El Karama Lodge

0°12’26.8"S 36°54’13.3"E

99% (16 reviews)

El Karama Lodge: Information from the owner

General information

Type: Lodge

About this information

All the information on this page is supplied to us directly from the lodge owner and reflects their view, not ours.

For Expert Africa's view, see our own full report on El Karama Lodge, which contains our own observations and views.

Last updated by Owner: 28 Oct 2024

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Facilities at El Karama Lodge

Property facilities: 24-hour Security, Activity Desk, Bar, Barbeque Facilities, Battery Charging Facilities, Business Centre, Communal Dining, Disability Services, Eco Friendly, Gym (nearby), Internet Access (Complimentary), Internet Access (Paid), Kiddies Club, Laundry Service (Available), Laundry Service (Complimentary), Library, Malaria Free, Meal on Request, Pool, Private Vehicle Available, Restaurant, Secure Parking, Spa
Room facilities: Balcony / Deck, Bath, Complimentary Wi-Fi, Cooking Facilities, Dressing Gowns, Electrical Outlets, En-Suite, Fireplace, Internet Access (Complimentary), Laundry Facilities, Laundry Service (Available), Laundry Service (Complimentary), Lounge Area, Mosquito Nets, Plunge Pool, Private Pool / Jacuzzi, Pure Cotton Linen, Shower, Tea / Coffee, Verandah, Wheelchair Friendly
Activities on site: Big 5, Bird Watching, Boules, Catch-and-release Fishing, Cooking Courses, Fine Dining, Fishing, Game Drives, Game Viewing, Game Viewing Hide, Game Walks, Garden Tours, Gourmet Picnic, Helicopter Scenic Flights, High Tea, Horse Riding, Horse-back Safaris, Massages, Natural History Tours, Night Drives, Safaris, Scenic Flights, Sleep Outs, Walks (Guided), Wildlife Tours
Nearby activities: Adrenaline Activities, Animal Encounters, Big 5, Bird Watching, Boules, Canoeing, Catch-and-release Fishing, Cooking Courses, Cultural Tours, Fine Dining, Fishing, Fly Fishing, Game Drives, Game Viewing, Game Walks, Garden Tours, General Sightseeing, Helicopter Rides, Helicopter Scenic Flights, Hiking, Historical Tours, Horse Riding, Horse-back Safaris, Massages, Mountain Biking, Natural History Tours, Quad Biking, Rhino Tracking, Rock Climbing, Safaris, Scenic Flights, Walks (Guided), Wildlife Tours

Room types at El Karama Lodge

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River Cottage 1

An Exclusive use part of camp for it's extra space, privacy and own wifi.

Cottage 1 is a large and airy double or twin room, with veranda looking out over a stunning glade with the river on the left where hippos bathe. The spacious, light room has his and hers bathroom, plenty of storage in beautiful hand carved shelves and hanging racks, end of bed ottomans and luggage racks and an outdoor tub for candle lit baths under the moonlight.

As with the other river cottage, this one has a writing desk facing the river, hand carved furniture and hand printed curtains and artisanal soft furnishings from the region.

There is also a large veranda for reading and star gazing, take your early morning tea overlooking your own private stretch of river and salt lick attracting elephant, giraffe and other wildlife.

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Brand New Addition to River Cottages - Private dining room and bar

The two river cottages can be used either as an extension of the lodge or as a small, private camp for two couples friends/families travelling together.

To make this work for exclusive bookings we have included a stunning private dining room, living room, bar and outdoor fire pit under the shade of huge fever trees. It has a completely different feel from the main lodge and is ideal for couples travelling together, honeymooners or special family trips where privacy is of the utmost concern.

The dining room has a large table fitting 8-10 people, a cosy living room area at one end with a small fireplace and a bar at the other end for cocktails and sundowners. Tucked away behind the dining room is a lovely kitchen for cooking on site and a restroom so that guests do not have to go back to their rooms to find that convenience.

The outdoor area in from of the dining room has two grass levels and an open fire pit where we hold bush dinners under the stars, drinks by the fire and we also use our mobile BBQ oven so that we can cook over the embers with our guests. Food being such an essential part of our trips and experience, this is a great addition!

Wifi in the rooms. Private Car with this part of camp, no shared vehicle.

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Dining areas and barn style interactive kitchen

We have 3 different dining areas: 1 overlooking the river and 2 overlooking the swimming pool. Both are open under thatch, informal, relaxed and built with beautiful fallen wood including nilotica and cedar and giant bamboo.

All our food is fresh, organic, hearty, clean and mostly home-grown in our beautiful organic garden here on the property - we offer farm tours and picking mornings for families with kids and any interested guests. We also have a small dairy at the farm that allows us to provide fresh farm milk and milk products made in our kitchen. We cook all home made breads, desserts, pastries and pastas. We can adapt our menus to suit all dietary needs and we also produce kids food and can adjust the timings of meals for family groups. We have our own Cook Book : The Bush Kitchen: Notes and Recipes from the Wild, written by the owner Sophie Grant, published in 2022.

We have a state of the art open kitchen, for guests to come and watch the food being prepared, bake bread with us and learn about our recipes.

Bush meals are also a big highlight and our bush breakfasts and dinners out in the bush are very special.

The relaxed, bush home feel translates to our eating style - a mix of French, Italian and meditterrean influences. We also offer the option when possible of offering private meals or separate dining areas and tables whenever guests prefer this. Our aim is to offer as much flexibility as possible.

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El Karama Wild: Pop up seasonal Bush Camp

El Karama Wild is a pop up seasonal Bush Camp experience available in certain months for exclusive use of up to 8 pax sharing in 4 bedroom tents. Mobilisation only when there are bookings.

A beautiful and stylish bush camp that pops up in the best spots during some dry season months, this adventure experience is ideal for walkers, peace seekers and those looking to completely switch off and immerse in the wild.

4 tented bedrooms with long drop toilet set up and bush showers
1 large tented living area for reading and relaxing
1 dining shade for eating meals by the river
1 wild fire pit for sundowners
1 open game drive car for 8 pax

This camp is exclusive use only, seasonal and requires a 4 adult minimum charge to set up.

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Hobbit House _ perfect for families!

This cottage is large, two storey and is designed for maximum family fun! It has two bedrooms: the master bedroom has a large double bed fit for a king and queen, two small tree house floors with single beds for children over 8 years up some carved steps and a spacious living area with a sofa and armchairs and writing desk.

The second bedroom is smaller with two twin beds (double adaptation too) and a round glass window for game viewing. The bathroom is spacious with a river-facing rock bath and a separate shower. There is a lot of additional space outside this cottage for kids to run and explore.

Private car for any family over 4 pax in this cottage. Wifi in this cottage.

There is a large veranda and playing area outside with a swinging chair for reading under the shade of the trees and outdoor furniture for lounging and early morning coffee moments! Private dining and private fire pit can be set up for families who want to be close to their sleeping children.

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Kenya's first ever natural swimming pool - perfect for families

Our swimming pool is pioneering in its environmentally responsible technology and voted the best in Laikipia by our clients and the Daily Nation newspaper! Laikipia's hidden gem.

It does not use salt or chlorine, but rather a copper based deionising system to kill bacteria. Like our whole lodge this pool is chemical free and runs on 100% solar power. We are the first in Kenya to use this Eco Smarte technology but others are following suit.

A fantastic place to relax in the heat of the day, bird watch as the aloes and acacia trees surrounding the pool attract several varieties of sunbirds and finches, this is one of the most popular places within the lodge for groups, couples and of course families with children!

The main pool is 12 m long so perfect for swimming laps or just having fun and there is also a two tiered baby pool for small children and parents to relax in shallower depths.

The pool has a lush lawn irrigated by recycled grey water and two swinging armchairs, 1o wooden carved sunloungers, multiple areas for lounging and relaxing, two areas for eating with open fire places and plenty of space for having private meals at night under the stars.

There is also a bar, an adjoining bathroom and changing room for convenience and beautiful decor including paintings by Lavinia Grant, as in the main lodge.

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Main Lodge - 3 Bandas - doubles or twins, with room for baby cot

These charming bandas have a spacious central room with a double bed/ twin set up, a shaded seating area for reading and relaxing, furniture for storing/hanging clothes and an ensuite bathroom with large river stone baths and overhead showers.

Bandas have their own verandas for reading and star gazing. All look directly onto the river and a salt lick attracting wildlife all through the day.

The bandas are have thatch roofs, stone and canvas sides and are lovingly decorated with cosy soft furnishings, hand carved cedar beds and hand picked wild flowers, paraben free soaps and toiletries.

All have 24 hour electricity that runs on solar energy, with overhead lighting, reading lamps and outdoor veranda light for easy entry at nighttime. Hot water systems are very effective and solar driven ensuring hot water at all times of day. No wifi in these bedrooms, only in public areas like the pool. Great choice of digital detox or couples on a slightly lower budget.

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Nilotica Private

Our brand new, exclusive use private house is named after the indigenous tree specie "Acacia Nilotica', which we are passionately regenerating here inside the conservancy as part of our positive impact initiatives.

This stunning private house is our most beautiful creation yet: located adjacent to Main Lodge, this exclusive use area offers luxury, privacy and big views of this landscape and wildlife at close quarters.

From December 2024, Nilotica will have four separate cottages sleeping up to 10 pax, the house is perfect for families and small groups looking for that extra level of privacy and comfort. It offers a sprawling wooden breakfast deck on stilts overlooking the river and landscape beyond, a natural Eco Smarte swimming pool, a brand new Pool House with a dining area, fireplace and relaxed seating and a bar for cocktails.

The hidden fire pit outside is sandy underfoot with lantern surrounds, perfect for star gazing and fireside stories.

An active salt lick and waterhole have been made just outside the fence attracting wildlife including elephant, zebra, bush buck and buffalo throughout the day and out in full view of the pool and relaxation area.

Features:

Cottage 1: The Family Suite: two large inter-connecting bedrooms sleeping ideally two adults and up to four children with a shared ensuite bathroom with shower and toilet, this large cottage also has a gorgeous outdoor bathroom with a shower, toilet and sink combination for overflow use!

Cottage 2: one large double or twin bedroom cottage, with enough space to add a child's cot or 2 small beds, with an ensuite bathroom with shower and toilet, a beautiful private veranda and outdoor swinging chairs overlooking the river

Cottage 3: one large double or twin bedroom, nearest to the Pool house and overlooking the waterhole and the river

Cottage 4: the last cottage and the one with most privacy, this one large double or twin bedroom, ensuite bathroom with shower and toilet and water hole and river views

Communal areas: Breakfast deck on raised decking for early morning chai and serene bird watching, wrap around stone verandas and decking connecting the areas. Private, chemical free pool with big views over the river and salt lick/water hole, spacious bathroom nearby and a large Pool house with a bar, dining room and comfortable seating next to the fireplace for cocktails, reading and board games

Outdoor sandy fire pit cocktails and star gazing by the open fire

Private team

Private Game drive car and Guide

Private Wifi throughout

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River Cottage 2

Offering more privacy and comfort, we are excited to introduce these two beautiful new cottages to our guests. Ideal for honeymooners / 2 couples traveling together or even a family with older children who seek more luxury.

This cottage has a large his and hers bathroom with a huge bath looking out to the bush and a double shower that includes space and built in seat for clients requiring additional assistance or wheel chair access.

There is also a large veranda for reading and star gazing, take your early morning tea overlooking your own private stretch of river and salt lick attracting elephant, giraffe and other wildlife.

Wifi in the rooms. Private Car with this part of camp, no shared vehicle.