Cultural Exploration & Wildlife Adventure

Born from one family’s passion for Kenya and its wilderness, the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is today the most successful orphan-elephant rescue and rehabilitation program in the world and one of the pioneering conservation organisations for wildlife and habitat protection in East Africa.

Spend a few hours in the company of young orphan elephants and learn about incredible rescue efforts and the world famous rehabilitation programme. You may also find yourself adopting one of the herd.

Karen Blixen Museum is a national museum in Kenya situated about 19 kilometres from Nairobi City centre. It was built in 1912, and was home to the iconic Danish author of ‘Out of Africa’ (won an Oscar Award)-Karen Blixen. This famous author, artist and poet lived here while setting up her coffee farm at the foot of the Ngong Hills.

In case you missed out, Out of Africa is a book which Karen Blixen wrote about her stay in Kenya and of her beloved farm, and was later made into a great movie. It shows her struggles she underwent to keep her estate and how her understanding and love grew for the culture and the people around her.

During your stay at Hemingways Nairobi Hotel, take some few hours of your time and visit Karen Blixen Museum. This will give you a chance to travel back in time where you can re-live your memories of Out of Africa. If you are a lover of history, then this is the place for you.

You can pick up a copy of the famous film at the museum shop or browse for handicrafts, posters and postcards, books and other Kenyan souvenirs.

A short drive from Hemingways Hotel, Nairobi National Park offers either an immediate safari experience on landing in Kenya or a final last look prior to departing home. It is the oldest national park in Kenya, established in 1946, and is the only national park in the world located within a capital city.

With wide-open grass plains and the backdrop of the city, scattered acacia bushes play host to a wide variety of wildlife including the endangered black rhinos, lions, leopards, buffalos, cheetahs, hyenas and giraffes among others. Visitors can enjoy Nairobi National Park game drives to view all these wild animals. For the bird lovers, the park also has over 400 bird species for your watching.

Some of the other fun activities to engage in the park include camping, picnics and hiking. The park also has various facilities for corporate events, team building sessions, weddings and video and film production.

Other attractions to explore within and around Nairobi National Park include the Nairobi Safari Walk, the Ivory Burning Site Monument and David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust.

Whether you’re visiting Nairobi for work or leisure, a game of golf at the nearby Karen Country Club is not to be missed for golf enthusiasts. Guests at Hemingways Nairobi enjoy preferential rates at this golf club. This golf club was opened in the 1930’s, a large part of the 18-hole course was built on the former coffee estate of the Danish pioneer Karen Blixen. Indeed the shade trees from her coffee plantation still dominate parts of the course, eighty years after they were planted.

The course is superbly maintained with greens built to PGA standards and has played host to the Kenya Open in recent years. Karen’s golf course is as pretty as a picture, its flourishing wildlife (both flora and fauna) encouraged by an active policy of nature and wetlands conservation and promotion. Everywhere there is colour and beauty.

The Giraffe Centre is a non-profitable organization whose main objective is to provide conservation education for school children and the youth of Kenya.

Visit the feeding platform to get up close and personal with a giraffe and take a stroll through the nature sanctuary for a tranquil getaway with serene views and sounds of nature.

Activities include day and night games drives, horseback riding, walks, optional fly camping, a seasonal water slide, village visits, the giraffe viewing platform, and of course the wonderful Reteti elephant orphanage, located only a few minutes from Reteti House (or a 45 minute drive from Sarara or Sarara Treehouses).

One of the most authentic cultural experiences to be had in the country is to visit the "Sarara singing wells." Especially in the dry season, the local Samburu herders visit "wells" that they have dug in the dry river bed, sometimes five men deep and each belonging to a specific family. They then sing to their livestock who recognize the song and know where and in what order to come to drink. In keeping with the whole community and conservation ethos of Sarara, these same wells are then utilised at night by local wildlife, including elephants and leopards.

Our experienced guides knows the area intimately and there is plenty of game to see within the Enonkishu, Lemek and Ol Chorro Oiruwa conservancies. Big cats, elephants and plains game are commonly seen within a 15 minute drive from the house.

Safari – See the wildlife and the landscapes around us and learn about what makes the Maasai Mara so special.
Nature on foot – have a guided walk to learn while getting some exercise. Recommended going out for 1 or 2 hours, suitable for the whole family with children over 7.
Futures in the Wild Tour- Visit to our Mara Training Centre founded by Tarquin and Lippa Wood, learn about rangeland management and their efforts to work with local communities to restore and maintain the natural environment through Sustainable Rangeland Management. Visit our Futures in the Wild Women’s projects:
Tree planting: Meet the women who run the Trees in the Wild nursery and plant a tree.
Beading: See our women’s beading projects and learn to make yourself a Maasai bracelet.
Tennis – there is a tennis court with balls and rackets provided.
Local School Visits - visit the local Emarti school, the primary and the secondary school which was built by the Wood family and meet the amazing and warm children from the Emarti community.
Visit the local cattle market – a vibrant and buzzing atmosphere and a slice of real life in the Maasai Mara.
Fishing in the Mara River – have a go after a morning game drive or over sunset on the edge of the Mara River fishing for catfish. If you catch it, take a picture and release it!
Visits to the Rhino Sanctuary guests are able to walk with the rhino, while being protected by armed rangers.

Manyatta visit - Spend an hour at the local Maasai Village, learning about how their huts are made, how to make fire with only a couple of twigs, listen to the mammas sing and meet the children. Have a look at some of their handmade beaded items of jewellery or buy something to take home!

Helicopter flights over the Mara Plains, see Endafar info sheet
Balloon Safari’s - wake up at dawn and float over the wildlife and the Maasai Mara – a once in a lifetime opportunity.

A boda boda ride – Have a go at something different! Spend the morning driving off-road on a boda boda (the motorbikes seen all over our part of Africa) through the Enonkishu Conservancy, ending up with a breakfast overlooking the Mamusi Dam.

Visit the Mara Elephant Project – our partner in protecting the elephants in this area and reducing human – wildlife conflict. Please talk with your guide on arranging a visit to their HQ

Mountain bike riding

There is a huge amount and variety of bird species around the house. Much can be seen on guided walks along the river banks.

For the more energetic guests, a guided walk / climb up the Kileleoni Hill is well worth it. Being the highest point in the Greater Mara Ecosytem, the view stretches out as far as the eye can see. Also a great spot for sundowners or bush breakfasts for those who’d rather go up in the car!

At any moment in the day, there is bound to be some kind of interesting activity going on at the farm. An early morning 15 minute walk to the dairy herd to milk a cow for your morning coffee makes it all the more delicious.

An authentic experience where our local maasai guide takes you to his family home or the Emarti Primary and Secondary Schools are 5 km away from the main farm gate, crossing over the river at the Emarti Bridge. With over 700 children to visit guests always get a warm welcome.

Our team of maasai watchmen on the farm are also talented singers and dancers, and always willing to perform their latest traditional hit at sundown on the lawn by the house.

On the edge of the hill, guests can get up close to the tame rhinos in the Rhino Sanctuary.

Sit on the banks of the mara river and see who can catch the biggest catfish.

There is a tennis court on the farm, a 15 minute walk from the house, or a 5 minute drive away.

Ride alongside the giraffe and zebra of Naretoi, or venture down to the Mara Training Centre where you can visit the Wild Shamba or see the women beading.