Elewana Elsa’s Kopje

The service was phenomenal. My husband and I went for a four day, three night Safari and fell in love with life all over again. From the manager Grace, to the gracious Solomon, our room attendant Frank, our guide Joe, and all of the other staff we didn't get to know directly, this place is made for lovers who want to rest, learn, and connect with themselves and all forms of life. Mind blowing experience, amazing food, unmatched views, REAL Safari experience. We'll be back, you couldn't keep us away if you tried.

We loved our stay at Elsa's Kopje. Our room, named after the Rojewero River, was close to the reception and lounge area but still felt very private and had the most incredible view over the National Park. We loved the huge, beautiful room with private deck and the indoor/outdoor feel where we could zip down the canvas sides while in the room (zip them back up to avoid monkeys getting into your things while you're not there). Shadrack, our house steward, did an amazing job keeping our room tidy and stocked. And the little geckos did a great job keeping the insects in the room under control (we didn't have any gnarly spiders or centipedes and the geckos keep to the walls). A fan in the room kept us cool during the hot nights. We loved having our morning coffee and tea while getting ready for the day, watching the sun turn the sky magical shades of orange and listening to the lions call to each other. Some other reviewers have noted ants - yes, there are ants but we only found them to be a nuisance in some areas and it was easy to avoid them - they weren't a problem in our room. It is the bush and so it just can't always be helped. I found it useful to tuck my pants into my socks sometimes. The food at Elsa's is remarkably good. The chefs are talented and inventive. We loved the fresh salads, fruit, and the dinner choices were all beautiful and delicious. Ephantus did a great job, setting us up with beautiful meals under the stars and making sure we had plenty of drinks to keep us hydrated. I also recommend Jenerase for a very invigorating massage in the most picturesque massage room ever! Our guide Moses was fantastic and we loved his thoughtful approach. He had plenty of books to dive into if you were curious and went above and beyond to show us tracking tips in the bush. We saw an incredible diversity of animals including the shy and elusive gerenuk up close! Although Meru is a National Park, we didn't experience the crowding of vehicles that can sometimes happen. We were often happily the only vehicle, sitting and watching lions lounge, roll, yawn and groom each other while sipping our sundowner drinks in awe. We saw huge towers of giraffes (18-22) quietly grazing together, and so many elephant families with tiny babies. With 13 year-round rivers, Meru has abundant and diverse wildlife and plant density! Grace, Allen, Jane, and Patrick took great care of us and we hope to return someday!

The Manager there wasn’t friendly with us from our arrival. She treated the whites nicely but ignored us completely. Room 5 was infested with ants, a venomous brown scorpion and many bugs. Except for the food, which was delicious (delivered by a poorly trained waiter) and our guide, this place was nowhere near any of the other 5 Star Elewana properties we stayed at. My wife’s silk top, scarf and bras disappeared from her unlocked luggage in the room. On two separate occasions when our laundry was returned, my wife’s tops were missing until we asked for them. Felt to us like a “whites only” establishment, people of Indian descent not welcome. I wouldn’t never come back there and wouldn’t recommend it to any of our non-white friends.

Elsa’s was the first of three Elewana properties we visited in Kenya. The minute our plane landed at the airstrip we knew we had the most incredible guide - Mohammed! He said there was a cheetah sighting -the first in months - he politely hurried us into the vehicle and off we sped. Mohammed was a true pro Some of the guides at our subsequent properties referred to Mohammed as “the legend” and we know why! The staff at Elsa’s were all very friendly, attentive, and made us feel right at home. Morris, our waiter, would say “anything is possible” when we had a special request. The pool was beautiful and really refreshing after a day out on our game drive. The property is very unique - being built into the natural environment rocks and trees can be part of your accommodations. The rooms are all different, so it pays to do some research in advance if you have any preferences. If you do have specific room requests, it’s best to communicate directly with the property in advance (not central Elewana reservations). And if you have any mobility challenges make sure you inquire about the room and location. We did have issues with lots of ants in our room (we stayed in cottage #5). Not sure what could have been done about that given the natural environment. One other suggestion is to offer the option of dinner seating in the open air dining room - unlike breakfast all the dinner tables are set up in the grass by the pool. All in all, we had a great time at Elsa’s. It has a storied history and we really enjoyed the day and night game drives and the rhino sanctuary. Be sure to try the walking safari too if you’re so inclined!

The two things that stood out the most was the friendly, top notch service and the park itself. We saw 4 of the big 5 in our first game drive. The food was excellent. The service as good as the Ritz, but with a friendly laid back smile. The rooms are architecturally interesting. A little more rustic than some of the others in this collection but very nice and cool. The food was excellent. It does get hot and there is no a/c. It was hard to get a drink to American standards due to communication issue… but this minor issue was overshadowed by the overall excellent experience.

The camp is built in the most unique way ,it embraces the rock nature that is located. The stone hyrax can be annoying if you are sleepy but of you love nature their sound is music to the ears. I can't forget the 4am lion roars that will send shivers down your spine thinking it's so close yet it's miles and miles away. The staff are super friendly,the love their culture and of you take a moment to chat with them you will learn more about the meru culture,the Masai culture the Kikuyu culture. Other than the obvious Adamson and Elsa iconic story, the camp is very well organised. From the guides to the wait staff to the housekeepers/room steward. It's definitely a place I can recommend to my fellow Kenyans to explore. Kenya is a truly beautiful country,getting away from the hustles and bustles of the city of Nairobi, Meru National Park is refreshing..