By Philip Mwakio

One can view the wild from a cosy tent at the Ashnil Aruba Lodge.

 An outdoor table that overlooks the pool area.
 A section of the restaurant (left) and a part of the deck where one can enjoy the services of efficient chefs. Photos: Maarufu Mohamed/Standard
Only 160 kilometres from the port city of Mombasa, Ashnil Aruba Lodge is centrally located within the expansive Tsavo East National Park. From the lodge, one can easily travel through the wild to sample the longest lava floor that is the Yatta plateau, which stretches 300 kilometres. At the lodge, one will also see the scenic Lugard Falls.

Sitting on 85 acres of swampy and marshy land, the lodge opened its doors to the public last year in April and has become so popular especially with cruise ship passengers who dock at the Mombasa port for daylong stays.

The lodge takes its name from Aruba Dam, an oasis of limpid brown water that forms an irresistible attraction to animals. It offers an excellent view of wild animals that come to drink from this dam including elephants, lions, buffaloes, zebras, gazelles and hippos. Sadly, harsh weather conditions, prolonged drought and upstream activities have led to massive silting, heavily choking the dam.

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The lodge has 40 deluxe rooms, each with a terrace overlooking either the Tsavo plains or the Aruba Dam. Each room is designed to provide utmost comfort, complete with en suite toilets and shower facilities. The rooms come in doubles and triplets but there are also rooms for the physically challenged and adjoining rooms that come in handy for families.