Mainebound
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2002
- Messages
- 1,699
Hi all,
Since everyone here has been so helpful to me over the months of planning, I thought I would share a report of our recent stay at AKL (3/11-3.17). We loved it and would return in a heartbeat. We had connecting savannah rooms, 4506-4508, one w/ 2 q beds, one w/ 1 q bed and bunk beds. I was worried about my 1 and 3 y/o kids, but they did well in the bunks, the bottom having been fitted with bedrails and the top having pretty high rails. Still, my DS3 could not get up and down by himself and although the staff assured me he would be fine, the bed itself had a warning that no one under 6 should use the top bunk.
We found the room beautiful and clean, but we did feel cramped. Maybe this was due in part to the bunks, as my mom's room next door seemed bigger. But then she didn't have to park a double stroller, diapers, etc. etc. as you do with small kids. Next time we may spring for a deluxe.
Our rooms were on the right side of the resort, facing out. We had wanted Arusha savannah, and we were a bit disappointed to be able to see cars and, at night, neon signs, in the distance, but we were told that certain sections of the resort were in "lock down" to save money in a time of lower occupancy and so our room choices were limited. (also, I had faxed a request that they never got.) We saw lots of animals, especially around 5-5:30 pm which I think was feeding time. We were very close to pool and the Mara but a little more distant from the bus stop. I found the resort very quiet, at least until Friday hit and more people started coming in. I also think the savannah views encourage people to be a bit hushed on their balconies as they are sort of in awe of the animals.
We enjoyed Boma and Jiko very much. the Mara was adequate. the bus service was outstanding. The pool with zero depth entry is perfect for little ones. My DS3 loved the slide. He also enjoyed the arcade.
The service was outstanding. I have two health related examples. Our DS1 fell off the queen bed and would not move his arm and cried incessantly, so we called the front desk for a doctor. Within 5 minutes, a senior CM was there and within 7 minutes a security CM was there. they waited with us another few minutes until the EMT's arrived and they all escorted us to the ambulance. When we were done at the hospital (EIGHT hours later, thankfully my DS was fine), they sent the AKL van and the CM stood sentry outside the emergency room for 30 minutes in his uniform and cap waiting for us. He told us that if we needed anything at the shop they would open it up for us and deliver it to our room. the second example involves my mother who has celiac sprue which makes her allergic to a lot of things. The chef at Boma walked her around the buffet telling her what she could eat. She got some food and sat down. Ten minutes later he walked up to her with a wok full of a whole salmon (I'm not kidding) in a special dish he prepared just for her!!!
The resort is dark, and at times this became irritating as I searched for some small item for my kids, but otherwise it was fine to read by and very relaxing.
We had a wonderful vacation at AKL and I would recommend it to anyone without hesitation. I'm happy to answer any questions that I can.
--Mainebound
Since everyone here has been so helpful to me over the months of planning, I thought I would share a report of our recent stay at AKL (3/11-3.17). We loved it and would return in a heartbeat. We had connecting savannah rooms, 4506-4508, one w/ 2 q beds, one w/ 1 q bed and bunk beds. I was worried about my 1 and 3 y/o kids, but they did well in the bunks, the bottom having been fitted with bedrails and the top having pretty high rails. Still, my DS3 could not get up and down by himself and although the staff assured me he would be fine, the bed itself had a warning that no one under 6 should use the top bunk.
We found the room beautiful and clean, but we did feel cramped. Maybe this was due in part to the bunks, as my mom's room next door seemed bigger. But then she didn't have to park a double stroller, diapers, etc. etc. as you do with small kids. Next time we may spring for a deluxe.
Our rooms were on the right side of the resort, facing out. We had wanted Arusha savannah, and we were a bit disappointed to be able to see cars and, at night, neon signs, in the distance, but we were told that certain sections of the resort were in "lock down" to save money in a time of lower occupancy and so our room choices were limited. (also, I had faxed a request that they never got.) We saw lots of animals, especially around 5-5:30 pm which I think was feeding time. We were very close to pool and the Mara but a little more distant from the bus stop. I found the resort very quiet, at least until Friday hit and more people started coming in. I also think the savannah views encourage people to be a bit hushed on their balconies as they are sort of in awe of the animals.
We enjoyed Boma and Jiko very much. the Mara was adequate. the bus service was outstanding. The pool with zero depth entry is perfect for little ones. My DS3 loved the slide. He also enjoyed the arcade.
The service was outstanding. I have two health related examples. Our DS1 fell off the queen bed and would not move his arm and cried incessantly, so we called the front desk for a doctor. Within 5 minutes, a senior CM was there and within 7 minutes a security CM was there. they waited with us another few minutes until the EMT's arrived and they all escorted us to the ambulance. When we were done at the hospital (EIGHT hours later, thankfully my DS was fine), they sent the AKL van and the CM stood sentry outside the emergency room for 30 minutes in his uniform and cap waiting for us. He told us that if we needed anything at the shop they would open it up for us and deliver it to our room. the second example involves my mother who has celiac sprue which makes her allergic to a lot of things. The chef at Boma walked her around the buffet telling her what she could eat. She got some food and sat down. Ten minutes later he walked up to her with a wok full of a whole salmon (I'm not kidding) in a special dish he prepared just for her!!!
The resort is dark, and at times this became irritating as I searched for some small item for my kids, but otherwise it was fine to read by and very relaxing.
We had a wonderful vacation at AKL and I would recommend it to anyone without hesitation. I'm happy to answer any questions that I can.
--Mainebound
