The Giraffe Manor

Mick Jagger, Jerry Hall, Brooke Shields, Johnny Carson and Richard Chamberlain have all discovered it. Giraffe Manor, the inimitable eco-friendly hotel resting in a 120 acre of forested land in the select Karen area of Nairobi. Just 30 minutes drive from the City Centre and about 35 km from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA); Giraffe Manor offers superb views of the Ngong Hills. Personally hosted, The Giraffe Manor is a graceful and special small hotel with a rich blend of generous accommodation, highly trained staff and one of the best kitchens in Nairobi.

Built in 1932 by Sir David Duncan, The Manor is surrounded by 140 acres of its own magnificent park and forest. In 1974, Jock Leslie-Melville bought the house, and with his wife Betty, eventually made it home to the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW). They began this organization by translocating five babies of the highly endangered Rothschild giraffe species to the property, where they are now fully-grown and producing offspring. Betty later opened the house to select travelers. It is the only place in the world where you can feed giraffe from your second floor bedroom window, over the lunch table, or even at the front door as these gentle African giants try to squeeze into the foyer.

A limited number of guests can stay at this magnificent House, which comprises five double bedrooms, flawlessly furnished in the style of their day, with large four-poster beds, antique furnishings and striking Art Deco bathrooms. Karen Blixen's original guestroom furniture now furnishes one of the main bedrooms in the Manor while the beautiful wildlife paintings by her famous cook Kamante adorn the walls.

Your stay at Giraffe Manor includes laundry service, all meals (prepared by a gourmet chef), tea, wine, cocktails. Lunches, teas, cocktails & dinners are also available to groups of fifteen and more.

The grounds are home not only to the Rothschild Giraffe, but also extremely tame Warthog, Duiker and Bushbuck, Leopard and more than 170 species of bird with views over the distinctive peaks of Blixen's beloved Ngong Hills. Activities for guests include: trips to the nearby Giraffe Centre, guided walks through the primeval forest, shopping in nearby Nairobi or a pre-arranged massage in the comfort of The Manor.