Ndarakwai Ranch

Ndarakwai Ranch has 12 tents under thatch, with bush (bucket) showers and toilets ensuite. Hot showers are provided at any time of day, but water impact is kept low through collecting rainwater and using compost toilets. Water is heated in fuel-efficient boilers, and meals are prepared on propane stoves and insulated clay ovens. Candlelight and kerosene lanterns provide romantic evening light. The small amount of electricity used is solar generated.

Close attention is paid to impact on the environment and neighboring communities. Ndarakwai Ranch was built by, and is staffed by people from the local villages, like Miti Mirefu. Materials, such as canvas for tents, were purchased locally, and tents were made onsite. The Ranch grows their own vegetables or buys from farmers at nearby Ngare Nairobi village. Trees felled by elephant provide much of the firewood used.

Activities include wildlife viewing - particularly elephant, lesser kudu, gerenuk - over 63 species of mammals. And with more than 340 species of bird, it's a birder's paradise. Guests can participate in guided full or half-day walks, longer hikes, day and night game drives, or just relax at the camp. A wide variety of cultural activities are offered, including meeting and walking with Ranch game scouts, who protect the wildlife; or visiting local Maasai villages set in classic African acacia landscape, and buying authentic beaded jewelry. Horse safaris can be arranged ahead of time for proficient riders.

Guests can meet Osambu, Saba, Jeff, and Tinga, the orphan eland family. The tree house is a favorite destination where, during the dry seasons, guests are likely to gaze down at a herd of sixty or more elephants at the waterhole.

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