As earlier mentioned, apart from Duncan telling me I would like the hotel, I had absolutely no idea of what to expect. The drive from the Machame road junction preempted nothing either.

Location

The lodge is strategically located twenty kilometers from the Machame road junction at 1,800 above sea level. The drive uphill, paves ways to cooler temperatures, greener banana plantations, tiny streams of waters, a few bridges and gentle bends and turns. As you approach the lodge, there is a huge concrete stand-alone signage of the hotel on the right side of the gate then  a smaller gate that opens up to a grey pebbled drive way that goes all the way to the main entrance and parking.

You can’t miss the turn…

Nature at its best.

Palatial lodge

The palatial lodge almost looked like the state house(Kenya), only smaller. The lawn was carefully manicured that it almost looked and felt like a good painting, the stack contrast with the white pillars of the front porch and the brick red roof against the blue sky effortlessly put my color-matching skills to shame! The feel at the lodge is that of a chilled, sophisticated carefully selected design that appealed to an audience that valued some quiet, relaxing and exclusive getaway. This was tranquility at its best.

Nature doesn’t get better than this.

Entrance

A warm reception from the staff, quick brief from the manager and check-in kicked off what was to be a memorable stay in the beautiful country side of Machame.

I knew Mt. Kilimanjaro was in the vicinity. However, I didn’t imagine it was only two hundred meters from the Salinero gate. The weather was a bit chilly and the sky was cloudy, I didn’t think in my wildest imagination that I could see the roof of Africa from the hotel. After a short walk to Machame gate of Mount Kilimanjaro National Park, an unexpected golden sunset cleared the clouds at the peak of the mountain and rendered a view that was nothing short of beautiful. A breathtaking spectacle!

Rooms

The rooms at the lodge are spacious, well ventilated with large windows, they have a modern fully equipped bathroom with wide shower heads. The sink and mirror area are made of top quality grayish-black marble tiles counter tops. All rooms have expensive looking hard wood furniture, flat screen televisions, wardrobes, round coffee table with a set of two set comfortable seats, a telephone and burglar proof doors with modern locks. The beds have large black head boards giving the rooms a classy modern contemporary touch.

The bed…

The coffee table.

Large windows.

Restaurant

The restaurant faces the tropical rainforest of the national park from one end and the snowy peak of Mt.Kili on the other.It is spacious, tastefully furnished with a bit of a minimalist touch. There is an open balcony, huge windows, a small bar on one end of the restaurant which side that sums up the intricate design.

Meals

The restaurants have set menus, the chef’s delight (or chef’s choice), buffet and al a carte: all dependent on the number of guests and their preferences.

Dinner is served.

The compound

Right outside the entrance, there is an artificial fountain, to the further left, a pool table, as you walk down the stairs, it is evident that so much thought was put in the general landscaping of the property. The vibrant green perfectly cut grass and the colorful exotic flowers created beautiful magic.

There you have it!

Reach them on Facebook and book your stay.

Stay tuned for part three of my stay at Salinero Hotel in my next post…

If you missed how I got to Salinero read that post here.