Tucked into 140 acres of indigenous forest in a quiet suburb of Nairobi, Kenya stands an old colonial manor. It is a place where a herd of resident Rothschild giraffes roam freely, poking their heads into your bedroom windows eagerly looking for a treat, to share in a sun-downer, and then reappearing once more in the morning to share in your breakfast. Giraffe Manor offers an unparalleled experience to its guests. It is pure magic.
Visiting Giraffe Manor has been on my list for quite some time. If you have ever seen Instagram photos of the place, you’ll understand why. In fact, we built our entire trip to Kenya around a stay at this incredible property.
Upon arriving in Kenya, we were greeted by one of the manor’s friendly drivers who told us all about the history of the manor before delivering us to the charming little manor of my dreams. We had arrived just in time for afternoon tea!
Tea time is quite the event at the manor. Off in the distance, just as the scones and cookies are set out by the friendliest staff, a herd of giraffe emerge and make their way to the manor’s patio. They know you are there, waiting to feed them pellets, and they will happily pose for pictures and even give you kisses for a treat. Don’t worry, their saliva is antiseptic, so it’s totally safe (and highly recommended) to kiss a giraffe.
As the African sun sets, the giraffes turn in for the night and guests of the manor prepare for a gourmet meal in the manor’s dining room. While dinner is being prepared, you can relax by the fire with a cocktail in hand or roam around the manor and admire the beautifully appointed rooms. We visited the manor just after Christmas, and the fire place was still draped with Christmas stockings, one for each of the resident giraffes.
In the main house, dinner is served in three courses on a long table shared by all the manor’s guest. You will want to turn in early for the night because you will have an early wake up call in the morning by the resident giraffes who poke their heads into your suite’s bedroom window, inviting you down for the most incredible breakfast experience you will ever have.
Breakfast is quite the affair at Giraffe Manor! In the main house, the breakfast room is framed by large picture windows. The resident giraffes poke their heads in, waiting to be fed. The breakfast experience is really the reason to come to Giraffe Manor. It is truly incredible, and the food is also fantastic.
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After breakfast, at about 9:00 a.m.., the giraffes make their way to The Giraffe Center, located a short three-minute walk from the manor, to greet the waiting public who has come to visit (and feed) them for the day.
The Giraffe Center is a non-profit conservation education center that is open to the public, but free to guests of the manor. It provides visitors the opportunity to meet, learn about, interact with, and feed the giraffes. While it pales in comparison to the personal giraffe encounters offered by the manor, it is worth a visit to learn about the different types of giraffes (the others being the Maasai and reticulated giraffe), the distinguishing characteristics of each (each type has a unique and easily identifiable patterned marking), and the conservation efforts in Kenya through African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW). You will also learn a few facts about giraffes. In addition to learning that their saliva is antiseptic, we learned that giraffes barely sleep (less than two hours per day) and have such powerful legs that a giraffe kick can be lethal. I also learned first hand that some giraffes are head-butters.
So, how do you plan a stay at the manor? Well, you plan WAY in advance. Giraffe Manor only has 12 rooms split between the original house, called the Main Manor, and the Garden Manor which is a replica of the original manor. The property typically books up a year in advance. The Garden Manor is reserved for guests who are staying at more than one Safari Collection property. We were lucky enough to snag a cancellation in the Main Manor. You can check their availability right on their website.
While your stay includes all food and drink, it is still pricey at approximately $1,400 a night. However, a one-night stay is plenty to enjoy the property, and, in my opinion, the experience was worth the price tag. Just think of this as your vacation splurge, and maybe stay at more modest accommodations for the rest of your trip. Make sure you arrive in the early afternoon so you can really enjoy all that this the magical property has to offer.
The property is family friendly, but honestly, I wish it wasn’t. (Sorry, kids! It’s just too much going on with the giraffes and kids running around) There is an on-property spa and cute little gift shop as well. In addition to visiting The Giraffe Center, you can also schedule a visit to the nearby David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust (DSWT), an orphan-elephant rescue and conservation project. At DSWT, you can attend the public feeding of the rescued orphaned elephants and even foster your own elephant. More on that in my next blog post!
For now, it’s time to bid adieu to this magical hotel, and its beautiful resident giraffes!
