Reviews of Lamai Serengeti
Wildlife sightings and reviews
40 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Lamai Serengeti and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
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"Lamai Serengeti review"
We were welcomed with smiles as big as the view!
The place is beautiful. Our room was beautiful.
The level of care and attention guests receive is extraordinary in every camp so far." See all these reviews: 12n in Tanzania
"Lamai Serengeti review"
John brought us to the lodge where we were met by Lawrence, the GM, and his lodge staff. The lodge sits on top of the Kogakuria Kopje amongst giant boulders. It is interesting that for most of the way, you drive in the savannah and then it turns into giant boulders culminating in the kopje that looks like someone left their giant stones in a pile. Amongst the giant boulders, you disembark the truck and are met by the lodge staff with welcoming smiles and a cool, moist towel. The path to the main lodge is through some boulders and after you enter the lodge, you are met with a spectacular view of the Serengeti plain and the Mara River in the distance. Over the three days here, the views from the deck were stunning: the sunrises, sunsets and view of the Serengeti plains never got tiring.
Our tent – After a quick lunch and lodge overview, we headed to our bungalow (number 8). Quite a hike from the main lodge but very private, with a great deck / balcony overlooking the savannah and river. One night it rained quite a bit and the trail filled with standing water and needed some maintenance the next day. Our bungalow is one of the lower ones down the kopje and closer to a meadow. Approaching the bungalow, it is a low and unassuming structure with light yellow washed walls, a thatched roof, and a split door (Dutch door) for allowing air in, but not let critters have access to your room. The room has solid walls on three sides and insect netting along a long wall facing the Serengeti plains.
Our food was outstanding. We ate bush breakfasts to get out on the trail early and ate at the lodge on our day that we left. Once we ate under a tree (John had to carefully check the tree because he said that leopards also liked hanging out here) and the other time we ate up on a hill watching the wildebeests decide when and where to cross. Lunch was buffet style, which was not only very good, but we also got to choose how much food to eat. Samwel was our steward and performed superbly. Once we ordered a lemonade and Samwel brought a Sprite. He noticed our surprised reaction and asked if that was what we wanted. We explained to him what a lemonade was, and he returned with half a glass of fresh squeezed lime juice and lime wedges. I think Samwel is on to something here! On one occasion we were greeted by a small black face Vervet Monkey. The monkey was a master at deception as he slowly came down from a tree right next to the dining area. He then walked along the wall heading away from the eating area. Then at the last moment, he snuck across an empty table, jumped to our table, swiped a piece of flat bread and was gone in mere seconds. Naughty monkey! We were stunned, so we just watched the event unfold. The staff usually watch out for monkeys, but the monkeys also watch for the staff and plan their mission when the staff isn’t looking. Dinner was an elegant affair with candlelight and plated entrees. On our last night, our table was decorated with small red lava rocks spelling out our names. What a thoughtful touch.
Outside the screen sided room, you walk out onto the deck, and you look around and you get the feeling you are all alone in the meadow with no one in sight around you, it’s that private. You don’t see the endless Serengeti plains because you are placed on one side of the meadow. You turn around and see how the bungalow was thoughtfully tucked in amongst the rocks. The walls are built into the rocks with some of the rocks becoming a feature of the room. Our steward told us that the lodge and its contents are all hand made and locally sourced and designed to blend into and merge with the kopje. We think they accomplished this very well. During our stay we had a solitary giraffe come near us in the meadow a couple of days in a row, so on the second day we named it ‘Jeffrey’. Back in the room, bungalow is well laid out, with lots of storage, seating areas with writing table and layout space. The bathroom is large, with two sinks. Hot water is best sourced for a shower after a morning drive. Once we left a split door in the bathroom open momentarily while we came in from the deck and when we turned around to go back outside, we were greeted by a rock hyrax. We were all surprised and the hyrax turned around and made a hasty exit. They sure are cute though.
The game viewing around Nomad Lamai was amazing. Thanks in large part to our guide, John, we saw many lions (some laying in the sun and some eating their lunch). John was able to find a lioness with her newborn cubs hiding in a secluded boulder strewn area for our evening drive.
We watched one crossing unfold in front of us on the Mara River while on another occasion, we just waited a few hours until we had to leave for lunch. So go the ways of the great migration. On our way to the airstrip, John found a leopard known to hang in the vicinity of the lodge. As soon as he found the leopard, we were joined by my other trucks.
The Serengeti is a very special place for game-viewing, and we recommend and look forward to returning to Nomad Lamai in the future." See all these reviews: 15n in Kenya; 9n in Tanzania
"Lamai Serengeti review"
"Lamai Serengeti review"
"Lamai Serengeti review"
Kassim was our guide and we really couldn’t have asked for a better experience - with the wildebeest having already migrated, the density of all the other animals seemed incredibly high - we saw all Big 5 in one 24 hour span (up close too)!
One evening drive we spent about 45 minutes watching 2 two-month old lion cubs playing with mom nearby which was the highlight of our whole trip." See all these reviews: 11n in Tanzania
"Lamai Serengeti review"
Another Nomad camp but, again, quite different in design and location from the other two camps we had stayed in. We arrived later than expected as the flight time had changed but lunch had been saved for us.
The lodge was spacious and provided everything we needed. As elsewhere we had early morning tea delivered, ample supply of drinking water and hot water bottles at night (not really needed but a thoughtful touch!)
Throughout our 4 night stay, we experienced great service and enjoyed all the meals. The managers were around to chat in the evening and Laurence joined us for dinner one evening where we heard about his journey into camp management.
The site is uneven and there are unmarked steps in the communal area and on the decking round the lodge so you do have to watch your step. The staff are good at reminding you about this.
We enjoyed the views from our lodge and had visits from klipspringers, rock hyrax and agama lizards during the day and munching buffalo at night as well as hearing more distant calls of hyenas.
We were lucky again to have a great guide in Jairo. He delivered us four Mara crossings, hyena and crocodile kills and on one drive we encountered 16 lions. We loved the varied scenery and ventured as far as the Kenya border on a drive.
The afternoon drives tended to be quieter but it was still enjoyable to experience the peace and space around us. Towards the end of our last drive, we were treated to sundowners on a rocky outcrop." See all these reviews: 9n in Tanzania
"Lamai Serengeti review"
The staff were the most attentive out of all the Nomad camps we stayed at and very conscious of food allergies. The open-sided rooms created stunning views and all the sounds of the Serengeti at night! Rooms were well-appointed with hot and cold running water for the dual-vanities and shower. The common areas offered gorgeous views and the staff provided tea and snacks during the late afternoon. This location provided the best game viewing on our trip!
In one day we saw the Big Five, a serval cat, and a Wildebeest river crossing-just spectacular! The camp is set at a perfect location near creeks and kopjes that big cats and other game frequent. It is close to the Mara River, so river crossings aren't far away, depending on the time of year. For our early-October trip the bugs were not bad, even with the migration herds right on the doorstep.
Yasin, our safari guide, was outstanding! He made sure to prioritize the animals we wanted to see and planned the day accordingly while also adding in stops and viewings that he recommended. He always kept his ear to the radio, while still interacting with us the whole time, in order to ensure we would have the best experience. Compared to Tarangire, Manyara, and Ngorongoro Crater, we enjoyed the landscape and scenery here the most. The green, lush rolling hills with kopjes, trees, and granite rock jutting out was a sight to behold!
We chose to do a balloon safari here with Serengeti Balloon Safaris and it was one of the highlights of our trip!" See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania
"Lamai Serengeti review"
"Lamai Serengeti review"
It helped that we were the only guests the 2 out of the three nights we were there. James and the whole staff were just phenomenal- Baraka the waiter was super sweet and very attentive. The property is gorgeous and tucked into a hill. Rooms are beautiful and the beds were super comfy. We loved being able to see buffalo, zebras, and even giraffes in our “front yard.” I wouldn’t even think about staying anywhere else in Serengeti after the experience we had - one of my all time best stays anywhere in the world. It’s that special.
I would be remiss if I didn’t commend our amazing guide, Lazaro. He really went above and beyond to do his best to make sure we were able to see everything we wanted.
We hadn’t seen any cheetah, so we spent a whole day looking for them - didn’t find them on the first drive of our last day (though we had some great lion sightings including a recent kill and one month old cubs). Lazaro must have put in calls to everyone he knew in the park - as soon as we got in the truck for our last evening drive he said there’d been a cheetah sighting so we raced over there and got to see her lounging (a lion had stolen her kill and was eating it nearby). On the way back we saw a ton of elephants and giraffes, and a gorgeous leopard. It was like a speed safari in a little over two hours and just a fantastic and really special way for us to end our trip." See all these reviews: 11n in Tanzania
"Amazing camp"
We loved the food, the atmosphere, the rooms." See all these reviews: 8n in Tanzania; 7n in Zanzibar
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