Arijiju

You fly from Nairobi's Wilson airport to an airstrip on or near the Borana Conservancy, about an hour by light aircraft, and the house sends staff to meet you for the transfer. We arrange the flights and time them to your international connection. If you would prefer the aircraft to yourselves, we can arrange a private charter, typically a Cessna Caravan or Pilatus PC-12, so the departure works entirely around you.

The small planes take soft bags of around fifteen kilograms per person, hand luggage included, so a duffel is best. Helicopter safaris are available from the house for longer excursions to Mount Kenya, the Suguta Valley and Lake Turkana.

Arijiju sits within the Borana Conservancy in the Laikipia highlands, a lower-risk malaria area rather than a malaria-free one. The altitude and dry climate suppress mosquitoes, but the land remains below the height at which the CDC and TravelHealthPro regard risk as negligible, so tablets are usually advised.

Because this is a health matter and advice is reviewed regularly, please confirm the current guidance with a travel clinic or your doctor, and take the usual precautions against bites after dark.

The Laikipia light is famously clear, with warm days and cold mornings and nights the year round given the altitude. The dry seasons are dusty; the rains green the plateau and can bring afternoon showers.

Pack warm layers for early rides and evenings by the fire, sun protection and neutrals for the day, and a swimsuit for the infinity pool. Riders and tennis players should bring their own kit, since both the stables and the court are yours to use.

The dry windows, July to September and December to February, give the strongest game viewing and the best conditions for riding, walking and tracking rhino across Borana. The green seasons are quieter, excellent for birds and lovely after rain, with the game more dispersed.

With cold nights and warm days in any season, the decision is really about clear skies versus a greener landscape rather than a poor time of year.

Yes. Arijiju is a private residence let to one group at a time, with a staff of fourteen, among them a butler, a ranger, chefs and a masseuse, looking after no more than ten guests. The five suites, the pool, spa, gym and tennis court are yours alone, and meals appear whenever you want them.

That exclusivity is the whole idea. It is a private African estate rather than a bush camp or a hotel, so the days move entirely at the pace your group chooses, whether that means a dawn ride or an afternoon doing very little.

It suits families and groups particularly well because it is booked whole, so children have the run of the house without other guests nearby, and the pool, cinema, tennis and gentle rides fill the quieter hours. The financier who built it did so partly so his own children would know their African heritage, and that family spirit runs through it.

Rhino tracking and riding near wildlife have age and ability requirements, so tell us your children's ages and we will tailor the activities while keeping the house itself open to all of them.