Kenya
Located in northern Kenya’s spectacular Laikipia region, Ol Lentille is one of Kenya’s most unique safari lodges, in the most breathtaking location. The lodge has 4 fully staffed private villas, which offer total privacy and exceptional service, as well as several common areas, including a stunning infinity pool. It can be either an adventurer's paradise or a relaxing retreat to start or finish your Kenya adventures.
The lodge and its 40,000-acre private conservation area are owned by the local community. The conservancy, a major animal migration corridor, is unfenced and managed in partnership with the local communities, who receive a share of the income of the tourism business. It is home to the endangered African wild dog, elephant, Grevy’s and Burchell’s zebra, greater kudu, leopard, striped and spotted hyena, and klipspringer - to name but a few.
There are day and night private game drives, or you can go on walks to discover Ol Lentille's stunning landscape.
Download Fact Sheet
Watch the Ol Lentille video for a short introduction
As the pioneers of luxury villas in Laikipia, Ol Lentille's accommodation offering is curated for relaxation, privacy, and connection to the beautiful location. Each of the four luxurious villas comes with its own distinct contemporary African interiors, inspired by the trees and plants of Laikipia.
Boscia House
The largest of the houses, Boscia is a huge three bedroom villa with multiple common areas for people to congregate in, including a large living room with a fireplace. Named after the boscia (shepherd's) tree, its decor is luxurious but minimalist, with black and white tones dominating. It has a large wrap-around deck with a plunge pool, and a private outdoor area with a barbecue pit. There are spectacular views of the rugged peaks of Laikipia from most parts of the house
Acacia House
Acacia is a two-bedroom thatched roof house, built into the mountainside, with large rocks blending spectacularly into the house. Its decor is inspired by the acacia tree, with accents of gold and blue gracing its plush interiors.
The house has two decks overlooking a watering hole often visited by elephants.
Acacia can be booked as a complete 2-bedroom villa, or as two independent suites for two separate couples.
Aloe House
Aloe is a large villa built on two floors, with two large bedrooms on the upper floor, and dining and living areas on the ground floor, with a fireplace. Each of the bedrooms has a large private terrace, accessed through double glass doors and also feature dressing rooms, sunken baths, and a roofless shower room.
The ground floor terrace has a shaded outdoor dining area and plunge pool.
Its luxurious interiors are inspired by the aloe plant, and feature accents of red.
Carissa
Carissa is hidden on the property's highest point, with breathtaking 280 views of Laikipia's rugged landscape. The bedroom comes with a round bed and floor to ceiling windows. There is a sunken outdoor bathtub in the rocks, often with eagles flying above you, a lounge with a fireplace, a dining room, and a large wrap-around terrace.
The villa's gorgeous interiors are inspired by the carissa tree, and feature pops of green and blue.
The lodge and conservation area are community owned and privately managed, this is one of the best examples in Kenya of the community successfully working with a private partnership.
In addition to the luxury villas, the lodge features a spa, and an infinity pool overlooking a watering hole, and a uniqiue Gallery.
The Gallery is housed within a 50-foot wide rotunda seamlessly integrated with the natural rock of the area. The equivalent of a “club room”, it is a place to relax and gather your thoughts, read a book from the extensive library specializing in Africana, nature and conservation, play board games, and meet fellow travelers.
The roof top bar above the Gallery sets the stage for remarkable private dining and stargazing experiences.
Ol Lentille's close partnership with the local community gives you unparalleled and authentic access to the Maasai and Samburu culture. Dinners at a manyatta with elders, Singing Wells, Rain Prayers and other such interactions are powerful and moving events, seldom experienced by visitors to Kenya.
Ol Lentille also offers camel trekking, walking safaris, quad biking and mountain biking and wonderful spa treatments.
The OI LentiIIe Conservancy is a pioneering exampIe of community-based conservation, which aims to align the interests of tourism and conservation with those of the communities who own the land. The Ol Lentille lodge was donated to and is owned by the local community.
Community-owned, conservation minded
The unfenced Ol Lentille conservancy plays a vital role in protecting an important animal migration corridor. The model is based on a tight partnership between the Maasai and Samburu communities who own the land (and the safari lodge) and the operators of the tourism business. By protecting the conservancy, they enable the tourism activity, from which they derive direct (financial) and indirect (employment, training...) benefits. This is a "win-win" for the communities and for conservation, funded by tourism.
The Ol Lentille Conservancy
Our 15-year effort to create a 40,000-acre conservancy has resulted in the rewilding of a remote and beautiful part of Africa, with flora and fauna having returned in numbers not seen in human memory. The sustainability of the Conservancy, in a semi-arid part of the country, is a never-ending endeavour, with droughts and illegal grazing by pastoralists constant threats to the health of its flora and fauna.
The Ol Lentille Conservancy is a pioneering example of community-based conservation, which aims to align the interests of tourism and conservation with those of the communities who own the land. The Conservancy has no fences and is patrolled by a team of rangers who seek to protect it in a sensitive and collaborative manner, allowing for the passage of animals on their migratory routes.
An extraordinary partnership
In a pioneering example of community-tourism partnership, the lodge was donated to the community on whose land it sits (the Kijabe community). It is managed under a long term agreement by the current investors.
The four communities involved in the Ol Lentille Conservancy benefit directly from tourism. Each receives a share of the Conservation Fee levied on visitors to be used on community development initiatives according to their own self-defined needs. They also benefit from employment and training opportunities with the lodge.
A remarkable Recovery
The combination of community will and the lodge’s management skills, supported by the African Wildlife Foundation, has led to an astonishing recovery of wildlife and habitat. The Conservancy has gone from over-grazed semi-desert to an abundance of flora and fauna in a few short years. With grass recovery, erosion has been halted and the Ldarboi spring, dead for at least 100 years, has come back to life. With improved vegetation cover, rainwater can permeate the soil, resulting in increased precipitation, creating a virtuous cycle of re-greening, and the return of wildlife in significant numbers.
The security team
Protecting the Ol Lentille Conservancy is a constant struggle in such a vast and rugged area, with many parts inaccessible by car. We employ 24 rangers, led by a Head Warden, and supported by three squad commanders. The uniformed, armed rangers are all employed from the local communities, including two female rangers. They have been trained by the Kenya Police Reserve (KPR) and 51 Degrees, a training outfit run by ex-Special Air Service personnel. Some of them are members of the KPR, which gives them police enforcement powers. The security team run anti-poaching patrols, mitigate human-wildlife conflict, deal with cattle encroachment on the Conservancy and generally ensure the security of the local communities.
How to help
We are determined, with your help, to make a deep, lasting and sensitive impression on a small place that will positively impact the environment as well as the livelihoods of a traditional but dynamic people. If you’d like to help, please speak to our General Manager for an overview of needs in Conservation, Education and other areas. The lodge can facilitate the deployment of donations and the execution of community and conservation projects.
305 Booty Lane, Virginia Beach, VA 23451
Tel: (757) 428 1166 / Fax: (757) 428 0554 / Toll Free: 1 800 322 3867