Alluring Ololo Safari lodge

When I first heard of this small lodge tucked by the banks of Mbagathi River near Ongata Rongai, I was a bit skeptical. “Ongata Rongai?” I thought of traffic jams, people and dust. But as I found out, “near” Ongata Rongai may not be exactly near Ongata Rongai.

I set out on Friday morning to discover the quiet getaway. Against expectations, getting to Ongata Rongai presented no problems. It was around midday and traffic was light. Things got a bit complicated once I branched off onto Masai Lodge Road. Tuk tuks, donkeys, handcart pushers and huge trucks hauling construction materials made this thoroughfare one congested road.

My pace notes indicated that the section past Nazarene University would be bumpy. What they didn’t say was how bumpy it was going to be. Past Tuala shopping centre and the road resembled the lunar landscape. I went under two railway bridges of the new Nairobi-Naivasha line that cuts through the park. And so I drove on and on, and on. But then, Ololo in Masai stands for meandering landscape. The late Avicii might as well have had this road in mind when he penned the lyrics,…”Hey brother, there is an endless road to rediscover.”

I should have listened to Virginia from the lodge when she emphasised that I drive through Nairobi National Park to get there. Passing through the park meant that I pay the park fees – Sh430 entrance fee and another Sh300 for the car. “That is enough cash for fuel to take me to Ongata Rongai and back,” I reasoned. I know better now.

Ololo Safari Lodge nests on a pristine hillside overlooking the Nairobi National Park. Tired from the drive to the ‘Diaspora’, I sat under a shade with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice, staring at nothing but the open African bush. Save for the intermittent rubble of the big jets on their final approach to Jomo Kenyatta Airport, the only sounds here are those of the many bird species that fly from one corner of the property to the other. I followed this pair of malachite sunbirds, the male, with a dash of turquoise on the neck, shining in early afternoon light. On the same branch was the female with a graying plummage. The male was begging for love while the female was playing hard to get. Romance on wings is not easy.

Ololo is the brainchild of Craig and Joanna Chapman, a farming couple from Australia. They bought the former residential property – 20 acres of Africa – a few years ago and have since transformed it into one of the most exclusive lodges near the city. The main guest lounge is one of the tastefully decorated parts of the lodge. The spacious lodge is adorned with collectables from Kenya and Australia. One can relax in the library section or just while the evening warming oneself around the cozy fireplace.

Located in the stone-clad tower is a gorgeous room popular with honeymooners. The large door to the balcony provides a panoramic view of the park and offers honeymooners the ultimate seclusion that Ololo provides. Further bush experience is provided by three tented cottages just a stone’s throw from the main building. The artistic family has even turned the former horses’ stables into seven delightful accommodation facilities popular with families and small groups. Ololo’s character is further enhanced by the myriad of hand-crafted items such as tables, chairs, lampshades and doors – all made in the lodges small workshop.

The family’s farming background has turned a piece of the dry Maasailand into a desirable organic ‘shamba’ through recycled water and composting. Here, fresh produce such as kales, spinach, tomatoes, bananas and all manner of spices is transformed into delicious home-made cuisine. Do not be surprised if, while you are a guest here, the team sends you to the chicken coop to fetch your breakfast eggs. And if you are fortunate, you might just meet ‘Joyce’, the family cow who will not mind you milking her in the morning. I hope to meet her in another visit.

My pan-fried red snapper and chips done, I sat some more under the shade, cast my eyes into the horizon and wondered what more wild gems there are yet to be unfurled. Gems like Ololo, a true desert rose that mocks the nearly barren wilderness.