Kenyan game lodge is a dream for both visitors and its owners
“I had a farm in Africa…”
These timeless words, famously penned by Danish writer Isak Denison in 1937, resonate irrefutably with a first glimpse of the intimate Ololo Safari Lodge and Farm.
Nestled on the banks of the Mbagathi River on the southern boundary of Kenya’s Nairobi National Park, new arrivals cross a footbridge over the flowing water and, meandering along the garden path, arrive at the main lodge area.
The homestead, arising phoenix-like after many years of being run down, stands regally elevated from the lawn, swimming pool and umbrella-shaded wooden tables, all of which offer unparalleled views over the landscape of the national park.
The lodge is owned and run by Australian couple Craig and Joanna Chapman. They first visited Kenya on a family holiday in 2007 and promptly fell in love with the country. Craig was back a year later, assigned to find land for a charity, which is how he stumbled across the then dilapidated property. And as it turned out, the charity, unlike Craig, wasn’t keen on the place. Instantly realising its potential, Craig and Joanna put in an offer that was accepted and, for their family, the rest is history.
“To be honest,” Joanna says, “I was dead against it all when Craig first told me about his plans to buy the land. I realised that this was a dramatic decision that would completely change our lives and those of our three sons, who were in boarding school in Queensland. Today, we jokingly refer to that period as ‘Craig’s midlife crisis’!”
Craig had farmed most of his life, but the couple also had extensive involvement in the hospitality business. Shortly after graduating from university, Craig and Joanna opened their own restaurant, called Joanna’s, which proved wildly popular and quickly became the town’s hotspot at which to eat and be seen. Apart from farming, Craig and his brother also opened a butchery, so the restaurant proved to be the final link – and this in the days before ‘paddock to plate’ became a thing.
Joanna’s experience in studying furniture and interior design in Sydney and opening a delicatessen called The Little Deli in 1992 taught her a huge amount about food and menu development, which is evident in Ololo’s beautifully prepared and plated gourmet meals.
Unexpected visitors
It took seven long years to renovate, decorate and repurpose the old homestead into a thriving East African safari lodge. In 2011, the Kenyan Wildlife Service approved plans to build a suspension bridge across the Mbagathi River to allow Ololo direct access to the park and finally, in early 2016, the lodge opened its doors to the public.
With the profusion of wildlife as direct neighbours, there are many stories to tell.
“At dawn one morning, a large hyena walked up the garden path, right past a large group of guests, who we were leaving with our guide to catch an early flight,” Joanna says. “Fortunately, they didn’t see the hyena in that light. Unperturbed, our front-of-house manager, Lemmy, managed to shoo the hyena away just as the animal was about to walk into the open restaurant.
As it backed off, the hyena fell straight into the swimming pool! It swam the length of the pool, then clambered out and disappeared into the bush.
“And just recently, a lioness and three cubs came up the bridge to find the lodge garden full of lunch guests. We were frantically trying to get everyone up onto the terrace, but many guests ignored us and ran down the path to take pictures with their phones! Fortunately, there were no incidents and the Kenya Wildlife Rangers, once called, made sure the lioness and her cubs went back down across the suspension bridge into the park.”
Close to the action
The charming accommodation, with each room individually designed and decorated, ranges from the farm’s old, converted stables and safari-style tented cottages under makuti thatch to two family cottages and two original suites – the Tower and Terrace Suite – in the main house of the lodge.
The Tower Suite, as its name suggests, is reached by climbing a set of stairs to gain access to the room. Opening the door to the private balcony reveals spectacular views over the national park.
Considering its close proximity to the sprawling city of Nairobi, this 117km² national park, with its open rolling savannah plains, valleys, acacia woodland and a series of steep gorges, is home to an astonishing variety of large mammals, including lion, buffalo, hyena, giraffe, black rhino, leopard, jackal, serval cats and cheetah. Over 530 species of birds have been recorded.
The following morning, we enjoy early morning coffee on our little balcony and watch the sun rise over the park. A group of impalas is beautifully illuminated.
Ololo is a wildly secluded and spectacularly tranquil location, only a 45-minute drive through the park from Nairobi and both the city’s main airports.
Text and photography | Fransje Van Riel
For more information or to book a stay, go to ololo.com.
