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Makena’s Hills is situated on Ol ari Nyiro, known locally as Kurmakini, a 100,000 acre malaria free, private paradise and wildlife reserve and Black Rhino sanctuary (altitude 7000 feet). It is a stunning tented camp for 12 people, set overlooking the breathtaking Great Rift Valley. On these slopes and hills, an extraordinary series of dramatic ridges, steep gorges and open savannah, valleys and plains, the film “I Dreamed of Africa”, based on Kuki Gallmann’s world best seller was shot on location. Stone and Iron Age archaeological remains of immense potential value have been discovered in Ol ari Nyiro, the true "Cradle of Mankind" and await official investigation by The National Museums of Kenya.
The camp consists of six enormous tents, three with two large queen beds each, and three with romantic four-poster beds, all sheltered by a sloping tent -like roof and erected on red cedar terraces. Each tent has its own private panoramic veranda overlooking the Great Rift, where intimate meals can be served if required, plus a vast dressing room/bathroom, shower en suite and massage bed. Unique and exclusively designed in beige canvas to blend with the landscape, finished as Arabic desert tents, the tents are decorated in an unusual imaginative style - with the meticulous care for detail that has made the Mukutan Retreat famous - creating a special, luxurious yet relaxed and extremely comfortable atmosphere.
Makena has a large central reception area with two giant fireplaces, a vast front terrace where a stunning campfire effect lights up the night and where the dining rooms and bar are located. There is also a shop with a selection of rare local crafts, a panoramic swimming pool, and secluded viewpoints amongst clumps of trees for sundowners, meditation, yoga and relaxation.
At Makena you can see amazing wildlife: elephant, the largest population of Cape Buffalo on private land in Kenya, eland, waterbuck, lion, leopard, cheetah and over 400 species of birds make Ol ari Nyiro a rare and extraordinary place. The forest of Enghelesha, the only indigenous and protected forest remaining in the area, is home to the last remaining troupes of the rare and endangered colobus monkey.
Here, you will discover endless hills covered in wild sage -leleshwa- whose leaves produce an exceptional healing essential oil, locally extracted. There are natural springs and waterfalls, including thermal hot springs. You can visit mysterious ancient caves and a sacred red hill of Ochre, Mlima Ndongo, where since time immemorial pilgrimages to collect the holy ochre were made.
If you enjoy riding, you will be able to choose from over 30 horses at Makena not to mention a private herd of 100 camels. Special yoga and holistic stress healing sessions are offered to interested guests in addition to horse riding, camel walks, fishing (sixty-two man-made rain catchments, some of which are stoked with delicious tilapia, black bass and fresh water crayfish) and the most extraordinary scenic game drives and walks in Kenya.
All this and much more make Ol ari Nyiro an exceptional place of awesome and unique appeal. The story that has developed here has already made it a symbol of survival, healing and hope to millions. The conservation activities of The Gallmann Memorial Foundation keep the flame glowing.
Ol ari Nyiro is renowned for its large populations of buffalo and elephants and its indigenous black rhino. Lions on a kill are practically guaranteed to guests who spend a few nights. Our guides are trained in ethno botany and ornithology. Ol ari Nyiro is regarded as the richest and most varied botanical area in East Africa and is known as a birdwatcher paradise with over 400 recorded species of birds. This is a unique sanctuary that has kept intact the very mystique of the Africa that has brought generations of travellers to the Cradle of Mankind. Makena’s Hills offers the very best in alternative safaris.
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