We are staying on rented points at AKL-Kidani. I was asking my boyfriend which was more important to him: not having a looong walk to our room or…couldn’t finish my sentence when he said seeing animals! The whole point of staying in the safari zone is to see animals!
I tried to explain to him that I can request a partial savannah view, but since I booked a standard view it’s not guaranteed but there are public viewing areas. He said he’s gonna be pissed if he can’t walk out on the balcony and see animals. I told him I’m sure he’ll find some birds and squirrels.
There are definitely some mislabeled room views on the Kidani Room Finder.
I just checked and see some eastern rooms on the North Trail facing the savanna labeled as “standard”
Example 7636
While standard rooms on the North Trail facing west are labeled “savanna”.
Including this room (7631) that faces a parking lot:
User comments indicate that the labels are incorrect
I would try to find Standard views that are near the access roads. Some of these rooms were originally categorized as Savanna view rooms and were reclassified in 2015. See this post:
I did use the room finder and had picked out a specific room, but then I read that some of them aren’t correct, so I think I’m just going to say we would love to have a partial savannah view.
Just be aware that Member Services have reportedly been refusing to add “partial savannah view” as a room request recently.
So your best bet, if that is the case for you (as we all know this can be inconsistent), is to use the TP fax instead. But again you may need to be creative in your wording. Doing the work up front to try and narrow down the room numbers may be worth while. At least then, if the CM won’t add the term “partial savannah view” then at least the room numbers give you a shot at one.
I don’t know when you’re going or from whom you are renting, but is there any possibility of upgrading to a savanna room? AKL is my favorite resort, but I couldn’t imagine staying there and not having a savanna view…
We rented points from David’s, so we won’t be upgrading. I was ok with not having a Savannah view when I decided to stay here. We won’t be spending much time in the room.
And it’s not like there aren’t numerous places to watch the animals from the resort; I actually like the outlook point at Kidani better than the larger “Arusha Rock” lookout at Jambo. The last time we went, when we were on the outlook (and we were about the only people there), we met an awesome CM/animal specialist and had a 45 minute “private” class on all of the animals in the savanna, some of the care and feeding, and other “fun facts”. This is where we learned than until it reaches a certain temperature (we were there in December), the giraffes will not leave their heated barn.
You are correct!
Your boyfriend sounds like my significant other.
Kidani Village is great! I stayed in a savanna view studio here with my sister and parents in May 2019 by default because there were no standard rooms left when we booked (and yes, I would stay savanna view again because waking up in the morning to the call of the African crowned cranes was awesome). However, I don’t think a savanna view room is essential for enjoying Kidani Village - AKL.
There is a safari overlook on the savanna from the pool area and it is fantastic. My mother and I went over to the pool on our afternoon at Kidani because we are pool people (my dad and sister are not). The savanna outlook by the Maji Pool Bar was completely empty. We had the place to ourselves (there was not one other soul at the bar/grill area). We could see all the animals including the AKL Okapi (I am a big fan of Okapis). We could see the velveteen fur on the okapi; he/she was so close.
We stayed in a Kidani standard view room last year. We requested 7637 or 7737 based on the photos on the Touring Plans Room Finder (Yes, a few of the other rooms in that area are mislabeled so when it seems obvious that it’s a savanna room but marked standard don’t request that). We got 7737 and it was excellent. Not only a view of the animals but also not a far walk from the lobby or underneath parking garage (we had a car), and very close to the pool. The rooms further down by the access trail are a really long walk from everything. My view was exactly what is shown on Room Finder. The rooms above those may work but could be too high for a good animal view.
Oh also, I didn’t use the term “partial savanna view.” I just said it would be nice to get a peek at the animals if those requested rooms weren’t available.
Not sure if this has been posted or not, I’m losing track! And I don’t know if it will be of much help, except that it might explain why some rooms are mis-classified on the TP room finder.
But I believe any room that overlooks the savannah but has a pen in front of it was reclassified as standard. The pens are for kinda emergency use, so because the animals were farther away than from other rooms, people would complain.
I thought of that too, but some of them are labeled standard and look amazing, with comments that they are incorrect. I can see some maybe still being labeled savannah that have been changed to standard.
No I don’t think that’s a reclassified room. The reclassified rooms are further down by the access road. 7637 is standard; it’s classification appears to be switched with the room behind it (7636) which is improperly listed as standard. I believe all the 37’s are standard; they are all the same view just different floors.
