Foothills of Mt Kenya – Borana Lodge

Wake up on a glorious African morning and the birds singing. Ride out of the stables with a picnic breakfast packed in your saddlebags, ready for the day’s adventures. Canter through the wilderness, following the natural tracks made by the herds of zebra, antelope, giraffe and elephant. You never know what you might see while you’re out in the saddle. Borana boasts large numbers of elephants, as well as buffalo, hippo, giraffe, zebra, many antelope and of course all the big cats! Lion and leopard sightings are not uncommon and the area is also known for its growing population of endangered wild dogs. Enjoy a picnic lunch out in the wilderness, or head back to the lodge. After an afternoon siesta, saddle up again or enjoy a game drive or guided walk on Borana. You might even watch the sunset at the rock that inspired the Lion King!

When you’re not riding, the camp can arrange a wide range of activities. Borana has enough to entertain the whole family. Highlights include, game drives, guided walks through the bush, cycling through the wilderness, spending time with the armed anti-poaching unit, visits to a local Maasai village or sundowners on Pride Rock, the original inspiration for Disney’s Lion King.

When the Dyer family first came to Borana Conservancy, horses were the only means of transport. The family’s love of horses remains and horse riding continues to be one of the best ways of seeing wildlife. Borana Conservancy is equipped with two sets of stables, each of which caters to riders of varying experience.

The larger stables cater to the more advanced rider, with ex-polo ponies leading rides for over two hours across the conservancy. This is a fantastic way to see the wildlife without the sound of an engine! Longer rides can be arranged, even full-day rides ending with a sleepout under the stars, with your horses tethered nearby. Non-riders can join the sleepout, arriving by vehicle, mountain bike or foot.

The stables for the less advanced riders (small children included) are on the Eastern side of Borana Conservancy and run at a much slower pace. The grooms are very happy taking children for short rides on lead reigns which is a great way to build up their confidence. There are patient easy horses, which have been trained to be careful with children and novice riders. Guests can ride through the plains among giraffes, zebra, eland and impala and experience wildlife at close quarters.

Borana Lodge has a fleet of custom-built, four-wheel drive, open-sided vehicles. Game drives are led by trained Kenyan field guides who love sharing their local knowledge of the area. Wildlife is best viewed early in the morning and in the late afternoons often combined with a picnic lunch or sundowners overlooking Pride Rock. And after dinner, night drives can be arranged which give you the opportunity to have spot nocturnal animals such as porcupines and leopard.

There is a range of activities to keep children occupied on drives, including rhino identification cards and lion whisker spot cards. The guides can also teach them how to track game and spot different birds and trees.

Borana Conservancy is home to the inspiration for Pride Rock from Disney’s original animated film The Lion King. Pride Rock is reachable on foot from Borana Lodge as well as in a vehicle, on horse back or on a mountain bike. It is a wonderful location to watch the sunrise over a cup of coffee or enjoy a cold G&T at sunset.

The animation team from Disney visited Borana Conservancy in the early 1990s as part of a Kenya-wide research safari ahead of the release of 1994 The Lion King film. They visited again in 2017 to take inspiration for the re-make of the classic film.  While watching the movie, you’ll see many backdrops that were inspired by the incredible scenery here.

It is estimated that there are only around 20,000 lions left in the wild. Borana Conservancy is partnered with Lion Landscapes, a conservation and research organisation focused on the preservation of lion, large carnivores and their habitat. Your conservation fees and much of the profit of the lodge is invested in sustainable conservation of the wilderness and wildlife of this incredible place. By staying at Borana, you are really travelling with purpose.

Learn more about the behind-the-scenes work that goes into conservation and meet the team that keeps our Rhino safe. The Borana Conservancy rangers are required to see each individual rhino once a day. Guests have the opportunity to head out with the rangers, on foot, first thing in the morning, to track and identify an individual rhino. Viewing such large creatures on foot provides an exhilarating experience as well as an insight into the life of a member of the Borana Conservancy anti-poaching team.

In 2013, Borana introduced 21 black rhinos from Lake Nakuru National Park and the neighbouring Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. Lewa and Borana cooperate closely on all conservation matters and have now dropped the adjoining fences between the two conservancies. This landscape now boasts 106 black and 98 white rhino, making it arguably one of the best places in Kenya to see rhino.

Each evening, the armed unit of the anti-poaching team is deployed to various vantage points on Borana in order to survey and monitor the conservancy. You can accompany members of the team out on these deployments and spend time with our unsung heroes.

For those who prefer a different type of saddle, mountain biking is a must. Borana has a range of adult bikes available along with one smaller bike suitable for children aged 9 or over. You must be relatively fit and confident with off-road bike riding, but you’ll be rewarded with exceptional views! The hills and valleys provide the perfect terrain for adrenalin-fuelled bike rides!

One of the most tranquil ways to experience wildlife is when on a guided bushwalk. Walks are led by an experienced field guide, accompanied by an armed ranger. While walking, you have the chance to appreciate the smaller aspects of the Borana eco-system, learning the secrets of the bush and getting an insight into the medicinal and practical uses for indigenous plants. This is also a great way to learn about tracking, following the spoor left by various animals and learning their habits.

Walks around the lodge grounds can be arranged for children while parents enjoy some downtime. Children will learn about the birds and plants as well as the tracks of smaller creatures that live around the lodge.

Most of the staff, guides and anti-poaching team are from the local communities. Borana also has a close relationship with one of the local communities north of the conservancy who are eager to share their culture. A Maasai elder will give you a tour of the village and describe the history and traditions of the Maasai tribe. The tour usually ends with a traditional tribal dance which you are encouraged to take part in and kids (and adults) can learn how to play traditional games including what is known as the Maasai Olympics

Located on the Southern boundary of Borana Conservancy, the Ngare Ndare forest shows the stark contrast between the various ecosystems of Northern Kenya. The 13,000-acre indigenous forest made up of African Olives and Cedar Trees, provides a safe haven for elephants and other larger mammals as well as a fantastic collection of exotic birds and butterflies. Through the forest lies a crystal clear turquoise river, fed by the underground glacial spring of Mount Kenya’s meltwaters. With breathtaking waterfalls and not another human around, it is the perfect place for a swim during the heat of the day.

The Ngare Ndare Forest also offers an impressive canopy walk. Suspended at 30m above the ground, this suspension bridge runs for 400m through the forest. There is a large platform located at the end of the canopy walk, where a picnic lunch can be enjoyed, complete with a fantastic view of the river below.

Visiting one of the schools that is part of The Borana Education Support Programme is a great way to get a glimpse of everyday life in Kenya, and is a highly enlightening experience. If you wish to, you can bring books, colouring pencils, and educational games for the children.

You can also spend a day with the mobile clinic which visits local communities and villages. Sit in on appointments while the team distributes medication and advice to those who need it. The aims of the nurses and counsellors with the clinic are to provide medical and sanitation education, family planning and HIV awareness.

Borana is home to the largest Permaculture project in East Africa. You’ll find Waitabit farm on the eastern bank of the Ngare Ndare River. This is where most of the fresh produce used at Borana Lodge is grown whichn not only feeds all the guests, but the staff and anti-poaching team. A trip to Waitabit leaves one with a wealth of knowledge, along with a passion for food and where it comes from. The idea of Waitabit is to reduce the gap between farm and fork, ensuring all guests at Borana Lodge eat local, fresh food which is not only good for one’s health but also good for the soul. This is a great place to bring the kids who can pick their own veggies for lunch and dinner. The tour can take place mid-morning or mid-afternoon.

Borana Lodge was built with families in mind. Kids can be kept busy with a guided bush bumble in one of the Land Rovers, or head out to track smaller creatures on foot. For water babies, there is the option of swimming in the pool or a nearby waterfall, or even exploring the river banks looking for frogs or treasures. There are some perfect ponies that love taking kids out to see the magic of their wilderness home.

The kitchen is always happy to cater to the gentler palettes and earlier hours that tend to suit younger guests. Take them into the farm garden and let them pick their own food, or enjoy a cooking lesson with the lodge chef.  For those who need to be in bed before their parents, a listening service is always on hand.