New Year's in Amboseli

They had clean, modest rooms, well-manicured and landscaped grounds, a nice pool, and lots of baboons running around getting into things.

This was a large lodge with 96 rooms. All meals were buffets. You pay for all drinks, including water. There was a private bath, maid service, and game drives.

Be clear as to what you expect to be paying for and what you don't.

This was generally a great place to relax by the pool while the majority of the guests left the complex for the game ride or the Masai village tours. There were lots of families and tour groups here.

Not nearly as exciting as Etosha or the Mara, but there were still things to see. We saw some wonderful bird life, and the elephants had beautiful tusks. Had we been able to see Kilimanjaro, it might have been better, but we couldn't because of clouds.