Sirai House is found in the Laikipia region of Kenya, on the Borana Conservancy at the foot of Mount Kenya. Situated high on a remote ridge at the edge of the indigenous cedar and wild olive forest, it offers stunning views in every direction.
Built by local craftsmen with local materials it has a true sense of place, yet its eye-catching style reflects a love of architecture, design and art. Though secluded, it offers every comfort. In short, it is a contemporary East African Home.
Key facts
• Sirai House is available for rental on an exclusive occupancy basis. The minimum stay is 3 nights and the house is available for booking all year round.
• The house sleeps 12 guests in six suites spread across four cottages. Suite 1 (the Master Suite) and Suite 2 stand alone. Suites 3 and 4 are linked by a sitting room, as are Suites 5 and 6, making them ideal for families. Four of the rooms can be configured as a double or a twin.
• A private wine cellar with over 3,000 carefully selected bottles of wine.
• An intimate cinema.
• A clay tennis court, 20 metre lap pool, boule pit, gym, library and full-sized billiard table.
• State-of-the-art communications and entertainment system.
• The Borana Conservancy on which Sirai House is located is a low-risk malaria area.
• Guided game drives in 4 x 4 open-sided safari vehicles, guided wilderness walks and guided
horse riding safaris.
• Big Five experiences (lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, rhino), also cheetah, giraffe, Grevy's
zebra, wildebeest, wild dog, hyaena, baboon, oryx, impala and eland to name a few species,
plus diverse birdlife.
• Additional activities include flying safaris (helicopter, light aircraft or bi-plane), trout fishing;
forest walkway and platform viewing at Ngare Ndare Forest; visits to the adjacent Lewa
Downs Wildlife Conservancy; community enterprise and cultural Maasai village visits.
• A temperate climate. Days are warm with average highs of between 22 and 26 degrees
Celsius. Evenings and nights are cool. Rainfall is increasingly hard to forecast but usually happens in November and late March to May.
Location
Sirai House is situated on the Borana Conservancy, located in the Laikipia district in the central- east Rift Valley province of Kenya, on the lower slopes of Mount Kenya. More than 14,000 hectares in size (35,000 acres), the Conservancy is just 27 kilometres (17 miles) north of the equator and has an average altitude of around 2 000 metres (6,560 feet).
Getting there
Scheduled Air: There are daily scheduled flights by Safarilink and Air Kenya from Nairobi Wilson Airport to the neighbouring Lewa Downs Conservancy from where guests are collected. The
drive to Sirai House takes approximately one hour.
Private Charter Flights: There is an airstrip on the Borana Conservancy for charter flights from which guests are collected. The charter flight takes approximately one hour and flies past Mount Kenya. This flight is followed by a twenty minute drive to Sirai House through the Borana Conservancy. All private charters can either be booked out of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport or from Wilson airport, a smaller domestic airfield. We can arrange transfers to facilitate travel between Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and Wilson airport.
Helicopter: Sirai House offers a helicopter landing pad and can arrange helicopter transfers.
Guest Suites:
The Design Of The Suites
The six guest suites are spread across the property with reasonable and in some cases, substantial space between them, designed for privacy and seclusion. All suites are connected to the main areas via easy pathways. Each of the guest suites has been individually decorated and styled but linked through the quality and sophisticated simplicity of their furnishings. All suites feature sophisticated interiors with quality furnishings, fireplaces and a state of the art AV system.
The guest suites and their bathrooms feel intimately connected with nature. The bathrooms feature separate showers, free standing tubs, twin hand basins and separate WCs. Three of the guest suites (Suites two, five and six) have an outdoor shower in addition to the one indoors.
Four of the suites can be configured either as double or twin rooms – the exceptions are suites five and six. The linen is 400 thread count Egyptian cotton, direct from the Nile Valley. Pillows are American-sized and available in both feather and hypo-allergenic options.
The Master Suite
The Master Suite features embroidered Ralph Lauren curtaining, neutral raw linen and suede upholstery. The king sized bed sits high, while cow horn and sleek silver accessories complement its grandeur. The carpet is a reloaded patchwork Persian and the chandelier has been assembled from clay “leaves” to resemble a giant suspended pangolin, a reclusive scaly anteater. A rim-flow swimming pool forms part of the master suite bathroom. It is 4 metres x 4 metres, approximately 1.8 metres at the central deepest section.
Guest Suite Two
Guest Suite Two is also characterised by a neutral, raw, linen base, accented with eau de nil cotton. Focal points include a “dragnet” chair and a recycled woven rubber light fitting from Italy. A framed Yoruba cloak embroidered with shells from Nigeria dominates the space.
Guest Suites Three and Four
Suites Three and Four are the most urban in style. Their overall palette is dove grey infused with a splash of aubergine, offset with Wildebeest rugs. Vintage photographs from the Royal Geographic Society add some fun. There is a sitting room with fold-out sleeper sofas linking the two bedrooms; making them ideal for families.
Guest Suites Five and Six
Guest Suites Five and Six are the most ethnic in design and something of a departure from the taupe and linen combinations found in the others. Spicy and rustic, the suites are dominated by beautiful four-poster beds, accessorised with sheepskin, sisal, embroidered suede and big, framed cow skin aprons. A large chandelier made from Maasai gourds lights up the shared sitting room. The sitting room connecting the two bedrooms is dramatic and striking, awash with natural light and is African-inspired.
Whats included:
- Exclusive use of the house including all amenities and facilities
- Luxurious all-suite accommodation
- All meals, whether served at home or in the bush
- All beverages; including house wines (personally selected by the owners from around the world), spirits and liqueurs
- Open Land Rover 4 X 4 safaris, guided wilderness walks and horse-riding accompanied by experienced guides.
- Return surface transfers from the Borana, Lewa or Nanyuki airstrips to Sirai House.
- Borana Conservancy fees
- Contribution to the Borana Ranch Conservancy supporting local education, health and wildlife conservancy projects
- Internet, music and movies
- Laundry
- All local taxes
Whats excluded:
- Premier cellar wines and French Champagnes
- Air transfers
- Spa treatments
- Outsourced activities and activities enjoyed off the Borana Conservancy
- Staff gratuities
