Situated on the northern edge of the Laikipia plateau, Ol Malo House is nestled into a rugged escarpment looking out across the time-honored lands of Kenya’s Northern Frontier District. These miles of dense thorn bush are favoured by the shy, elusive antelope from which the house takes its name, “the place of the Greater Kudu”. An ancient land inhabited by wildlife and peoples of a time long ago, undisturbed and living by the rhythm of nature.
Ol Malo House was designed and built by the Francombe family. The hub of the house is a large and beautiful sitting and dining room – with open fireplaces – encircled by three en-suite double bedrooms. Separate cottages create a further three double bedrooms: each private and comfortable cottage has arch windows and doors, en-suite bathrooms, and decor inspired by the area’s wild landscape, local flora and the life and culture of the Samburu people. Lighting is handmade by the Samburu women creates a warm ambience and welcoming atmosphere. A flagstone path leads to a large open area overlooking the infinity pool and this incredible land’s wide-open vistas – perfect for al fresco dining. A barbecue area creates a wonderful place in which to end the day under a star-studded African sky.
On offer whilst staying are endless wild walks, camel and horse rides, mountain biking, picnics by the river, game drives, lots of interaction with the local Samburu tribe or just relaxing and watching the sun go down at the end of the day.
We have our very own little Raven R44 helicopter based on Ol Malo and piloted by Andrew who has been all over Kenya by air and knows all the secret spots. Sundowners on granite outcrops, breakfasts by flamingo pools, fishing trips, and lunch in the deserts of the North…Kenya’s best-kept secrets are out there!
If you are here for long enough there are options for sleeping out: Spend a romantic night in the tree house under a blanket of stars (dependent on the weather), or sleep in the leopard hide and see what comes in to the waterhole. With enough notice we can organise for one to fly camp on the river.
Ol Malo is a working family ranch and tries to be as self sufficient as possible. Learn about livestock caring, grazing and husbandry in this harsh environment. Play with the lambs, collect freshly laid eggs for your breakfast and lend a hand at milking the cows.
Elephant, buffalo, Eland, Beisa Oryx, Grant gazelle, Impala, common and grey Zebra, reticulated Giraffe, Lelwels Hartebeeste Gerenuk, Greater Kudu, Water Buck, Klipspringer, Steenbok, Gunthers Dik Dik, Warthog, Wild dog, Leopard, Cheetah, Lion, spotted and striped Hyena: where else on earth can you go out for a drive in an open vehicle – with a Samburu guide and driver – and be virtually certain to see such a wide-ranging selection of elusive, wild game?
Early morning or late evening rides are a great way to view game. Being out of the car and on horseback or on a camel is a wonderful way to see the game, which won’t flee from horses and camels: you get very close to the action indeed. For the more adventurous – go horse riding down towards the river.
An experienced Samburu guides will take you on a nature walk to show you the Little Five – ant lion, leopard tortoise, elephant shrew, rhino beetle, buffalo weaver. Or you can choose to learn about the plants the Samburu use for medicine and food. Or stand in amazement at the sight of the 330 named species of birds found at Ol Malo.
Pay a welcome visit to our neighbours, the Samburu people. Visit their nursery school. Visit the Ol Malo workshop to see the women beading or the children painting. Visit the local school.
Enjoy Al Fresco dining
Ol Malo is 5000 acres of game sanctuary where free roaming wildlife is protected. The area is patrolled by rangers and the grazing and water managed, so that wildlife can survive throughout the dry season. Employing community security teams on the Eastern boundary protects an important elephant migration and feeding area. Conservancy fees paid by guests assist in the funding of the security teams and conservation efforts in neighboring areas. Ol Malo works alongside the Samburu Trust whose wildlife team covers over 1 million acres of community range lands bordering Ol Malo and further afield. The community livestock and elephant historically share similar migration routes and so this community conservation model works.
Ol Malo’s helicopters and aircraft provide air support for collaring and anti-poaching efforts, working alongside Kenya Wildlife Service, The Samburu Trust, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Save the Elephants, Space for Giants and in the past provided all the GPS data collection for the Wild Dog branch of the Laikipia Predator Project during its set up stage.
Ol Malo supports The Samburu Trust which is an amalgamation of several initiatives that were set up in response to the great hardships caused by the drought that ravaged Kenya between 1999-2001 – one of the country’s worst in living memory. Whole regions were devastated by the disaster, but none more so than the dry heartland of the Samburu community, where the Samburu lost the majority of their cattle and therefore the major part of their livelihood. With a desire to help, Julia Francombe initially provided drought relief for the neighbouring communities from her own resources and those of the family, but soon came to acknowledge that a more robust and longer term approach was needed.
