Guide Price: From: $610 To: $690
When owner Colin Francombe talks you through the panorama from the verandah at Ol Malo, it feels as though you're standing on a great map of Kenya. Some 100 kilometres to the south is Mt Kenya. A little closer are the Lolldaiga Hills, and a short distance to the east, Samburu lies just behind a ridge of hills. Go north from here and you enter Kenya's wild Northern Frontier district.
Ol Malo lies on the edge of Laikipia, this area of Kenya feels tantalizingly like the edge of civilisation. Ol Malo was one of the first of Kenya's bush homes, so of course a large part of staying here is getting a taste of what it's like to actually live here, as the Francombes do.
Colin, Rocky and their son Andrew are relaxed and affable hosts, so you quickly feel as though you've known them for a while. Conversation is easy and, inevitably when you enter a world as different as this is compared to most people's lives, there are numerous stories of animals, people and places. Ol Malo is still very much a home; the family dogs are much in evidence (they're well behaved so you won't be bothered by them if dogs aren't your thing) and family photos hang on the walls, giving a glimpse of enchanted African childhoods.
Wildlife is not a highlight here, but you do stand the chance of seeing a real gem such as wild dog, if you have the patience to look. Principally this is somewhere to soak up the intoxicating and rarified atmosphere of this part of Africa and just take it all as it comes. If you take this approach it'll knock your socks off.
one of the original bush homes with only 4 cottages
From: 610 To: 690
Incl. FB, soft drinks, beer, house wine & spirits, laundry, activities within the ranch, airstrip transfer. Excl. cellar wine & premium spirits.
Laikipia is a vast expanse of wild country in the central highlands of Kenya - it covers almost 2 million acres and runs from Mt Kenya in the East to the Rift Valley in the west. Laikipia lies outside the jurisdiction of National Parks, and is somewhere to get out of a vehicle and embrace the numerous safari activities that Kenya has to offer. Read more?
Kenya is the most established safari country, and consequently you have to step a little off the conventional route to find real wilderness, but it’s certainly there. Kenya also has much going for it as a family destination, and also a good number of very individual safari camps and lodges with a personal approach that makes your experience very special. Kenya also has a particularly diverse ecology which ranges from snowy mountains to true desert, rolling grassy plains filled with wildlife to craggy scrub intersected with dry riverbeds, sparkling beaches and volcanic ranges. Read more?
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Vanessa's 16 years in travel has seen her knowledge develop from sub-Saharan Africa into North Africa, Central and Southern America and the Galapagos. Consequently, she’s a veritable encyclopaedia of travel information and exceptionally cool, calm and collected in the face of the greatest planning demands.
At Natural High, we've had long experience putting together trips in Africa that really work. Whether it's intimate bushcamps in out of the way places, or a private lodge in one of Africa's top-billing wildlife areas, light mobile camping or remote island escapes, we know there is a lot to choose from. We're absolutely confident that we can recommend the right places for you.
