Giraffe Safari’s
Ever since I heard about Giraffe Manor (8 miles from Nairobi) I have wanted to visit. I am just waiting for my youngest child to be old enough to take malaria tablets!
I have been on safari before and it was then that giraffes became my favourite animal. I find them so photogenic and unlike any other animal on earth. I love the way they run with their necks stretching out, how they have to splay their legs to drink and even the way they fight (taking turns to ‘whack’ each other’s necks like an animal version of conkers!). On most African safaris any giraffe lover will be easily pleased. They are not one of the ‘big 5’ that people like to check off their must-see list but they are pretty common. I saw many giraffes but only glimpsed on cheetah and wasn’t lucky enough to see a single leopard.
On my safari I did manage to get a couple of beautiful photographs of giraffes but nothing that compares to the up close experience you can get at Giraffe Manor. It is a very small exclusive hotel set in 140 acres of forest. The building itself was commissioned by a British Lord in the 1930’s and modelled on a Scottish hunting lodge within sight of Mt Kilimanjaro. In 1974 Jock Leslie Melville and his American wife Betty bought the manor as their home when the Rothschild giraffe was facing extinction with much of its habitat disappearing. Two of the Rothschild giraffes were moved to the estate and Jock and Betty funded the African fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW). The giraffe’s at the manor have since bred and thrived
In 1984 Jock died and Betty returned to the USA at the same time as opening the manor in Kenya to visitors. There are only 6 bedrooms at Giraffe Manor all beautifully furnished with en-suite facilities and you can stay on a full or half board basis. The lounges have roaring fires, there are beautiful paintings on the wall, reviews state that the food is great, cocktails are served before dinner (providing a distinctly colonial feel) and treatments such as massages can be arranged. But of course, none of this is the real reason for going there!
The giraffes have become quite tame and are accustomed to popping their heads through the manor house windows to be fed. It’s a unique place and an opportunity to really get up close to these magnificent creatures. Within the grounds there is also a tower with educational facilities for school visits and a short nature around the grounds where you have to be careful not to trip over the friendly wart-hogs who share the grounds with the giraffes.
It is definitely a family-friendly place. Two of the rooms convert to family rooms, under 2’s stay for free and under 12’s are half price.
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