Oldonyo Lodge
Ol Donyo Lodge is in the heart of the 275,000 acre Mbirikani Group Ranch, located on the slopes of the Chyulu Hills National Park between the Amboseli and Tsavo West National Parks in southeast Kenya.
Its location is unrivalled with full views of Mount Kilimanjaro and in the path of seasonal elephant migrations. It is a lodge rich in history, passion and conservation.
Ol Donyo Lodge’s founder Richard Bonham had often flown over this spectacular landscape but one day in the 1980s, he was moved to land his Cessna on the open plains and meet the local Maasai. That was only the first of many meetings, before the birth of a pioneering community conservation tourism project.
Camp Access
Ol Donyo Lodge is primarily accessed by seat-in plane air transfers or private charters. On arrival at the airfield, the vehicle transfer to the lodge is approximately 30 minutes allowing time for game viewing.
Accommodation
Ol Donyo Lodge consists of ten expansive guest suites in six stand-alone villas. No two spaces are of the same design but all have a dramatic view of the archetypal African savannah and its flat top acacia trees with Mount Kilimanjaro in the background.
The décor is luxurious and opulent, while still retaining the atmosphere and sense of place that is an essential ingredient of an outstanding bush lodge.
Art from around Africa coupled with the photography of Carol Beckwith and Angela Fisher create a commanding space under the high thatch roofs. The design is contemporary and yet traditional.
All suites have a lounge, verandah, indoor and outdoor showers, double washbasins, flush toilet and bath, and “star-bed”. The rooftop “star-bed” is accessed from the verandah via a winding stone staircase. This is a fabulous sleep-out option, with utter privacy and all the amenities of the suite just below.
All but two of the suites have their own private pools. These two stand-alone standard suites are Asali and Mpya.
Activities
Early morning and late afternoon/early evening 4×4 open game drives, guided bushwalks, bush dinners, night drives, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, tracking, conservation and community out-reach programs, wildlife viewing in a open air hide, sleeping under African night sky on private star-beds.
Wildlife
Strong populations of wildlife find their habitat in and around the ol Donyo Lodge environs. While the “Big Five” are here – rhino, elephant, lion, leopard and buffalo – they are frequently masters of elusivity; however, cheetah, fringe-eared oryx, gerenuk, and giraffe make for easy viewing.
Guests are able to track wildlife by open game drive vehicles, by foot, or horseback. Late afternoon and early evening drives are featured for those interested in spotting the more elusive nocturnal species.
