Travel reviews by Mrs J. from Colchester

"We loved Macushla House. It was a perfect introduction to our holiday in Kenya. We arrived tired and early in the morning (the traffic from the airport wasn't as bad as we were expecting) and were immediately made to feel welcome. Our rooms were ready and we were expected for breakfast so we were able to have a rest and get ourselves sorted out easily. The staff were all friendly and helpful, and it was a very relaxed environment. The gardens are lovely and although the view of the Ngong Hills is largely obscured by trees we could see them in the distance. We spent the afternoon visiting the school my husband and I taught at 30+ years ago and returned to the hotel early evening. We ate in the hotel both nights as one of our party had been unwell in England and needed to rest - the menu choice and food were good both nights and very reasonably priced. Having driven around Nairobi and seen the development and challenges of the roads we really appreciated the quiet haven of the hotel. It is quite a way from the city but well worth it - as a family we don't like large impersonal hotels and all agreed we would definitely stay there again if ever back in Nairobi. It is a bit quirky with different themed rooms and interesting decor.
We visited the Elephant Orphanage which was excellent and the Giraffe Centre which is a bit more touristy but interesting nevertheless - both are easily reached from Macushla House but you need a driver / taxi.
Our two nights there set us up perfectly for the rest of the holiday.
The stand alone bungalow is being prepared as an airbnb property with the option of self catering or using the hotel for breakfast / meals."

"A lovely cottage in a fabulous location. It is just off the road and there is a path down to the lake which is a lovely walk. A guide came across from the Birds of Prey Sanctuary next door to escort us on request and also gave us a tour of the sanctuary which was interesting and good fun (a little unnerving being in such close quarters with large pecking birds!!). We really enjoyed being independent and learning about the local development of the sanctuary and local history. Lake Naivasha is still a wonderful place - so peaceful on the lake and so many birds - we have never seen so many fish eagles!
The house has huge potential but compared to some of the reviews we had read we suspect there may be a bit of a problem somewhere. Joseph, our contact did not appear at all, there was a housegirl some of the time who didn't really do much, although she did tell us that the wifi wasn't working because the owner hadn't paid the bill with a bit of a smile on her face. There was also a night askari who needed prompting (by Freddy) to light the outside fire for us. The house is comfortable and security is good but it is very basically equipped, ie. not enough plates, cutlery etc. It is a shame because it could easily be a very good alternative to the lodges. We were very happy there but it would have been much harder work without Freddy as back up."

"This was the highlight of our trip. Brendan and I have done many safaris, including Kruger Park and this is top by far. The whole Conservancy experience was great - excellent game viewing and so much better for the feeling that it was being done with the blessing of the local people. The visit to the local village was a really genuine experience. The day in Masai Mara was a huge contrast - 22 vehicles around 1 leopard, but it was lovely to see the Mara river again and we did see a lot, although we missed the plains game of the Conservancy. We all felt we would have been disappointed with the amount of general animals had we stayed in the Mara.
The camping experience was great fun and suited us much better than a more luxurious one would have done, to us it fitted much more comfortably with the environment and with our hosts. The tents were comfortable and the shower system worked well. The askaris did a good job of chasing the elephants away at night!!
The camp staff were amazing, and our two guides, Ben and Geoffrey were excellent at finding the animals and birds and telling us everything we could possibly want to know about them. The vehicles were the best we saw anywhere and they were very happy to put us in two rather than be crowded in 1 vehicle. Our breakfast on the way to Masai Mara felt like a real "Out of Africa" experience!"