Ololo Safari Lodge

100% (1 reviews)

Full review Our view Geographics Food & drink Children Wildlife sightings Communications Health & safety Activities Extras

Ololo Safari Lodge: Our full report

Reached by a suspension bridge and offering sweeping views of the national park and the majestic Ngong Hills, ...

... Ololo Lodge feels like a secluded oasis. The lodge is set on a productive 20-acre working farm, surrounded by beautifully established gardens, which makes it easy to forget you are just a few miles away from the hustle and bustle of Nairobi city life.

There are five different room categories at Ololo, each with a unique style. There are two Suites, three Tented Cottages, seven smaller original Stable Rooms, one three-bedroom Cottage and one larger Family-Wing which sleeps up to five guests. The tented cottages work well for couples but the Stable Rooms are an excellent choice if you're looking for a more economical stay.

All the rooms include comfortable cotton bedding, ceiling fans, hot showers and flush toilets. Some rooms have bath tubs too, and all of them are provided with locally made Kenyan toiletries along with hairdryers.

The communal areas include 'The Kitchen at Ololo' restaurant with indoor dining and outdoor seating on the terrace. Nearby there is a lounge with big leather sofas, beautiful wooden furniture (made on site), local artwork and an open fireplace. A little library and a wine cellar adjoin the lounge and everything feels quite cosy. We enjoyed sitting here with a drink after dinner and leafing through the big coffee table books.

The centrally located pool is a good size, though unheated – so it can be chilly when the sun isn't out. It is surrounded by sun loungers and umbrellas, making it a relaxing spot in the heat of the day. Massages and simple beauty treatments can be arranged at the on-site spa room.

Despite the lodge's seemingly remote location, it is important to note that it is situated approximately 20km from the runway at JKIA. Consequently there is intermittent aircraft noise as the planes approach. We didn't find this too disturbing during our stay, but for lighter sleepers, earplugs are provided in the rooms. The property is also in the process of sound-proofing some of the tented rooms.

Guests are welcome to visit the Ololo farm, and much of the food served in the restaurant is sourced from the farm. Ololo prides itself on its ‘paddock to plate’ fresh ingredients. These include most of the salads and vegetables, along with free-range chicken, yoghurt, home-made ice-cream, and even mushrooms from their on-site mushroom house.

There's a range of activities on offer, the most popular of which are the twice-daily game drives inside the park. The rates here include 24-hour Nairobi National Park entrance fees as part of your stay and guests are able to exit and re-enter the park, or go out on excursions without needing to get new park permits.

The 117km^² park features nearly all the plains wildlife of the East African savannah, with the exception of elephants. There's a good number of big cats, and lots of buffalos, giraffes, zebras, elands and wildebeest. The park's stand-out animals, however, are the rhinos: in fact you probably have a better chance of seeing both species – surly, browsing black rhinos and more placid, grazing white rhinos – than in any other Kenyan park or sanctuary. There is something really quite special about seeing these majestic creatures with Nairobi's cityscape looming in the background.

It is worth noting that Nairobi National park is best visited mid-week if possible. Due to the great game viewing and unrivalled accessibility, the park gets much busier at weekends and on public holidays.

Visits to the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust elephant and rhino orphanage are easily arranged (you should book your slot with Expert Africa three months in advance when bookings open), as are visits to the Giraffe Centre (no need to book) and cultural and shopping excursions.

Our view

We really enjoyed our stay at Ololo Lodge. With its wonderful views of the National Park and Ngong Hills, and relatively short and easy connections to Nairobi's airports, it is an ideal start or end to a Kenyan itinerary.

Jessica Plumb

Kenya expert

Geographics

Location: Nairobi, Kenya
Ideal length of stay: 2 nights
Directions: Transfers from JKIA or Wilson Airport are included in the price. The journey time from the lodge to the airport perimeter, or vice versa, is about 45 minutes - to an hour, depending on traffic.
Accessible by: Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Full Board & Activities
Food quality: Ololo prides itself on the 'farm to fork' ethos, and creates fresh and varied daily menus. We found the food excellent, really good quality with imaginative options.

If you are having Breakfast in the lodge you can expect a selection of cooked items as well as the usual choice of fruit and cereals. They can also organise a packed breakfast for early departures or if you are heading into the park on a game drive.

Both lunch and dinner tend to be a set menu with a few different choices for each course. They can cater to special dietary requests and allergies with advance notice. The restaurant is popular and they do take bookings from non-residents too.
Dining style: Individual Tables
Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining
Drinks included: Soft drinks, house wine, house beer and selected spirits are included.

Children

Attitude towards children: Ololo Lodge welcomes children of all ages.
Property’s age restrictions: None.
Special activities & services: Children are welcome and the lodge offers a 'Farm Kids Programme'. With a couple of different room types for families, this is a good option for those travelling with children. The lodge has a nice pool, though young children will need supervision as there is no lifeguard.
Generally recommended for children: Yes.
Notes: Family friendly, but children should be well supervised at all times.

Our travellers’ wildlife sightings from Ololo Safari Lodge

Since mid-2018, many of our travellers who stayed at Ololo Safari Lodge have kindly recorded their wildlife sightings and shared them with us. The results are below. Click an animal to see more, and here to see more on our methodology.

Black Rhino

100% success

Buffalo

100% success

Giraffe

100% success

Lion

100% success

White Rhino

100% success

Zebra

100% success

Aardvark

0% success

Cheetah

0% success

Eland

0% success

Leopard

0% success

Pangolin

0% success

Spotted Hyena

0% success

Striped Hyena

0% success

Wild dog

0% success

Wildebeest

0% success

Communications

Power supply notes: 24 hours and charging points in rooms.
Communications: WiFi is available throughout.
TV & radio: There is a TV in the library.
Water supply: Mains
Water supply notes: Flush toilet and fully plumbed bathrooms.

Health & safety

Malarial protection recommended: Yes
Medical care: The closest hospital is Karen hospital, which could be reached in 35 minutes, but all major hospitals in Nairobi would be accessible within about an hour. Medical evacuation would also be possible by helicopter.
Dangerous animals: High Risk
Fire safety: Fire extinguishers on site.

Activities

4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Cultural excursion
Elephant encounter

Extras

Disabled access: Not Possible
Laundry facilities: A daily laundry service is included in the non-resident rates.
Accepted payment on location: Visa and Mastercard are accepted. Cash payments may be made in US dollars, euros, pounds sterling or Kenyan shillings.