You absolutely must…
Must Visit:
Before anything else you must visit the Giraffe Centre set up on the property for Kenyan school children and visitors to learn ecology and conservation. The Manor’s surrounding forest is a preserved slice of the indigenous forest that surrounded Nairobi and now provides habitat for many species of birds, families of warthog and the elusive bush buck.
Must Eat:
In the hotel’s dining room, especially when the giraffe on the lawn stick their heads in to investigate.
• The leafy setting of a private 140 acre forest.
• The charming eccentricity of a Scottish hunting lodge on the highland of Africa, with a herd of domesticated giraffe roaming freely around the property.
• A good introduction to Kenya as a stopover on arrival in Nairobi.
The Whole Story
Giraffe Manor is a legend; a small hotel just outside Nairobi with a big reputation. 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 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 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. The experience of staying at Giraffe Manor is more like being the guest of an eccentric uncle than a conventional hotel experience. An eccentric uncle who happens to be very fond of giraffe. Because of its close proximity to Nairobi it is likely to be a traveller’s first port of call, and there isn’t a more appropriate introduction to Africa.
The Rooms
Faded elegance in style, with interiors such as found in a hunting lodge in Scotland. The en-suite rooms have wooden floors and anglophile antiques, some with twin beds and some with four poster beds. There is also family sized room available on request.