What are the USPs of Ol Tukai Lodge?

The USP of Ol Tukai Lodge is that we are the only lodge in the middle of Amboseli National Park. All other properties are located outside the national park. The views from our property are stunning. We are located right in front of Mount Kilimanjaro which is the highest peak in Africa, right in the middle of the grasslands of Savannah, thus our guests get to see all the animals passing right in front of the lodge on a daily basis.

The watering hole is located just next to the property. So, you can see herds of the Amboseli elephants, which are the largest elephants in Africa. Guests can experience the majestic wildlife of Africa right from their balconies and do not even have to go for a safari. So that is the biggest advantage that we have.

Ol Tukai is located right in front of Mount Kilimanjaro which is the highest peak in Africa

In terms of the location of the Amboseli National Park, the advantage that we have is that it is quite close to Nairobi. Majority of the Indian tourists want to go to the Maasai Mara, but Maasai Mara is a seven-hour drive and Amboseli is a four hour from Nairobi. So, the views, the location, and obviously the Amboseli elephants are our biggest selling points.

Another experience we offer to our guests is an opportunity to witness the local Maasai community in their natural habitat. The Maasai live in a very unique way. Their houses, also known as Manyattas are built from cow dung.

The visitors get to see how they look, visit their houses and witness their unique traditions like the Maasai dance, which involves a lot of jumping. And you would be surprised at how high they can jump.

What makes Ol Tukai ideal for Indian travellers?

We noticed that a majority of Indians travelling to other countries will experiment different cuisines for one or two days. Then the third day they would want to have Indian food. So, we cater to that very well.

We have an Indian specialty chef at the lodge. He is Kenyan, but has been trained by an Indian chef. So, the meals that he prepares are extremely authentic and we have received very positive feedback from the Indian clients. 

How many Indians visited your lodge this year compared to 2023?

Before 2022, we hardly saw any Indians coming into Amboseli, however, over the last year from and in 2024, we have seen these numbers rise. The Indian segment now is the sixth largest for us and we have seen this growth just in the last few years. Therefore, we feel that India is now growing a market for us, and that is the reason we are here.

Which segment of tourists from India is most important for you?

We do not get too much of MICE, but mainly families and groups. We have noticed that the Indians very rarely travel as a couple or solo. They normally travel in groups, either with their families or friends, and we get large groups like that.

What is your strategy to attract more Indian travellers?

From what I have been told, we have just scratched the surface so far. The normal tendency for the Indian traveller is that they do other destinations. And we feel that as of now, only a well-travelled Indian might choose Kenya as a destination. We are trying to do that now, to bring Kenya to the attention of the Indians. 

Ol Tukai Lodge also organises cultural interactions with the Maasai community

With our marketing partners, what we intend to do is ensure that they go out, meet with the tour operators here on a regular basis. We will also now make our visits a little more regular. I think it is important for the sellers in this area to get to know the property owners, because when they actually get to meet with us, only then they can develop trust in our product, that this is a genuine and the right property for their clients. 

Going forward I think we will be participating in more events and will organise more roadshows in India and also continue with our current promotional strategies.