3 Days 2 Nights, Lake Elementaita Lodge

Located 120kms away from Nairobi and 29kms from Nakuru town are Lake Elementaita Lodge, a 19th-century colonial farmhouse, and a 33 roomed lodge in the scenic Kikopey area overlooking Eburu Mountains, Sleeping warrior hill, and Lake Elementaita after which it was named. The diversion off the Nakuru-Nairobi Highway into the all-weather road marks the beginning of a journey back into time.

Lake Elementaita Lodge is not your regular lodge. In fact, it is a time machine that allows you to pause, erase everything you expected from a typical lodge and hop into a time machine and visualize how the place was a century ago and how it came to be what it is while unwinding and enjoying your stay.

Once A Colonial Farm House

The lodge dates back to about a century ago when it was built by one of Kenya’s first Colonial Lords called Galbraith Cole. Lord Galbraith was Lord Delamere’s Brother in law who had gone to fight in the South African Boers war of October 11, 1899, to May 31, 1902, between Great Britain and the two Boer (Afrikaner) republics. During the war, he got wounded and was confined to a wheelchair. His Sister; who was married to Lord Delamere begged Lord Delamere to have his brother come to Kenya and live with them instead of going back home to Europe. Lord Delamere agreed and gave him about 30 hectares of land from his 100 ha in the Kikopey area. They agreed that Lord Cole will be given the land North of Lake Elementaita and they will retain the land south of Lake Elementaita extending all the way to Lake Nakuru. During the time of his stay in Kenya, Lord Cole put up a farm with lots of agronomic activities going on. He lived there with his wife, children, and farmworkers.

Fast forward to today, Jacaranda Hotels acquired the lodge and has preserved most of its original fixtures and fittings while adding a unique touch of hospitality to ensure maximum guest comfort and experience.

Lake Elementaita Lodge has a total of 33 rooms all built in the traditional British colonial style. Each of the units is self-contained with some rooms having interconnecting doors for families traveling with their young ones, a front porch overlooking the entire property, and some rooms having a direct view of Lake Elementaita.

To get to Lake Elementaita, you can either take a road trip from Lake Nakuru National Park’s Nderit Gate or, if driving from Nairobi, the Nairobi – Nakuru highway is scenic with views of the Lakes Naivasha and Elementaita. Both trips take 90 minutes.

This soda lake is visible from the highway when driving from Nairobi to Naivasha. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and one of the best birding destinations in the Great Rift. There are also other animals around the lake such as zebras, gazelles, and elands.

Nearby attractions include:

• Hell’s Gate National Park
• Lake Nakuru National Park
• Menengai Crater