Kenya Safari

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 often elusive; however, cheetah, fringe-eared oryx, gerenuk, and giraffe make for frequent viewing. Guests are able to track wildlife by open safari vehicles, as well as by foot, or horseback (described below). The best times to be out are from first light for the morning drive, and from 4-4:30 pm for the afternoon drives. These are the times when most of the action is likely to happen. Night drives give you the opportunity to discover a range of unusual and nocturnal animals and view the breathtaking African stars. These drives commence after dinner service at approximately 9:30 pm. Please remember that the vehicles are open and it can be quite chilly in the early mornings and evenings, so take very warm clothing with you on your drives. There are also shukha (blankets) and lined ponchos provided in the vehicles if you get cold while out.

With 275,000 acres of open plains and the dramatic, ancient volcanic soil Chyulu Hills to explore at ol Donyo Lodge this vast region provides a truly unique riding experience. Riding is available all year round at no additional cost.

RIDE OPTIONS
INTERMEDIATE AND ABOVE
For Intermediate riders and above we offer 2 to 4 hour rides exploring the concession. Enjoy exhilarating medium to fast-paced canters and encounters with our famous big Tuskers.
For this riding option, you need to be riding fit, confident and competent, ride with an independent seat and be able to control an easy horse at all paces over uneven terrain.
PLAINS RIDE
Novice riders can enjoy a gentle 60/90 minute ride exploring the open plains.
All riders will need to have a short assessment in our arena prior to setting out to ensure all guests riding out can control their horses and are comfortable at a short trot. If riders do not have the required experience they will be offered a lesson in the arena instead. Plains riders will be given some instruction, a minimum requirement is a short trot.

Another huge benefit of staying outside national parks is that here we are allowed to appreciate the stunning landscape around us on foot, peacefully without the noise of engines. The Chyulu Hills were designed for walking and hiking. We highly recommend this unforgettable experience. Our resident tracker will accompany you and your guide and will carry a firearm. Your guide and the lodge managers will be able to suggest different walks depending on fitness and your interests, such as birding, spelunking, or exploring the plains. Each is a voyage of discovery unveiling secrets of the bush, wildlife movements, medicinal plants and uniquely adapted flora and fauna. Wear good walking shoes, a hat and camouflage-coloured clothing so as not to alarm the wildlife, and take binoculars. Your guide will have water for you.

This is a good opportunity to exercise but also another way of viewing the landscape and wildlife in the area. We recommend cycling during the cooler hours of the day, either in the early morning or late afternoon. Cycling usually takes place on the plains heading toward the kopje or el Mau.

Just below the lodge’s main area is our famous ‘log-pile’ hide named as such because of its elaborate and impressive interwoven construction. A short walk with a cool drink in hand, and you’ve arrived at a secret shaded spot from which to view the many mammals that come in for a drink. This is a tremendous experience, especially during the midday siesta.

Our proximity to Amboseli National Park gives the opportunity for full-day excursions to the park. Guests depart the lodge after breakfast for a leisurely drive across the plains and through small villages. We usually arrive at the park in the mid-morning and depart in the mid-afternoon (with a picnic lunch and a full selection of drinks). We have selected this time of day as it coincides with the time when the guests from the other nearby larger lodges are on siesta, and vehicle density is at its lowest. This is also the time when the elephant and plains game congregate around the waterways and marshes in high density. This excursion can only be guaranteed in advance, please book it at the time of reservation and is subject to additional cost.

ol Donyo Lodge is the ultimate family safari destination. The Young Explorers program is designed to enhance both a child's and a family’s overall safari, weaving themes of conservation and culture into each fun activity with the intention of giving children tangible examples and moments to bring back to their peer group. The future of conservation is, after all, in the hands of these young ambassadors.

We offer a full range of activities from bush survival skills including making sling shots, bows and arrows and creating fire using traditional Maasai techniques, to watercolor painting and so much more.

FITNESS

- Yoga mat, and light weights available in each suite;

- Stationary exercise bikes:

- Guests can enjoy a run/walk on the airstrip.

A Bell 505 helicopter is available, and guests can enjoy 180-degree views with a choice of aerial scenic tours. These include viewing the Chyulu Hills, Amboseli, and Mount Kilimanjaro from the air. In addition to the scenic tours, guests can also visit Amboseli to explore this area with a Great Plains guide and safari drive as well as reserve helicopter transfers from Nairobi to our Mara-based safari camps or Nairobi and ol Donyo Lodge .

Wildlife is abundant and easy to spot on Solio Conservancy, making for fabulous game drives. You will find four of the ‘big five’ (there are no elephants as they have been purposely fenced out to preserve vegetation for the endangered black rhino), as well as lion, giraffe, waterbuck, oryx, leopard and much more. Solio’s safari vehicles have been specially modified to have unique roof top benches which offer the ultimate game viewing experience. Kitted out with ponchos to keep you warm, suncream, fridges filled with cold drinks, hot drinks, books and sweets, we have everything to keep you happy during a game drive!

We have mountain bikes available for adults and children to use at any time. It’s a great way to get some exercise whilst also appreciating the beautiful scenery of Solio Ranch.

To gain a real appreciation of Kenya’s spectacular and diverse landscape, take to the skies with a scenic helicopter adventure. Through our partners at Tropic Air, we offer tailor made heli expeditions to explore some of Kenya's most remote and extreme landscapes. From the peaks and lakes of Mount Kenya to the desert dune fields of the Suguta Valley in Kenya's far north, a heli grants access to explore some of the most unforgettable places on earth.

For those travelling onwards to Sasaab, transfer by helicopter is an exciting alternative to road or chartered flight. Combine heli transfers with a tailor made trip to explore hidden landscapes as you go.

Discover more details on at website at: thesafaricollection.com/helicopter/

The Aberdares is a beautiful volcanic mountain range thirty minutes’ drive away from Solio. With its highest peaks rising 14,100 feet above sea level, it has several distinct vegetation zones and a great diversity of plant and tree species. There is also abundant wildlife to be spotted. For keen anglers, the Aberdares has several trout filled mountain rivers and streams, so fly fishing can be enjoyed here. Park entry fees are extra.

Our lovely stables are home to six horses. Riders of all abilities can enjoy Solio Ranch on horseback. More experienced riders can canter across some beautiful open plains.

Stretch your legs and take the time to appreciate the flora, fauna and birdlife within Solio Ranch. Although outside the fenced off wildlife conservancy, you might come across zebra, impala, gazelle, warthogs and dik-dik, as well as abundant birdlife.

Solio offers a range of in-room massage and beauty treatments with their expert therapist. The private cottages are huge with plenty of space for a massage bed by the fire, in front of the floor to ceiling glass windows or on the private verandas. Spa products are 100% natural by Cinnabar Green (locally made and available to visit) and Healing Earth, a premium organic brand inspired by ancient African healing traditions.

Visit Solio's custom built wood-fired sauna for deep relaxation within nature, tucked away in the lodge grounds and overlooking the sanctuary. One end of the sauna is a large glass window to allow for wildlife viewing.

Solio Lodge supports a range of health and education projects in local communities. Visit our Footprint foundation webpage to find out more about the initiatives we support. Just by staying with us, you’re making a positive impact on people in Kenya.

Laburra Primary School and Charles Wickham Primary School
The Safari Collection has been partnering with these two local primary schools to deliver school lunches, build new structures such as dining halls and classroom,s and run training programmes for the teachers. You are welcome to visit either of these local schools and see what happens during the day.

Mary Immaculate Hospital
The Mary Immaculate Shelter of Love is an orphanage at a nearby hospital which Solio Lodge has been involved in for several years now. Let us know if you would like to arrange a visit or help in any way.

Visit Cinnabar Green, a family-owned farm where they make the deliciously scented products you will find in your rooms at all of our properties. Located just one hour and fifteen minutes’ drive away from Solio Lodge, it is well worth a visit. Tour the farm and learn about the herbs and their fascinating therapeutic properties, see how they are pressed to release the scented oils, watch the manufacturing process and see them being lovingly hand packed before coming to us. From there you can either return to Solio Lodge or visit the nearby town of Nanyuki to do a little exploring and shopping.

Tour a working coffee plantation and research laboratory based at Kimathi University, a 45 minute drive away from Solio Lodge. This visit provides a fascinating look at the whole coffee value chain, from seedlings to bean to cup, as well as an insight into their innovative sustainability practices. This activity must be booked in advance and is not possible on Sundays.

This is one to invigorate the senses. Visit and tour Tambuzi Flower Farm which specialises in growing traditional scented garden roses. Tambuzi are committed to sustainable practices and having a positive impact on the communities around them, employing hundreds of local workers. Learn about their innovative ecological measures and the different ways in which they support health and education initiatives in their local community. The welfare of their employees and their commitment to sustainability is paramount, which is why we love to support their work.

Our younger guests often love to spend a few hours with our friendly guides who can teach them about simple bush craft and fun facts about our wildlife. Children can enjoy learning how to identify different animal tracks and signs of the wild. Guided torch light walks in the lodge surrounds open a whole new world of nocturnal wildlife. Interesting insects, chameleons and genet cats can be found. Budding young chefs are welcome to join our team in the kitchen for some cooking fun or even our gardener in the Solio Shamba (Swahili for small farm or field) where all manner of herbs and veggies grow. Inside the lodge we have a wonderful board game called ‘Safari’. Should you wish to play please ask a member of the team. We also have playing cards and backgammon.

Safari drives (day & night) take place in some of the Mara’s most coveted vehicles. Each of the four Toyota Land Cruisers is open-sided, canopied and customised for photographers (fold-down screens, raised roofs, photographic bars, multi-plug invertors). With just four to six guests each, the Cruisers also have fully-stocked fridges stocked with drinks and snacks. No two days are the same on safari. Safari drives typically start at sunrise, returning for lunch and depart again in the mid-afternoon before returning just after sunset. However, very often we will go out all day, deep into the Reserve or Conservancy with a packed breakfast and lunch. One visit per guest per 3-night stay

included, additional visits subject to park fees. Very often, our safaris will continue into the night, a possibility because of our location on a private conservancy. Night drives are particularly prolific in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, and while they take patience, sightings commonly include lesser-known nocturnal mammals and even lion and hyena hunts.

Each of Mara Plains’ guest suites has a professional camera set, including a camera body and lenses. Photos will be downloaded to a memory stick on guest’s departure. Each suite comes with a pair of high-quality binoculars for guest use as well. Photographic tuition can be arranged for guests (at an additional cost) and we recommend prior booking if possible. Tuition can be either on company cameras or own guests’ personal cameras.

Hot air ballooning is available, but should be booked in advance and is subject to availability and additional cost. Departures are very early in the morning to allow time to transfer to the nearest launching point.

Safaris with kids are much the same – a time to stimulate all the senses. Safaris open up a whole new world to us all, but for kids it is magical. While new animals are a huge part of the excitement of safari, stepping away from everyday life in favor of spotting animal tracks and practicing your newly learnt traditional bush survival skills is an experience that kids and parents alike will cherish.

The Great Plains Young Explorers Program blends fun with conservation learning. On arrival each child receives a Young Explorers pack full of all that is needed for them to become a Conservation Ambassador. The pack includes an activity book full of interesting information including animal tracks, seTswana or Kiswahili vocabulary, facts on flora, fauna and stars, word games and a safari journal. Great Plains guides and staff seamlessly modify the level of activities according to age.

The Naboisho Women's Group cultural experience is supported by the Great Plains Foundation, enabling the group to purchase raw materials in bulk including a tailor hired to work on leather products. Available to guests staying at Great Plains Conservation camps all profits from the sale of their wares are ploughed back into the women's business training to ensure this group is self-sustainable. Items available for purchase include, but are not limited to, beaded & leather products, coasters, bracelets, necklaces, belts, dog collars, earrings, and decorated dawa sticks for example.