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Chyulu Hills, Kenya

Ol Donyo Wuas

We love the feeling of Ol Donyo Wuas. The rooms are gorgeous and you can watch Mt. Kilimanjaro and the wildlife outside from your bed! An additional bonus to the safari activities here is horseback riding.

While the wildlife viewing here is good, it is recommended to combine this stay with one or two other parks in the country.

 — Mango's view

Ol Donyo Wuas lies in the foothills of the Chyulu Range, halfway between Tsavo and Amboseli National Parks. It is on a concession of 300,000 acres of communal Maasai owned land, which is also part of the Amboseli eco-system.

Built in 1986 as Richard Bonham's private home, the lodge consists of 7 individual cottages and a beautiful, centrally positioned mess/dining room built of local materials with spectacular views of Mt. Kilimanjaro. Each cottage has an en-suite bathroom, and the electricity and hot water is generated by a solar system with wood burning stoves as backup.

Activities include game drives in open Land Rovers and game viewing from blinds built over watering holes. All of the Big Five can be found on the Ranch. Rhino are also here, but reside in dense cover. Other animals that can be seen are ostrich, oryx, eland, gerenuk, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, Thompson's and Grant's gazelle, reedbuck, cheetah, hyena, jackal and bat-eared fox. Horse riding on the ten resident horses that vary in experience, walking around the Ol Donyo Wuas open plains, cultural visits to nearby Maasai villages, picnic bush breakfasts and dinners are other activities on offer.

Ol Donyo Wuas has recently been Highly Commended for the British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Awards for their community projects and eco-friendly practices.

Includes: All meals, soft drinks, beer & house wine, laundry & safari activities (game drives, guided walks, cultural visits & horseback riding)