Governors' Loldia House
Set on the north-western shores and enjoying a spectacular view over Lake Naivasha, Loldia House is a peaceful, beautiful and traditional farmhouse retreat with a rich heritage, offering glimpses into a bygone era. Loldia House was completely refurbished in 2018 to refresh the classic elegance of a place steeped in history. A new infinity pool positioned on a rocky outcrop between two ancient fig trees has beautiful views out to the lake.
Loldia House sits in a conservancy of 6500 acres that stretches from the shores of Lake Naivasha back to the edges of the lush and beautiful Eburru Forest. Set in flower filled gardens and soft lawns, the greenery surrounding Loldia House is grazed daily and nightly by the conservancy’s resident wildlife – hippos, impala, waterbuck, giraffe and warthog. Nine beautifully adorned ensuite cottages enjoy lake views and provide a chic yet traditional style haven in which to relax.
Loldia is perfectly located to enjoy a multitude of different activities, discovering the varying landscapes and wildlife areas of the Great Rift Valley. After a day of exploring, Loldia House ensconces you in a warm, candle-lit atmosphere.
Double and Twin Cottages (7)
Loldia House offers accommodation original settler style ensuite rooms set in separate cottages in the garden, in the main house, or in an exclusive location on a hill with a beautiful view over the lake and accessible by vehicle from the main house. All rooms enjoy views over the pretty green gardens and to Lake Naivasha.
Family Cottage (1)
Sitting privately atop a hill with a spectacular view over the lake, the family cottage combines an ensuite double room, an ensuite twin room and a double "loft" room (not ensuite), around a common sitting room and verandah, perfect for traveling groups and families. The Family Cottage is set a driving distance away from the main Loldia House, and a driver is on hand to transport guests to the main house as needed.
Day Trip to Lake Nakuru National Park
One of the highlights whilst staying at Loldia House is a day trip to the picturesque Lake Nakuru National Park, which is world famous for it’s thousands of colourful flamingoes and abundant rhino. Guests depart from Loldia after an early breakfast and enjoy a drive through the Rift Valley on their way to Lake Nakuru, which is approximately 2 hours from Loldia House. Lake Nakuru is one of Kenya’s smaller National Parks, yet it is one of the most beautiful. The park is abundant with a wide variety of wildlife, large numbers of rhino and millions of both Great and Lesser Flamingoes. Enjoy game viewing around the park in our specially designed 4wheel-drive Landrovers before choosing a shady spot for a sumptuous picnic lunch. Return to Loldia House for afternoon tea and delicious cakes, on the lawn overlooking Lake Naivasha.
Game and bird viewing by boat on Lake Naivasha
Lake Naivasha, at over 6,000 feet, is the highest lake in the Rift Valley and one of its most beautiful. Fringed by papyrus and with the extinct Mount Longonot as a backdrop, the lake is picturesque. The lake is extremely productive for a variety of birds, and is also home to pods of hippo. Loldia House has it's own boat and launching jetty and a boat ride is a wonderful way to view all the feathered and non-feathered species of the region.
Day and Night Game Drives on Loldia Conservancy
We can arrange day and night game drives on Loldia Ranch to see the resident wildlife on the ranch, which includes abundant plains game. Night game drives normally depart after dinner. The drive lasts for one or so hour and you explore the ranch at night. Animals normally seen on night game drives include bat-eared foxes, aardvarks, leopard, long-tailed mongooses, spring hares, nightjars and eagle owls as well as hippos leaving the lake to graze.
Walk and Picnic on Crescent Island
Accessed by our boat launched from Loldia House, take a boat ride over to the picturesque Crescent Island, which is actually a peninsular connected to the main land when the lake levels aren't too high!
With our guide, take a walk on the island to view the bird and animal life. The shores host abundant birdlife including pelicans, cormorants and fish-eagles with their haunting cry. There are herds of Wildebeest, Waterbuck, Zebra and Gazelle. Hippo graze all over at night then or rest in the water by day. The giraffe who were born on the Island return to give birth; sometimes you see three generations at a time. Hyena come to hunt at night but are not resident on the island, the many python who do live here can be seen occasionally with a kill. From the top of the hill there is a 360 degree view across the Lake from Longonot to Hell’s Gate to the Mau Escarpement to Eburu and onto the Aberdares.
Soysambu Conservancy
Soysambu is a working cattle ranch and wildlife conservancy that borders the full western edge of Lake Elmenteita. Ensconced within the dramatic volcanic peaks along the rift valley floor, Soysambu promotes coexistence between sustainable ranching and wildlife conservation. The endangered Rothschild Giraffe, Lesser and Greater Flamingo and a healthy population of plains game can be found here, as well as 15 lion. The conservancy supports an ongoing lion research program which has seen 2 lions collared. It is possible to organise a half day of game driving with the researchers of the Soysambu lion project, headed by Kat Combes, to track the lions and learn about their behaviours, diets, and the conservation initiatives undertaken to protect them, including building lion-proof enclosures to protect the cattle. A half day lion tracking with the researchers is $20pp, excluding the conservancy fee.
The conservancy also has a raptor rehabilitation centre, managed by Simon Thomsett of the Kenya Bird of Prey Trust. The centre provides the facilities and expertise to rehabilitate injured raptors back into the wild. The centre is home to a variety of birds of prey, including to two Crowned Eagles, who have lived at the centre for many years. While the two Crowned Eagles are unable to be rehabilitated due to the extent of their old injuries, 11 generations of their chicks have been raised and released into the wild. A visit to the raptor centre is $5pp, excluding the conservancy fee.
Eburru Forest
Eburru Forest crowns the geologically active Mt Eburru, a volcanic massif in the Great Rift Valley. Mt Eburru is key in influencing local weather patterns, creating a catchment for rains that feed Lake Naivasha and Lake Elmenteita. The biodiversity of the Eburu is astounding, with some 60 species of mammal a very small relic population of the incredibly rare Mountain Bongo, a beautiful antelope. We have teamed up the Rhino Ark and the Bongo Surveillance Program to support their conservation activities of the Eburru Forest and restoring the population of Mountain Bongo.
A walk in the Eburru Forest will reveal active steam vents, a multitude of forest bird species and a rich floral ecosystem. A demonstration of honey harvesting by the Ogiek is a fascinating experience. A truly wonderful experience is to see a traditional honey harvesting demonstration by the Ogiek people, who are the traditional inhabitants of the Eburru forest. Enjoy a tea and biscuits with some freshly harvested honey.
Mountain Bongo experts Donna Shepherd, Colin or Tony Church can also be invited to speak about their ongoing surveillance work, and the future plans to reintroduce Mountain Bongo to where they once freely roamed.
Trip to Hells Gate National Park
Hell’s Gate National Park is known for its interesting geology and the steam geysers that are found in some areas. The cliffs in the park provide ideal nesting and vantage points for many birds of prey. It is possible to hike down the gorge to the hot springs and one of our resident naturalists will be happy to accompany you on the walk.
Guided Walks around Crater Lake
We can arrange guided morning or afternoon walks around Crater Lake. Crater Lake is a green volcanic lake situated in an old Volcanic Crater. The lakeshore is covered by acacia woodland home to troops of Colobus monkeys, there are also plenty of other wildlife to see and spoor tracks to follow.
Community Tourism
We can organize a visit to the Loldia School. The manager of Loldia House and longstanding guests have together formed the Loldia School Fund, a UK registered charitable trust, which has worked hard to improve the school for the children of the area. To date the school has been completely rebuilt, making it one of the best schools in the region. Scholarships have been offered to primary school leavers to attend secondary school, and some of the brighter students have gone on to Universities in Kenya and South Africa. The school also serves the wider community offering evening adult literacy classes and a kindergarten. The Governors’ Camp Collection supports the work of the Loldia School Fund which is helping provide a standard of education that enables the children attending to better their circumstances and find a way out of the poverty that exists in this area of Kenya.
Donations to the school are very welcome, and we will be happy to facilitate. We encourage you at the time of booking to request for information on the most pertinent needs of the school, so to make the most impactful contribution. Visits to the school are a rewarding experience for all, with the children learning as much from you as you from them. We will organise a visit around the children's school routine so as to not be disruptive.
Nature Walk on Airstrip
We can offer a guided nature walk on the airstrip on Loldia Ranch. You would walk with one of our naturalist guides and another member of the Loldia team. During the walk it is possible to see some of the wildlife resident on the ranch and be introduced to some of the smaller flora and fauna of the ranch.
Climb Mount Longonot
We are able to arrange a climb up Mt Longonot. Mt Longonot is a dormant volcano which lies in the Great Rift Valley and is visible from Lake Naivasha. Mount Longonot is a demanding hike but the views from the top across the Great Rift Valley and Lake Naivasha are glorious. There is a thick forest on the crater floor and the volcanoes slopes are home to buffalo, eland, lion, leopard, bushbuck, zebra, giraffe, Grants Gazelles as well as countless species of wild flowers and some interesting birdlife. We arrange a picnic lunch for guests going on the climb, the park entrance fee is payable direct and our manager will be happy to advise you of the current rates. Please note Mt Longonot is a strenuous climb and clients must be in good health and fit to take on the climb.
Visit to flower farm
Kenya is one of the largest growers and suppliers of flowers to the European market - it's where many Valentine's Day long-stem roses come from! We can arrange a visit to a nearby flower farm for guests staying at Loldia House. Guests are given a guided walk through the farm's greenhouses to see how the flowers are grown, harvested and prepared for shipment to Europe. From cutting to arriving at auction in Europe the process and transport takes just over 48hrs to ensure they arrive fresh!
Day Birding Trip
Guests to Loldia House in the Great Rift Valley are treated to a variety of eco-systems in close vicinity which yield a diverse abundance of birdlife. Escorted by one of our highly skilled and experienced guides, depart Loldia House after an early breakfast to Eburru Forest in time for the early morning activity of it's forest birds with a bush walk. Golden-winged and Tacazze sunbirds, Doherty's Bush-Shrike, White-Headed Wood-Hoopoes, Narina's Trogan and more can be found in the lush vegetation of Eburru Forest.
After an early morning of birding, continue through the forest by road passing over the ridge of Eburru and descending down towards Soysambu Conservancy in the north, where over 450 birds have been recorded in the conservancy itself. Soysambu encompasses Lake Elmenteita, one of the Rift's soda lakes and home to a stable and larger seasonal population of Greater and Lesser Flamingoes, Great White and Pink-Backed Pelican. Avocets, Sandpipers, Snipes and Spoonbills are some of the other species occupying the water and shorelines. Out in the open grasslands, Ground Hornbills, Secretary Birds and several species of Bustards can be found.
After a picnic lunch, visit the Raptor Rehabilitation Centre on Soysambu, run by the Kenya Bird of Prey Trust. Simon Thomsett uses the principles of falconry to rehabilitate injured raptors back into the wild. View a demonstration of falconry. The centre also houses 2 African Crowned Eagle pairs, from who 11 generations of chicks have been released into the wild.
Trip to Lake Bogoria
Lake Bogoria is a Rift Valley soda lake famed for its fabulous reflections of the Laikipia escarpment, its geysers and its hot springs. Throughout most of the year there are a large number of greater and lesser Flamingos. There are also good chances of seeing a herd of the elusive but majestic kudu. A trip to Lake Bogoria is approximately a four-hour drive one way on the main roads. You would need to leave very early in the morning from Loldia; arriving to the lake by 09h00 or 10h00, and leave Bogoria by 14h00 to ensure that you are not returning in the dark.
Horse Riding
Located on the south-side of the lake and accessible by Loldia's boat or a vehicle, 1.5hr horse rides are available on a wildlife-rich ranch. Riders of all skills are welcome, and you will be asked about your experience prior to arrival to pair you with the right horse and provide the right level of support. The area is teaming with bat-eared foxes, warthogs, giraffes, hippo, eland, zebra, buffalo and gazelles. Extra fee.
Golf at Great Rift Valley Lodge
We can arrange for guests to go to play golf at the nearby Great Rift Valley Lodge. The golf course has 18 holes and is located above Loldia and there are lovely views out over Lake Naivasha, Mount Longonot and across to the Abedare Mountains. There is also swimming pool. There is plenty of birdlife on the course and guests can sometimes see zebra wandering across the fairways. Guest need to pay entrance fee, green fees, hire of golf clubs and caddie fees. The manager of Loldia House can advise on these fees.
Loldia House Spa
After a long drive, boat ride or bush walk immerse yourself into the tranquil world of your Lake Naivasha surroundings in our poolside spa room, while our fully-trained spa therapist pampers you using the finest products by Terre D'Afrique, Wild Earth Botanics, or Cinnabar Green ensuring that you emerge feeling totally relaxed and recharged.
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