Serval Wildlife — Hotel in Kilimanjaro

STAY AWAY & READ THE REVIEWS (specially if you are Indian): Guys, please don't ignore the low reviews as they are true. We made the biggest mistake by looking at the good reviews only and ignoring the bad ones. Even our safari company had suggested us not to book accommodation here but we were so blind folded by their insta photos and selective good reviews and we regret it. Avoid the person 'Blair' at all cost. I am so glad I canceled my another 3 bookings I was going to do with them later this year.

If you really want good pictures, just come for pictures but do not book accommodation with them - IT IS NOT AT ALL WORTH. Save your money & spend it on 5-7 star hotel or safari or book a balloon safari. USE YOUR MONEY WISELY, don't get blind folded by the insta photos they posted. We got such as bad experience but we are still going to post the photos we got with all the beautiful animals just like other people so just don't go by the insta photos. I am saying it again guys, SAVE YOUR HARD EARNED MONEY.

Even from the local people we met during our rest of the mainland Tanzania trip, we received the same feedback. They did not allow our guide (who is also local by the way) to enter even the reception area as we were unloading our bags at the time of check in.

1.We had booked 2 villas for 4 people and I have no words to elaborate on the racist treatment we received after reaching there. I do not want state but 'specific' types of people were receiving good treatment while we were getting side tracked completely. I did not understand why because we also paid the full amount just like others. 2.The environment is so unwelcoming and the manager was very rude. Upon our arrival, the staff had a discussion with our safari guide in local language about arranging our lunch but after checking in (when our guide left), the manager simply denied to provide us the lunch saying there was not such conversation took place and even kept the lunch box we got by ourselves that our safari guide had provided us that morning. 3.We were not given the specific villas we booked and the ones we got very dirty and were not at all clean. Here, I am not talking about the flies and insects as I know the owner will have the template response to it that it is a forest like area so insects are bound to be there but how can there be dead and alive insects inside the villa when we just checked in. That clearly showed that the rooms were not cleaned before our arrival. Apart from it, there was dust on furniture and also food pieces such as carrots and some other raw veggies lying around the sofa. 4.I had been talking to a 'reception guy' through the WhatsApp number they provided on their website and I had a clear chat with him almost 2 months before our arrival. The person confirmed that movie night is included in full board. We let them know that we would like to have it arranged and they said okay at the time of check in. Later on, a person called Blair (the most rude person we came across by far and he will surely hurt their business if he continue to behave the same way) came to us and mentioned we have to pay for it as it's not included in full board. I could clearly see that he was expecting some tip or additional money to have it arranged. 5.When were having a photo session with lions, this person Blair was deliberately teasing the lions so they could not stay calm & we could not have our photos clicked properly. He even got someone just to stand near by so he could hurry us by pretending there was other person waiting to click photos as well. 6.He clicked our photos in his phone without our consent & when we asked him to share them with us, he keep saying battery is low or the wifi was weak to share the photos. Our check out was supposed to be around 10:00 but he insisted that we should check out by 09:30 - I don't know why. When we stepped out of our villas, he was so keen in going in our villas immediately (right in front of us) to 'ENSURE' if everything inside is okay & as if we did not steal anything from those...

A Shockingly Disappointing Experience – Avoid This Lodge

The only positive aspect of our stay was the brief interaction with the animals. Everything else was a complete disaster.

From the start, the reservation process was chaotic. Different staff members replied to emails without reading the previous messages, forcing us to repeat ourselves endlessly, and still no one provided the information we requested. Even arranging a simple transfer took nearly 10 emails, and the driver still showed up 30 minutes late.

Upon arrival, we were subjected to the host reading three pages of rules—repeating each one twice as if we were unable to understand the first time. He also insisted on reading through every “special package” (anniversary, honeymoon, birthdays, etc.), including prices—information that should have been shared during the booking stage.

Immediately after check-in, we were told to select dinner and breakfast times and meals. However, the host ultimately decided the breakfast time himself, regardless of our preferences.

The first “animal activity” in our room lasted no more than 5–10 minutes.

At dinner, we ordered fresh juice and were given artificial juice instead. When I complained, staff insisting it was fresh, but apologised and decided not to charge us.

For the absurd rates charged here, only a very basic English breakfast is included. Juice is artificial, “fresh” juice costs extra (and isn’t actually fresh), and the only coffee included is instant. I was even charged extra for an Americano—absolutely outrageous.

The scheduling was just as ridiculous. Although we normally have breakfast by 7:30 a.m., the host insisted on 8:45 a.m. When we asked if we could have another animal interaction before breakfast, we were told no because of “the schedule”—despite the animals being right outside our room. Later, the host claimed he couldn’t come earlier because he was busy “setting up” for breakfast.

We chose the option of breakfast “in the bush,” expecting something special. Instead, it was just a few tables and chairs in the bush are, same area used by other guests and day-trippers. When we asked for a picnic-style setup, we were told no—because the Maasai staff were “responsible for the setup” and it wasn’t planned. Completely misleading and underwhelming.

During the breakfast animal interaction, staff were visibly frustrated and argued among themselves in front of us while trying to get the animals to cooperate. This was uncomfortable and destroyed any sense of authenticity.

The final straw was the lioness activity. We were told we could only take photos because “she wasn’t in the mood to walk.” When we asked if we could do the walk later, the host dismissed it, saying she was only more active in the afternoons. When we pointed out that we had arrived the day before in the afternoon and could have done it then, he shrugged it off, claiming there was “no time.” In reality, we arrived at 2:30 p.m. and had plenty of time.

To top it all off, professionalism was nonexistent. At one point, the host even texted my husband calling him “bro”—completely unacceptable in what is supposed to be a premium lodge experience.

This place is a joke. The staff are untrained, the management is disorganised, and the experience is nothing close to what is advertised. With the outrageous prices charged here, I can only warn others: do not waste your time or money. And to finalize, it had hair on my...

Do not support this business if you are an animal lover.

My husband and I are travel agents focused in Africa and we usually don’t recommend places that we have never been to.

Due to Serval Wildlife increased popularity on social media we decided to book a night and see for ourselves what the hype is all about.

We arrived at Serval Wildlife for check in at 12:10pm. The reception seemed unprepared for our arrival and there were just too many staff all at once around us and it felt a bit overwhelming.

At check in a staff is assigned to your party and that person is the one that will assist you with your needs throughout your stay. We were then shown to our villa that has a rustic feel and has a lot of windows to allow for animals viewing unfortunately it’s poorly executed as it leaves you with no privacy. Staff tending to the animals and property walks by the villa constantly, as well as neighboring guest looking for the animals which takes away all your privacy.

Food: Breakfast is include in the stay. Lunch & dinner is a la carte. They have an extensive menu, food takes minimum 30 minutes to be prepared service is very basic and slow. The kitchen is far from the restaurant and unfortunately all our meals were served cold.

Toiletries: Shampoo & Soaps was of poor quality and no conditioner.

The activities included in the stay are: 🔸Sunset surrounded by animals 🔸Breakfast/Lunch or dinner surrounded by animals The animals are all escorted towards the guest for photo opportunity and this made us feel super uncomfortable as you see the animal being mistreated to put up a show for the tourists. We saw many animal swing hit on the legs to “behave” around the humans and to stay near them for photos.

🦁 Lions The number one reason most people want to go there. The lions are kept in a very small enclosed area and are brought in to the common area once a day where guest can take pictures with the lions. These lions suffer a lot of abuse by their trainers. They are constantly harassed to pose for the cameras. We saw Nala the lioness being pushed, and kicked many times in order to wake her up and to get up. This is just an accident waiting to happen as lions get more aggressive as they age.

🦒 Animals: Giraffes, Elands, Wildebeest, Zebras & etc. Caregivers can be a bit too firm to get them in line and I did see them hitting the animals more than once.

Staff will tell you that these animal are all rescues, but it’s hard to believe We did ask how they obtain their animals and we were told they were rescues. We personally did not feel that way. It feels more like a circus act than a rescue center. We personally think this is a for profit project.

The staff knows very little about the animals, or their history and had no interest to educate guests.

Usually a project that supports animal rescue and conservation knows the history of their animals, they love to talk about them and shows compassion to them. We just didn’t feel it.

This place It lacks finesse and a lot of attention to details but most importantly the way the animals are treated is simply unacceptable.

In conclusion as travel agents we cannot recommend this place. As animal lovers we cannot support...