Ol Malo Laikipia, Kenya

£1,272.00

Ol Malo is a charming game sanctuary set on a 5,000-acre working ranch. It provides a delightful escape from urban life, set in an astounding natural landscape, and with a range of unusual safari activities on offer. Staying here is a hands-on, exciting way to experience Kenya’s wildlife.

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Description

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Location

Perched on the cliffs of the Laikipia Plateau, Ol Malo feels utterly remote, and it is, being a three-hour drive from the nearest town. To get here, either schedule a private air charter to the hotel’s own airstrip, or book a daily scheduled flight to Loisaba airstrip and you’ll be picked up for the 40-minute drive back to the ranch (a game drive in itself, as you’ll spot plenty of fascinating creatures as the 4×4 bumps along the road).

Style and Character

Ol Malo manages to balance a sense of luxury with a feeling of being at home. Open spaces, enormous windows and natural materials mean you always feel at one with the extraordinary landscape around you, where it’s normal to hear elephants and see giraffes as you’re walking up the path to breakfast. Handmade lights, roaring fires and rustic furniture create a warm atmosphere, with guests from all over the world sitting around the fire with a drink after dinner to catch up on all the things they’ve seen that day.

Service and Facilities

The owners of Ol Malo have lived here for decades and couldn’t be friendlier and more hands-on, getting to know each guest and personally taking them out on safari drives, walks and camel- and horse-riding experiences.

There’s a lovely infinity pool and barbecue area, and a large, cosy sitting room with open fireplaces, but although these are fine places to relax in, where the hotel really excels is in its excursions. Samburu guides are on hand to guide guests through a number of spellbinding adventures, whether coming face-to-face with herds of elephants on a game drive, or walking across the hilly terrain to meet members of the Samburu tribe. There’s an endless list of activities, including sleeping under the stars, night game drives, helicopter camping and more.

The Wi-Fi isn’t terribly reliable, but you won’t be thinking about Netflix with this many activities on offer.

Wi-Fi
Bar
Pool
Laundry
Room service

Rooms

There are 10 rooms in total, four in the lodge, ideal for couples and solo travellers, and six in the house, more suited for families and bigger groups. The rooms are spectacular: incredibly spacious and full of intrigue, with giant windows, rustic African interiors, handwoven furnishings and large, cosy beds. The bathrooms are equally spacious, with separate showers and tubs shaped like the animals that roam in the plateau beneath. All rooms have panoramic views of Mount Kenya and Kenya’s northern frontier district, and it’s perfectly possible to see giraffes, elephants and more from your bed, balcony or bathtub.

Food and Drink

There’s no formal restaurant at the hotel, but all meals are provided. Breakfast is certainly an experience: while you’re munching on homemade muesli and yoghurt, it’s not unusual for the resident eland to try to steal some cornflakes. Lunch and dinner are also included, with much of the produce, such as camel’s milk and vegetables, sourced from the lodge’s own ranch — when the nearby elephants don’t raid the garden.

Meals are healthy and light, with salads, homegrown meats, quiches, soups and roasts on offer. As the lodge is so remote, advance warning is needed to cater for special dietary requirements. Guests usually eat together, but if you want some alone time, separate tables or meals on your own private veranda can also be arranged.

Value for Money

Double rooms from $1,670 (£1,272) in low season; and from $1,900 (£1,447) in high, including all meals, drinks, shared game drives, guided walks, airstrip transfers and laundry. Free Wi-Fi.

Access for guests with disabilities?

There’s one adapted room, as well as wheelchair access to the main areas.

Family-Friendly?

With the owners’ young children running around, kids will feel right at home here. There are a number of interconnecting rooms, as well as cots and extra beds. There’s no formal kids’ club, but the Samburu guides can take children on adventures such as tracking and teach them how to make bows and arrows.

Ol Malo Lodge, Laikipia County Province, Kenya.

00 254 20 6000457 olmalo.com