Rafiki Lodge Sipi

If you are traveling to Sipi Falls, or even if you haven’t even considered such, I would highly recommend staying at the scenic Rafiki Lodge. The lodge sits above the beautiful gorge into which the falls drain into. We chose the honeymoon suite, which is right at the edge of the gorge, and has spectacular views of the waterfalls. The food was very good, the staff was exceptionally helpful and courteous,, and the rooms were clean, large, and the honeymoon suite itself had full windows so that you could sit in bed and look out over the gorge. Highly recommended.

We unfortunately ran into a number of issues when we had booked at Rafiki Lodge in December. 1. the payment link wasn't working. 2. the family unit we had booked had been given to a couple instead 3. we were put in a double room where the toilet wasn't working and the rooms were poorly maintained 4. wifi wasn't available as it hadn't been reloaded 5. food was a hand written menu with 3-4 very basic options 6. card machine wasn't working and with prices of 200USD per night it was impossible to withdraw enough money at an ATM for a stay of 3-4 nights 6. there were renovations happening on top of the restaurant and for sunset constructors and people from the village would hang out on top of the restaurant which certainly diminished the experience of dining on the deck with views of the fall. Ultimately, and unfortunately, this made us take the difficult decision of ending our stay before it had started and find a different lodge, where we could get a proper room and be able to pay for it with a credit card. It seemed like Rafiki lodge had an absent manager - poor response on email - and the intermediate manager at the lodge was trying to solve more issues than he was able to.

Stunning views, amazing food, quiet and peaceful ambience. The staff went out of their way to do little things like put soup on the menu when they learned our 9 year old loved the soup and make fish and chips three days in a row because kids are picky. All meals were wonderful, but we especially appreciated their understanding and kindness with the kids. Lodging was simple, clean and comfortable, shower was hot and lasted through all four of us. I wish we could open the windows and allow the breeze to flow through on warmer days, but it doesn’t seem to be a common practice at any of the lodges. Family lodge was more space than we needed, and situated in away that made it dim inside, but it didn’t much matter because we were outside most of the time and ready for bed by the time we were settled inside! Afternoon naps on our cottage patio were a daily occurrence! The outdoor sofas are large and comfortable- a perfect reading or napping spot after a strenuous hike. I hope now that Covid is over they can get the revenue needed to finish the second floor over the restaurant and complete some updates. Can’t wait to see the place flourish. We are already planning to go back and will stay at Rafiki again- it’s welcoming atmosphere and amazing views are worth it.

The food was horrible if you are not a fish eater you could go with out food. Warning the chicken curry is full of bones broken and sharp. Our complementary breakfast never came. they have 3 items on there dinner menu and you still have to wait 1.5 to 2 hours for it to arrive. When you go to check out they had no credit card machine so that added a layer of difficulty to the stay.

The location of this lodge is superb - right on the escarpment overlooking the falls, walking distance into the little town. We had a double room with ensuite bathroom and a nice shared balcony that had a gorgeous view of the falls. You could also see the falls from inside the room because it had two walls of windows. It was a bit of a hike down steep stairs to access the room though. The hot water in the shower did not work, so we had cold showers, which was disappointing. We booked full board and the food was excellent and plentiful. They were able to accommodate dietary restrictions. The pillows on the bed were terrible, but the mattress itself was reasonably comfortable. The staff were helpful, pleasant and professional. The wifi connection is only available in the restaurant - it works, but the signal is not very strong.

Overall our stay was ordinary the property has amazing views from both the restaurant and the rooms and the staff are really nice. However the property is let down by lacking proper management and the overall confusion with check in and sorting out problems during our stay,we had no hot water for the 3 days and there was no wifi until the last day only due to other guests continuously complaining until rectified.we also felt sorry for staff that got spoken to very rudely by another group of guests that were staying at the time, which in our opinion no one should have been spoken to like they were when staff were trying to do there best they could,which also goes back to the property lacking management that could have sorted the rude and arrogant guests and not looked so unprofessional in the eyes of the other guests that were staying at the time.so overall our opinion is it’s overpriced for what you get and until better management is put into place to sort problems and control unpleasant guests there are better places to stay in Sipi falls

We found Rafiki Lodge at Sipi a great place to stay for 3 nights. We got upgraded to their best room (the honeymoon suite) as they were quite quiet, and the view across the valley and to the falls was incredible. The staff were all very friendly and helpful, including when one of our party wasn't feeling very well - they were able to liaise with our tour guide for us and also serve our meals at our room. We were half board and the food was wonderful - 3 or 4 different things to choose from each night and all our meals were delicious and filling. We had a really relaxing stay and would highly recommend.

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