or leopard. We did know before we went that the wildlife would not be as extensive as in the Mara so this is not a complaint, just an observation.

There’s a lovely atmospheric feel to Elsa’s that’s quite hard to define but is key to its appeal. It’s a very charming place that we would seriously consider going back to a second time." See all these reviews: 12n in Kenya

"Elsa's is an hour's drive into the national park from the gate and is in an isolated position with no other nearby lodges. Six nights gave us a chance to explore areas less visited (although we needed to suggest this, probably because most people stay fewer nights).
Meru covers a huge area and a large part of it is off limits anyway because of the density of the bush. During our stay we didn't see any vehicles other than from the camp or driven by rangers.
This property is immaculately maintained and housekeeping second to none (thank you Christopher!).
All the staff were extremely helpful and friendly and the lunches very good for us as vegetarians. Dinners were a bit hit and miss (a bizarre main of rice and mashed potato for instance). Breakfasts were uninspired compared to Kicheche. We liked the individual dining as a change.
Sightings here were not as prolific as at Laikipia and Samburu but there were huge herds of buffalo, plenty of elephant and giraffe and a brilliant tally of birds, which guide Simon was expert in spotting.
We also saw two separate pairs of honey badgers (one racing off with a snake in its mouth), a striped hyena (which helped us find two lionesses and their four teenage boys) and a bachelor group of gerenuk. A visit to the protected rhino area (which is well worth visiting) yielded a total of 10 southern whites, including a very young one.
Particular features of the park are the huge palm trees and the number of rivers and streams running through. While some were dry, many were not and attract all manner of wildlife from insects and birds to hippo, elephant and buffalo. This offers great photographic opportunities.
Although there is quite a bit of memorabilia from the Elsa/Born Free story around the camp, very little is made of it when out on the drives." See all these reviews: 16n in Kenya

"An amazing experience from the fantastic villa [we were upgraded and had a fabulous, spacious villa with a view to die for] to the food [absolutely delicious] to the service[top notch] to the safari experiences [fun, informative and the rhino and bird sightings were a joy]" See all these reviews: 9n in Kenya

"This was our fourth time to Elsa's Kopje. Obviously, we love it here.

The game is excellent as are the birds. The camp itself is beautifully situated on the Kopje with lovely rooms and incredible views, and a beautiful infinity pool that looks over the plains. The food is delicious and the whole camp is run extremely well.

We enjoy going into the Rhino enclosure to spot the rhino and always find it amazing that considering how many rhino are in there, it is still hard to find them!" See all these reviews: 8n in Kenya

"We had the most fantastic start to our safari honeymoon at Elsas.

We were given a wonderfully warm welcome and the staff were very attentive throughout. Our guide, Simon, made a supreme gin and tonic and was extremely knowledgable about the Meru and wildlife. He had an amazing eye, and a great knack for putting the van in the right place - one special moment was when we parked up on the road to see a herd of elephants make their way towards and around us.

Elsas itself is such an amazing place to stay - from the pool to the bar and restaurant to the incredible rooms. The details are well thought through and make a big difference. A special mention has to go to the chefs - they catered for my vegetarian wife supremely well; we had high expectations for the food given what we had read but those were exceeded." See all these reviews: 13n in Kenya