Elewana Elsa's Kopje Meru

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 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.