This hotel really is out of this world. I was quite surprised that I loved it so much as I like my luxuries. It's like in another world. It's hard to explain but I'll try!
Treetops is famous for one of it's former guests. The story goes that Queen Elizabeth II stayed there in the 1950s. she went to sleep a princess and awoke as a Queen. This was when she found out the sad news that her father had passed away.
We stayed at Treetops on the 4rd day of our Kenyan safari. Anybody staying there will start off at the Outspan Country Hotel, where you will be picked up by a typical Kenyan bus. As the road to Treetops is so narrow and steep, only the bus is allowed up there, no other vehicles.
After a 10 minute rickety bus ride you get off in the middle of nowhere and, escorted by armed guides, you walk the last 100 yards to Treetops. This is amazing in itself as you can see various wild creatures on your approach. A group of 5 elephants could be seen on our approach and we really weren't that far away from them!
Treetops is a wooden building built on stilts. It is in between a large watering hole and a salt lick, where all the areas animals come regularly to drink. The hotel has 50 rooms, or cabins as I prefer to call them. They really are tiny! You won't spending much time in your room though, so it's not a problem!
There is a bar there and every level has large viewing windows, allowing you to view the wildlife close up. On the ground level you can almost touch the elephants and I got a great photo of the matriarch of the group of elephants that were visiting. I swear she was looking right at me!
The night is when the place really comes into it's own. After a group meal, which is spent sat around two large rectangular tables, everybody moves into the bar. It's now pitch black outside but the powerful floodlights come on and the whole area is illuminated. It's very magical! They hand out blankets for those who want to stay up and watch out for any wildlife that come by. For anybody wanting to go to sleep there is the option of hearing the buzzer in your room, which will be activated if anything is spotted. The most exciting visitor is the illusive leopard, followed by the hyenas, the rhino's and then the elephants.
We got woken up 3 times for the hyenas. Which normally I would have hated but it was such a great atmosphere. We were all sat there wrapped up in our blankets (it gets very cold there!), huddled up together.
I'm not sure what the price to stay at Trrtops is, as it was part of our safari, but according to a few websites I've looked on, it costs about £80 a night. It sounsd expensive, but it's worth it!
I was shattered by the morning but absolutely loved it. If you're going to Kenya you really must spend a night at this magical hotel.
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Mar 14th, 2007
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