Ol Jogi

The house includes 11 bedrooms, spread over 8 cottages. Each bedroom is eccentrically decorated yet maintains a traditional African feel. Warm colours, wooden features and authentic decorations fill the spacious rooms. Wide windows fill the space with natural light and offer panoramic views of the luscious grasslands and breathtaking vista. Luxury Hermès linens and Buccellati silver pieces are dotted around the rooms increasing the feel of luxury and decadence.

Ensuite bathrooms are large and bright and many include stained glass windows of traditional African animals and scenes flooding the room with kaleidoscopic light. Guests can relax with a drink from their own mini bar on their balcony watching over the beautiful horizon.

With 58,000 acres at guests disposal, dinner can be served anywhere. Guests can chose from various eccentric or traditional dining rooms in the house, or can chose to enjoy dinner in the bush under a blanket of stars immersing themselves in the sights, smells and sounds of the bush whilst enjoying exceptional food. Private chefs can tailor guests’ meals to suit any dietary requirements and local ingredients from the kitchen garden ensure the food is healthy and delicious. Wine tasting can be offered in the houses own wine cellar and guests can relax in an evening enjoying cocktails from the fascinating bar.

A traditional African safari sundowner experience is offered at Ol Jogi. Admire the spectacular sunset over the horizon with a refreshing drink in hand and raise a toast to the memories you are creating.

Guests have the opportunity to see the wildlife surrounding the area in a comfortable, open sided game drive vehicle. With the whole 58,000 acres conservancy to yourself, these drives will be private and uninterrupted and the beauty of the ever changing surroundings allow for unique sightings every time you chose to go out. Explore the Ol Jogi conservancy and see if you can spot black rhino, African wild dogs or the endangered Grevy’s Zebra.

Guests have the opportunity to explore the conservancy on foot with an experienced guide. These excursions offer a more intimate way to explore, and guests can appreciate the smaller things such as animal tracks and prints and micro-ecosystmes. Walking with baboons can be arranged on request, as can abseiling, for the more adrenaline seeking guests. Guests can explore the nearby canyons, and marvel at the prehistoric exposed rock.

Various conservation and community efforts are supported by Ol Jogi conservancy and guests can take the opportunity to see some of these first hand. A visit to the rhino orphanage can be arranged to see the endangered eastern black rhino or guests can visit the Wildlife Rescue Centre and Vet Clinic to see wildlife orphans during their rehabilitation. Engage in the local community by visiting the local primary school and chat to members of the community to find out about their culture and traditions.

Horse riding is available at Ol Jogi so guests can saddle up and explore the conservatory on horseback. On safari horse’s and with a knowledgeable guide this is an amazing and unique way to become part of the wildlife.

View the diversity of the north Kenyan landscape with a once-in-a-lifetime birds-eye view. Mount Kenya is close by for guests to marvel at and the Great Rift Valley with its volcanoes and population of pink flamingos lies in the opposite direction.

Untouched rivers are teeming with a variety of species of trout for guests to find in an afternoons catch-and-release fishing.

For a unique way to explore the Ol Jogi Conservancy guests can enjoy an excursion on quad bikes. With safety in mind, more land can be explored than on a walk and guests can stop and hop off to view any wildlife as they go along.

A variety of activities are available for guests without having to leave the house. Enjoy a refreshing swim in the pool surrounded by luscious vegetation or enjoy a stress-relieving massage treatment in the spa. A sauna and jacuzzi are available to melt muscle aches away after a day spent walking or horse riding. Guests can relax and watch a movie in the cinema room after the sun has set or have some family fun in the games room.

For a quieter evening, peruse the many books in the library and settle down in a cosy armchair for a quiet read. Tennis and table tennis can be played at the house and for guests who like to relax by meditation and gentle stretching, yoga mats are available with yoga sessions on request.

The aim of the Ol Jogi Wildlife Conservancy, when it was created 40 years ago, was to “preserve natural habitats and their wildlife in a responsible manner.” Since it’s creation, they have helped to conserve critically endangered species, by providing medical support, re-wilding natural habitats, working with the community and most importantly, creating an education platform so people can understand the importance and benefit of protecting endangered species.

The landscape of Ol Jogi holds the highest density and diversity of big mammals anywhere on earth. Due to the protected land, animals can breed safely, protecting their species for another generation and preventing further extinction.

Ol Jogi believes that the children in Kenya hold “the fate of their nation’s wildlife in their hands.” The Wildlife Education Program has been running since 1986, the focus of the program is to highlight the importance of preserving wildlife and nature and focuses on the science behind conservation. More than 100,000 school children have attended this program to date, and have been educated on the importance of the local wildlife, and “helping them understand the treasure they hold in their country.”

Ol Jogi have been working with the communities where they operate for 40 years, understanding that for conservation to work, a good relationship with the landowners and communities is vital. More than 70% of Ol Jogi’s staff are from local communities, however Ol Jogi doesn’t just employ people, they provide what can be life changing support. Staff members reside on the property with their families, in homes provided by Ol Jogi and water, electricity, free healthcare and free primary education also provided.

Ol Jogi believes that “the wellbeing of our staff and their families are an integral part of the success of our conservation efforts.” Ol Jogi Wildlife Conservancy runs their own school of 230 pupils, providing free education until the end of primary school. Understanding the importance of education, they also support schools within the neighbouring communities and they fund bursaries for star students to attend higher education facilities.

Helping to keep the community healthy and safe is the full time nurse who works at Ol Jogi’s medical dispensary. Here, members of the community can go to receive free medical care and receive information on family planning and maternal healthcare. Ol Jogi Conservancy works with local herders and the surrounding community to offer their land to cattle owners who wish to give their own land time to restore itself.

This prevents overgrazed land and soil erosion and herdsmen from the community are employed, learning this approach to land management and then implementing it on their own land. Working with the government of Kenya, Ol Jogi aims to prevent human-wildlife conflict by developing wildlife corridors and reducing elephant crop reduction.

Various initiatives that aim to empower women are supported by Ol Jogi. Women are trained to acquire new skills which helps them diversify and increase their income. Empowering the local women is essential to themselves as well as their families, access to information on general healthcare and family planning allows for women to take control of their own lives and bodies and reach their full potential.

Nobody can reach their full potential if they are thirsty, so Ol Jogi has continually invested to ensure both people and livestock have access to water. “Ol Jogi has built more than 55 man-made water reservoirs which ensures that during time of drought, wildlife and community cattle have access to water.”

The tourism that Ol Jogi receives profits and supports the communities and their conservation efforts, and aims to highlight the ongoing efforts to help conserve and protect the wildlife. Ol Jogi’s main focus is “preserving some of the most critically endangered species left in Africa.”

Ol Jogi makes sure to protect the carrying capacity for each species by recording and keeping track of species numbers as they understand that species going over carrying capacity reduces their health and population performance, which can be disastrous. Specifically designed migration corridors, including “rhino-proof wildlife corridors” have been introduced to allow for the free movement of both wildlife and humans.

These corridors are kept up to date by constant monitoring with remote camera traps. To help protect the environment, Ol Jogi manages their water resources to ensure minimal damage to the environment and maximum water use. Sustainable water utilisation is implemented, rainwater is harvested and water is consumed responsibly.

In Kenya, since 1980 roughly 70% of its wildlife has been lost whether it be from hunting, illegal poaching or habitat loss. In 1986 Ol Jogi created a Wildlife Rescue Centre which cared for the orphaned or injured wildlife, and was a pioneer in the rehabilitation and release of wildlife orphans. The aim of the Wildlife Rescue Centre now is to “take in wildlife orphans with the primary goal of responsibly releasing them back to their natural environment.”

A veterinary clinic was opened in 1995 to provide medical care to animals in poor health. Partnered with Conservation Biology Institute Global Health Program and vets at the Smithsonian’s National Zoo, the vet clinic is developing their capacity “to provide gold-standard veterinary care for wildlife at a regional level.”

The decrease in numbers of black rhino was sharp and shocking, by 1985 around 350 rhinos were left, from 20,000 in 1970. Ol Jogi became the second private rhino sanctuary in 1980 and today their rhino population is more than 100. Home to 6.3% of the worlds total eastern black rhino population, Ol Jogi has an important job and they work hard to “prioritise their health and breeding success.”

Green technologies and products are used at Ol Jogi to help protect the environment, natural resources and ecosystems. Harnessing the power of sunlight, Ol Jogi uses solar power to provide solar power for many of their operations such as their electric fence, several internet providing antenna, their Veterinary Clinic, as well as being used to heat water for the house. As well as using sunlight, Ol Jogi also harness wind power to help power some of their radio repeater stations. To help lessen their pollution they are currently testing the use of electric Land Cruisers to test its effectiveness.