• Shompole is unique because it offers a very stylish, ‘back to nature’ experience in a completely untouched part of Africa.
• Most of the staff are Masai and still wear traditional dress. They can tell fascinating stories about lions, leopards and hyenas.
• If you dream of being vastly outnumbered by the wild, Shompole is the place.
The Whole Story
Take the organic minimalism of legendary Japanese-American sculptor Isamu Noguchi, mix in the exotic and capacious palapa architecture of Mexico, pop the whole package on a steep and lofty position in Kenya, with sweeping views of a mighty volcano opposite and the dusty plains of a conservation area below, and you have your Shompole soundbite.
In terms of looks and experience, there’s nothing like it in Africa. Shompole combines a previously unvisited and uniquely unexploited part of East Africa (it has marshes, mountains and salt flats) with an equally unique approach to accommodation.
Until quite recently, this vast stretch of southern Kenya, framed by the massive mountain ridge known as the Nguruman escarpment, was home only to the odd traditional Masai village and its cows, as well as herds of zebra, wildebeest, impala, buffalo, kudu and onyx, packs of baboons, parties of giraffe, and the more elusive lion and leopard. Just on the other side of the escarpment is the Masai Mara, site of massive annual migrations of zebra and wildebeest. Less than an hour away by four-wheel-drive is Tanzania’s fabled Lake Natron, home to one of the world’s largest and most photogenic flamingo populations.
Clearly, this is not an area short on potential wildlife experience and yet, part of the motivation for building this exquisitely beautiful lodge in such a remote location was to have a place in the bush where you could lie around and do nothing, in complete privacy. With the exception of Shompole’s organic bungalows, nothing here has changed. The Masai still live as they’ve always done, tending their livestock, dressed in their red loincloths and tribal blankets, adorned with beaded jewellery and armed with a sword-like knife And the wild animals are still uncomfortable around humans because there are so few of us. In fact, it would be safe to say that the only cars in the entire Shompole conservation park belong to Anthony Russell, the brains and brawn (financially speaking) behind Shompole.
A seasoned safari camp entrepreneur, Russell recognized the extraordinary beauty of the area which inspired architecture and design of the lodge. Utilizing the earthy traditions of Africa, such as roofs of thatch, walls rendered with mud, and timber used in its found state, Russell set about building a collection of bungalows that are completely minimal in their absence of decoration, but bewitchingly in tune with their environment. They are vast bush platforms, completely dedicated to allowing the visitor to enjoy the surroundings in as hedonistic and laid-back a fashion as possible.
Most importantly, disturbing the environment with intrusive ‘mod cons’, such as air-conditioning, glass or concrete, was not an option. Practical matters, such as keeping cool in what can be one of the most blisteringly hot parts of Africa were addressed in a completely natural way. Fresh spring water runs down gullies flanking the entrance to each bungalow, cascades down the back of the bed, continues running along the base of the bed, and eventually empties into a personal plunge pool. Because the water keeps moving, there is no need to add chlorine, nor does it present a hazard vis-à-vis mosquitoes, and the presence of the water, in conjunction with a slight breeze, acts as a natural air-conditioner, without that annoying humming.
As for sleeping at night, the open pavilions sport enormous mesh tents, which are zipped shut to keep out bugs and creepy-crawlies. It’s a clever combination: you maintain the sensation of sleeping in the great outdoors, with only a roof of thatch over your head, while you are in fact neatly cocooned in a mosquito-net marquee.
Shompole is unique because it offers a very stylish, ‘back to nature’ experience in a completely untouched part of Africa. Most of the staff are Masai and still wear traditional dress and, if you insist, they can tell stories about lions, leopards and hyenas that will make you feel very silly about being afraid of spiders and snakes.
If you dream of having Africa to yourself, of being vastly outnumbered by the wild and with no other bwana for hundreds of miles, Shompole is the place.
The Rooms
The lodge has eight rooms and these are constructed using naturally occurring white quartz stone, pale thatch and fig-wood and using water as the prime feature. Each tented room has its own cool-pool, informal seating area and a bathroom with a view.