Sweetwaters Serena Camp

“Nature Paradise”

I was so fortunate to stay here on my African Safari vacation. The nature surrounding the camp is exquisite. Yellow bark acacia trees dot the landscape while Superb Starling birds greet you all along the walking paths. Zebras and elephants are visible in the distance as you sip your coffee on the … more

I was so fortunate to stay here on my African Safari vacation. The nature surrounding the camp is exquisite. Yellow bark acacia trees dot the landscape while Superb Starling birds greet you all along the walking paths. Zebras and elephants are visible in the distance as you sip your coffee on the front porch. The best part was my deep tissue massage with Emilie. It was the best massage ever. I'm so glad I was able to get a massage during my stay there.

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“A great safari stopover”

We spent 4 nights at Sweetwaters after staying at the Serena Mara Lodge. Once again, the personal service was exemplary and every member of staff goes out of their way to be helpful. They are all so joyful it’s difficult not to feel uplifted by them! Once again, we had excellent game drives. Thi… more

We spent 4 nights at Sweetwaters after staying at the Serena Mara Lodge. Once again, the personal service was exemplary and every member of staff goes out of their way to be helpful. They are all so joyful it’s difficult not to feel uplifted by them! Once again, we had excellent game drives. This time Gilbert was our driver and guide. He is extremely knowledgeable, experienced and professional. We had wondered whether hotel provided drives would be up to scratch but I now believe this is the absolute best way to do it.

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“An awesome place within Ol Pejeta”

My wife and I spend 4 days here in February 26. Our luxurious tent opened directly on a watering hole, where we saw elephants, giraffes, buffalo, many antelopes, warthogs, tons of birds and much more. We pulled out deck chair up to the fence and just watched for hours. Magical! The tent had a very… more

My wife and I spend 4 days here in February 26. Our luxurious tent opened directly on a watering hole, where we saw elephants, giraffes, buffalo, many antelopes, warthogs, tons of birds and much more. We pulled out deck chair up to the fence and just watched for hours. Magical! The tent had a very comfortable and large bed and a full bath room with hot showers. The grounds are well maintained and it is very worthwhile to walk around the camp. It is like a bush walk. At night, several types of antelope jump the fence to be safe on the inside - hence they have security people in duty. Carlton greeted us at the front desk and took really good care of our needs. We had a wonderful server, Harrison, who attended to our every needs and was fun to chat with. Anyways with a welcoming smile! Nathifo was our guide on the many safari tours through ol pejeta, including a night drive. Sure helped us to spot all the major animals including two kills. Overall a fantastic place to stay in an awesome surrounding!

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“We would go back in a heartbeat. Best part is the view from tent.”

We loved our stay at Serena Sweetwaters Camp. We stayed three nights in tent 22 at Serena Sweetwaters in Ol Pejeta. It’s in the first row of tents and overlooks a watering area and beyond that an open plain with TONS of wildlife! Tent 22 was a good distance from the main area, which was fine by … more

We loved our stay at Serena Sweetwaters Camp. We stayed three nights in tent 22 at Serena Sweetwaters in Ol Pejeta. It’s in the first row of tents and overlooks a watering area and beyond that an open plain with TONS of wildlife! Tent 22 was a good distance from the main area, which was fine by us. We welcomed a good walk after sitting in the safari truck. The property is surrounded by an electric fence, so you do not need an escort while walking on the property. We read in other reviews that you should be on the ‘watering hole’, but ALL of the front tents are on a watering area. The main watering hole is large, and from there all along the tents, a kind of channel of water runs along (we never saw it from above, so hard to tell how deep it was). ALL DAY LONG animals came and went from this water. We personally saw giraffes (the way they drink the water is spreading their front legs - incredible), warthogs, rhinoceros, impala, zebra, waterbuck, and cape buffalo. Other folks even saw hyenas and elephants. While we were there, no one saw any big cats, but we were told that they only come at night. Each tent had an outdoor seating area with 2 chairs and a side table that were very comfortable. We took the advice of other guests and stayed at the tent one afternoon instead of going out on a game drive. We’re so glad we did. We felt that we had privacy, but we did hear the voices of our neighbors when they were loud (this happened on the last night and morning at camp and was mildly annoying - definitely not hugely disruptive.) At night, impala and waterbuck jump the electric fence and sleep on the lawn in front of the tents! They know that this is an area safe from predators. The camp has many, many staff people out all night ensuring that the guests are safe. It was so cool that these animals were so close! The scenery from the tent was definitely our favorite thing about this camp. (We would not have had this experience in the back row of tents.) The tent was clean and comfortable. The bathroom was modern (it even had a hair dryer!). The shower was nice: plenty of hot water and good water pressure. The bedding was comfortable and plenty of drinking water was provided. The bathroom did have some signs of wear - a few cracked tiles and tired looking fixtures. But everything worked well. The staff was very nice. David, our waiter, greeted warmly us at each meal and was very efficient and helpful. Ann, the staff person who greeted us at the entrance to the dining area each meal, was especially welcoming and wonderful. There was also one very tall and slim security guard (we can’t remember his name) with whom we shared laughs and smiles. The food is all buffet style and it is very, very good. Each meal has a HUGE variety of food! There are lots of healthy, vegetarian and gluten free options. Every dish is clearly labeled. I really enjoyed the many Indian food options. I agree with other reviewers that it is very annoying that water is not included with meals. The cost for a bottle of water is 250ksh, so it’s not expensive, but it feels petty. We decided not to drink at most of our meals. It would be a very nice gesture from the management to include filtered water with meals as it’s included in the tents. Just weird. Coffee and tea are always available in the bar area. This includes Masala Tea - a creamy, spiced tea that quickly became my favorite! We would absolutely visit again. 4.8/5 stars recommend.

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