10/10
Reviewed Aug 20, 2026It’s truly a beautiful property with lush vegetation and a great view of lake Kabini.The place wonderfully serene, offering a peaceful expanse of open gardens all to ourselves. The staff is what makes the place amazing right from front desk, Naturalists, Garden staff, housekeeping, Spa, and dining. Chef Muddasir made our tea time really special with great snacks and custom order. Mahesh at the bar was great at keeping our evenings engaging with the bonfire backdrop. We are always greeted with a smile from every staff member.
While the massages at the spa were great, the infrastructure to support couples massage should be expanded to accommodate a couple comfortably within the steam room.
Filter coffee at the restaurant would have been better if served in the traditional way in steel cup.
10/10
Reviewed Jun 30, 2026Beautiful location! Super easy to do the safari! And the chef was incredible, helped me every evening with gluten free food which was always amazing!
n/a
10/10
Reviewed May 23, 2026The staff was extremely courteous and helpful..
Especially Mr.Mahesh and Mr.Shekar.
Internet connectivity was poor most of the time
10/10
Reviewed Apr 20, 2026My recent stay at The Serai Kabini was meant to be a quiet, riverside escape—a place to unwind and reconnect with nature. What I experienced, however, went far beyond relaxation; it was something deeply personal and memorable.
Set across a vast 60-acre property, with about 12 acres dedicated to the resort, the space feels expansive yet intimate. Nearly every room offers a river-facing view, and I was fortunate to have one overlooking not just the serene Kabini River but also distant hills—an ever-changing canvas of calm and beauty.
The resort offers a wide range of thoughtfully curated activities. From coracle rides, kayaking, and boat paddling on the river to more leisurely options like kite flying, table tennis, carrom, and foosball, there’s always something to do—if you can pull yourself away from simply soaking in the surroundings. The availability of bicycles to explore the riverbed and surrounding areas is a particularly nice touch. The private villas, complete with hammocks, invite you to slow down and truly disconnect.
Morning nature walks are another highlight. If you manage to start early, you’re rewarded with sightings of exotic migratory birds and an unmatched sense of tranquility.
Yet, as exceptional as the setting and activities are, they are still overshadowed by the warmth and hospitality of the people. Mr. Salim, the resort manager, is the heart of the experience. His genuine care and personal attention make you feel less like a guest and more like a member of his extended family. He goes out of his way to ensure not just comfort, but that you truly experience the best the property has to offer.
Dining at the in-house restaurant, Wildgrass, was another standout. Head Chef Mudasar is an absolute gem—his passion, creativity, and willingness to go beyond the menu made every meal special. Along with Luvhey and Prabakar, the team ensured that our culinary experience was both diverse and personalized.
5/10
Reviewed Mar 14, 2026Strategically well located and beautiful property also comfort food to dine
Inefficient staff being handling guests in lethargic way and false promises really irritating infact invoice to be emailed was promised during check out hasn't yet hit mail box and to top 25 calls to follow up is quite a bit disappointing.
Attitude of front desk staff with shift change excuses will definitely damage reputation safeguarded over decades of existence i seriously want you all to consider my honest opinion on such staff handling sensitive issues .
Never lie or false promise in hospitality industry.
10/10
Reviewed Feb 9, 2026A serene location with nature and birdsong with no disturbance
Nothing
9/10
Reviewed Jan 24, 2026The beautiful, calm and peaceful location, full of birds and birdsong. The friendly and efficient staff and good service. The warm welcome. The very comfortable accomodation and the delicious food.
Nothing except the loud noise of leaf blowers in the grounds on the day we arrived. We mentioned it to Saleem the manager in the evening and on the next day silence reigned. He had stopped it. A great response.
The location is excellent! The views from
the villas are really nice. Neatly maintained property. Courteous staff. The Spa is great too.
9/10
Reviewed Dec 29, 2025Great staff
Food could have been better
10/10
Reviewed Dec 7, 2025Excellent staff, brilliant location, awesome landscape & maintenance.
10/10
Reviewed Nov 28, 2025The very peaceful location on the banks of the Kabini river. The accommodation was excellent as were the attentive staff. The restaurant was very good indeed with a choice of North and South India menu, continental or Thai all reasonably priced. We were so impressed we have already booked to return.
Nothing
8/10
Reviewed Nov 18, 2025Great view from the balcony. Right on the riverfront. Good watersports faciliry
Food was not up to the mark. Especially lunch and dinner
10/10
Reviewed Nov 10, 2025The property at serai kabini was clean and serene ... the food was good and catered to customisation ... the staff was courteous and kind ... we had a lovely time ... they even took care of safari ride which is the highlight of kabini ... all in all a relaxed trip ...
It is a lovely place with a very lovely and helpful team.
The spot itself is a very beautiful place in the nowhere of paradise.
Our room was very comfortable and clean.
The food in the restaurant was delicious.
The morning walk with Shekhar was very informative and he surprised us several times by identifying birds and otters also over a large distance. Don't miss that opporrunity in the morning.
Further you should not miss the boat safari.
Booking of the room and communication with the back office was awful. One should be aware, that you need to pay in advance to keep the reservation. The whole process was not really supported by the back office. They asked for e-mail and phone number, but did not make any use of it. Neither did they communicate well via the booking message service. Only a direct phone call solved the payment issue.
On-site we experienced 2 issues, which doesn't fit to the price category of that hotel class. The pool was cold and the water not really clean.
Further you should check in advance if there will be any jeep safari. Due to a tiger issue the whole jeep safari business was closed and will most likely be closed for political reasons for several days. Thus, if you are aiming for a jeep safari we recommend to check in advance if they are back to service.
9/10
Reviewed Oct 27, 2025Very comfortable with good facilities for a safari type break
3/10
Reviewed Oct 15, 2025The lawn was good although the day we went had mowing in-parallel. Location is good.
1. Compared to Serai Bandipur or Serai Chikkamagaluru, the Serai Kabini lacks the class..!!
2. The room was smaller despite taking around 32,000 per day
3. Staffs could behave better; all looked as if they are not getting paid enough
4. Unusable walkways during rainy season
5. Uncovered parking. (My front windshield got broken)
6. The hammocks behind the room had fungus
10/10
Reviewed Jul 14, 2025Beautiful property, serene and tranquil
9/10
Reviewed Jul 14, 2025The naturalist who organised the Safari
The setting, the ambience, the facilities and kind and helpful staff. Ideal place for a family and children.
9/10
Reviewed Jun 13, 2025Our stay at the The Serai Kabini was wonderful, we had a great experience, all the facilities were amazing, the entire staff was very helpful, they were prompt in doing our bookings to safaris and also arranged pick-up and drop for the same.
5/10
Reviewed May 17, 2025Only locations was good .
No amenities. Not a great value for money. Absolutely boring for kids.
9/10
Reviewed May 15, 2025Nice and calm location close to Kabini Lake. Very nice pool.
Good facilities for childeren but still peaceful for adults.
Very good breakfast with a lot of variety.
We did two safaris during our stay. We saw a tiger, wild dogs, deer, elephant, paradise flycatcher, eagle, vulture , hoopoe ...
Be aware that 20% extra taxes apply on the bill when checking out. This may come as an unpleasant suprise.
10/10
Reviewed Apr 25, 2025Excellent place !
9/10
Reviewed Mar 25, 2025Located in a beautiful area by the river
9/10
Reviewed Mar 21, 2025Wonderfully chilled.
Great quality and ambience
Super friendly
Restaurant really good and staff great but kitchen needs to offer bone free curries!!
8/10
Reviewed Jan 18, 2025Beautiful scenic lake-side location and setting of cabin style rooms on the property.
Lack of prevention/management of mosquitos and insects after dusk.
7/10
Reviewed Jan 13, 2025The stay was nice, food choices were limited.The spa was excellent, the massage lady was excellent.
I felt the safari and camera charges were exorbitant, not worth the money..Other places the charges are less and there is a sure sighting but here despite taking so much money there was no sighting and also the people conducting it, didn't look interested, looks like a money making thing.
The location on the lake.
The safaris are government controlled, and they have a set number of seats for private Jeep and Canter, even though we requested early in our booking, they were unable to guarantee seats. It still takes 45 minutes - to leave the property before arriving for the start of the safari, so it makes the process longer.
You should also do your research if Tiger sightings are important.
10/10
Reviewed Dec 26, 2024Everything
Nothing
10/10
Reviewed Dec 21, 2024The service staff were outstanding, the property itself gorgeous and food was great
The reluctance of the staff to talk to Guests who are too loud
10/10
Reviewed Dec 1, 2024The serenity, the calm riverfront. Most importantly the bonfire. The cuisine was nice
The price was on the higher side
9/10
Reviewed Nov 20, 2024Great room, great views, very good food & lovely staff.
Gym could be better, bikes on offer rusted, & tie up with other snooty resorts for safari viewings which resulted in us seeing very less.
10/10
Reviewed Nov 16, 2024One of the best properties that I have stayed in. It's a really beautiful property though the prices of the room could be a bit high, but the experience makes it worth it.
This is a great place for a weekend getaway for couples and families. I loved how amazing and kind the staff was here. The package also includes a few water activities - Kayaking, paddling, etc.- in the river itself (and that is completely safe, too!). You also get a lot of indoor activities like Archery, foosball, TT, and carrom board (it would be great if you could add a few board games, too).
I loved the options we got in the breakfast buffet every day and the food is great. The entire property is well-maintained.
You can add a few of the board games. I was a bit disappointed with the lack of books of different genres in the library, which could be something that could be looked at.
10/10
Reviewed Oct 13, 2024Unique is the location ,which brings a calmness to the place. The service is really good but the Alacarte service can be long based on your order. More menu items can be added as well. The properry has a wonderful pool which is well maintained. Staff are very polite and ever ready to help
10/10
Reviewed Oct 5, 2024Serenity of the surroundings, attentive staff and charming accomodations made this a restorative escape from the city. The Oma Signature massage was the perfect beginning to our stay. Arranging a jeep safari in the Nagarhole Tiger Reserve was easy through the reception staff here. Wildgrass restaurant offered a good variety of options, and the bar was a pleasant nook to start the evening. Perhaps our favorite times were spent sitting on the veranda overlooking the lake and listening to the birds.
7/10
Reviewed Sep 10, 2024Location good
Food and activities inside the resort
10/10
Reviewed Jul 19, 2024The location and the aesthetics
Nothing as such
10/10
Reviewed Jul 5, 2024Tranquil location that is tucked away from bustle of a city. Access to backwaters and the unobstructed view from each room is excellent.
10/10
Reviewed May 5, 2024They accommodated us and 2 children in one villa which was great. Staff were friendly and helpful. Food was lovely and well priced.
That we couldn't roast marshmallow on the fire as they use diesal to start it.
8/10
Reviewed Apr 22, 2024The rooms were really nice, comfortable. The food was great
The bathrooms had some issues though they repaired it at once
10/10
Reviewed Apr 9, 2024Peaceful, beautiful location, great service, good price for great food, very nice room, just great!
10/10
Reviewed Apr 7, 2024Everything at the place was exceptional - the rooms, location, staff, facilities, quality. Exceeding all expectations!
We would have welcomed clearer information about safari arrangements ahead of the visit. With lack of clarity we booked safaris elsewhere, but had to cancel once information was provided only on arrival at the hotel itself.
8/10
Reviewed Mar 31, 2024Location
Ambiance
Room service
8/10
Reviewed Mar 18, 2024Gorgeous property with genuinely lovely staff. The on-site naturalist Chamu was particularly fantastic.
I wanted to address two things that I believe could genuinely help the property improve.
1. Staff seems mainly hired from local community, which is lovely. We found everyone to have the absolute right attitude and approach to service. However, more training is required. None of the staff knew what an iced latte was or how to make any iced coffee drink without adding a ton of sugar. Several Western requirements for food also not catered to or understood. Also, we heard the head chef greet the kitchen staff with a loud, "Jai Shree Ram". Several staff were not Hindu and also, as guests, this felt incredibly unprofessional and problematic. It made us deeply uncomfortable and was likely uncomfortable (to put it mildly) for any non-Hindu staff. This is the absolute most BASIC requirement for staff to show up as professionals and leave political and religious affiliations to the personal domain. This fact alone would be a reason for us not to come stay again.
2. Eco-friendliness--we loved the glass jugs of water in our room instead of plastic bottles. Many resorts are also doing away with individually-packaged bath products. This would be a great win for Serai. Also, to require guests to carry their own water bottles on safaris, instead of providing plastic bottles.
10/10
Reviewed Feb 14, 2024Great property and service. The staff is very friendly and accommodating.
9/10
Reviewed Jan 26, 2024Location , landscape, staff and ofcourse the beautiful scenery....food buffet can be much better..room service food... was great...dylan , krishna , bajrangi and mahesh were standout..heaven on earth vibes...
Dining restaurant can be better in food and decor
10/10
Reviewed Dec 26, 2023Overall staff was very courteous and helpful. They made the stay very pleasant. The safari bookings were done so seamlessly and the experience was great.
Not applicable
9/10
Reviewed Dec 24, 2023Liked the clean fresh rooms....Staff took good care...A special mention abt Mr.Chamrraj who guided us well on the safaris n Manoj who kept the room clean n fresh....
Nil
10/10
Reviewed Dec 19, 2023Super lakeside location. Beautiful villas. Excellent decor.
Nothing
10/10
Reviewed Dec 15, 2023Such a wonderful safari resort for families. We stayed two nights and it was wonderful. Very clean and attentive staff. Food options were great and our child with a wheat allergy had plenty of options. My wife enjoyed the spa and the kids enjoyed the play area. We will definitely be back again and only stay at Serai.
Loved the landscaping and garden and riverside areas. The restaurant was nice with an eclectic menu
The mattress was extremely uncomfortable, over soft and both my wife and I ended up returning home with literally broken backs. The included breakfast was very average as well. I expected better from Serai.
6/10
Reviewed Nov 26, 2023Resort ambience, location, good hospitality
Food was a major draw back. Not worth the cost. Vegan s have very limited options
8/10
Reviewed Nov 17, 2023Lake and boating experiences
Not many activities to do other than safari and boating
9/10
Reviewed Oct 27, 2023The location was brilliant. But yes, as we had opted for Waterfront Verandah, the view of the river was not that clear as it was covered by the trees.
Breakfast was excellent. Appreciate it.
Thanks.
All Good!
