Maasai Lodge: The Jungle in the city

‘Life is a jungle,’ and ‘the city is a rat-race’ are two sayings that are almost aphorisms when it comes to the city of Nairobi.

But what if you just wanted to get away from the urban rat-race, without leaving the city altogether, and yet feel like you are in the wild?

Well, there is always the Nairobi National Park.

But that is not just a story for another day; it is also a story for just one day.

You cannot really sleep at the national park, can you, unless you want to end it all as wild animal takeaway!

Then there is Maasai Lodge, which is a mere 15 kms from the entrance to the National Park.

Getting There

Getting to ‘Maasai Lodge’ is pretty simple.

One just drives on Langata road, hangs left just before Galleria Mall, on that road down, down until if you turn right, you will end up in Ongata Rongai (and nobody wants to do that).

After the Hashi Energy Petrol station, one takes the first turning to their left, and after that, it is a fairly simple ‘go straight East’ till you hit Maasai Lodge.

One will pass Rolf’s Place, Diguna Camp and DOOR International – and you will see an amazing cityscape of Upper Hill, Nairobi, silhouetted to your left. Like a postcard picture.

Literally, the city beneath the sun in the distance (or the city beneath the cloudy plains, depending on weather).

Lunch at the Restaurant

The lunch hall is long, and you can imagine modern day Oloibons gathering here to feast.

Instead it is one Daniel ole Meriki who invites our party for lunch, and encourages us to eat and be merry, which we do to our feel, gorging on meats that make one feel like a real Moran.

Swimming in the Jungle

Then you go down to the swimming pool area.

Set at a garden of different levels overlooking the pristine Mbagathi River – did you know there’s a clean river in Nairobi called Mbagathi? – the pool area is jungle canopy paradise.

The swimmers, including very jolly kiddos, splash in the Sunday sunshine of the huge pool.

We adults partake of cool beers in the shade on the periphery of the pool.

And have a long conversation with the proprietor Edward Keen, son of the late, great famous Maa politician John Keen, on topics ranging from politics to conservation to recreation.

Reception

Come dusk, and we’ve decided to do a sleepover.

At Sh9,119 for the cottage suites, and with really very sweet receptionists at the Check In desk that make Maasai Lodge feel like a cosy huge home – rather than a lodge in the wild.

Sports Bar

After dinner, it is time to go up to their great sporty pub.

If you are a fun of the EPL or UCL or Europa or AFCON or the Women’s World Cup, you feel right at home on those comfy couches, in front of the huge TV screens.

For late nocturnal birds, like myself, the DJ there that Sunday was as amiable as the ambience.

The bar man is wise and witty, quick on both the serve and the quip, and the drinks at Maasai Lodge cannot be said to be expensive at all, for such class acts.

Bed Time

After winding and meandering via a cottage or two, I find my way to the Thatch over my head.

Wooden oaken floors, colourful beds with soft sheets and duvets soon sooth the mind to a deep sleep – where the dreams are of big African skies and wide open spaces.

Sunrise

Because I am a 4 - 5 hour a night sleeper, was blessed to be up at dawn.

And reading on the basket chair on the balcony, see a red sunrise over the cliffy place the cottage suite faced, that had jungle tendril draped over its red-and-grey rock surface.

Honestly, had Tarzan suddenly surfaced, swinging at the end of a vine across that ravine,

I would not have felt too surprised.