Set in 140 acres of forest on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital, Giraffe Manor was built in 1932 by David Duncan of the ‘Macintosh Toffee’ family. Inspired by Scottish hunting lodges, it earned its unusual name as a result of an effort by Jock & Bette Leslie Melville (who had bought the Manor from David Duncan) to save two highly endangered Rothschild giraffe. They were moved onto the estate and they thrived, as did future generations. So much so that the property is now also home to the Giraffe Centre, established by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife.
Judging from the four poster beds, the stone fireplaces, the big beams, the leaded windows and the panelled doors, you really could be in a lodge in Scotland. That is, until a giraffe sticks its head through the window and tries to steal your toast from the breakfast tray. This being a manor, there is a dining room, not a restaurant and the bar is a living room with big, overstuffed club chairs and a large stone fireplace. The food is fresh and homemade, like what you would expect from a hunting lodge in Scotland with an African twist.