GUIDE ON OL MALO IN KENYA

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Ol Malo or place of the greater kudu was originally a cattle ranch sprawled over 5,000 acres of the outback landscapes of northern Laikipia in Kenya (view map). Colin and Franco Francombe partnered with the assistance of the Samburu people, the original inhabitants of the Ol Malo, restored the damage done to the land by overgrazing and created an eco-friendly lodge.

AfricanMecca guests touring northern Kenya can spend time in wondrous locales with the Ewaso Nyiro River flowing by; where animals roam unrestrained as they have for centuries and 330 species of birds fill the air with harmony. Ol Malo is an exclusive lodge located on one end of the Laikipia flatland, offering guests a luxurious stay over on their Laikipia dream vacation.



Settled on a slope with well-tended lawns and gardens, the lodge is built using stones and rocks with thatch for the roofs along with olive wood harvested in a sustainable method. The main lounge is furnished with classic sofas and equipped with a collection of books while a fireplace and hardwood floorboards add to the elegant yet homely ambience of the common room.

The dining area of the lodge is a cozy place with oriental, natural-tone lanterns hanging from the ceiling and as you have your meals, the tamed, resident zebra might stop for a taste of your food. The lodge has a beautiful infinity pool with a covered pool house beside it. One section has comfortable sofas to relax in while another section has a dining area built in it.



The main house has three two-bed rooms and can together sleep up to twelve guests. Bathrooms are attached and have sunken tubs set in stone. Stone pathways lead to the three cottages around the main lodge house, each with a private bathroom. The rooms have multi-tone rugs scattered around with olive wood beds and cane lounge furniture.

Wide windows in the front of the room brings in the much needed daylight and offer expansive views of the saltlick and watering hole below where you can spend time on your relaxed safari trip in this expanse of East Africa watching as elephants and many other animals visit it for a drink.



Ol Malo serves you delicious meals at the location of your choice, but you can combine an excursion with breakfast in the bush under a tree. Go on to explore the wilderness under the direction of your Samburu guide and you may spot animals like buffaloes, beisa oryx, impalas, reticulated giraffes, gerenuks, waterbucks, elands, zebras, greater kudus, klipspringers and many more.

Your guide will also point to you introverted leopards, majestic lions and other predators like wild dogs, cheetahs and hyenas among others. Take a break for lunch and stop by the river for a picnic meal under a spreading fig tree. Bush walks are another interesting time to discover smaller creatures like buffalo weavers, elephant shrews and insects like rhino beetles and ant lions.



Your guide might show you another fascinating resident of the bush, the leopard tortoise. He will also amaze you with his knowledge of the flora of Laikipia and you can ask him about the plants that are edible and which can be used to create remedies for rural living. Add an afternoon of fishing to your AfricanMecca holiday in Kenya and you might snag a barbel or a catfish.

Or go on a horse or camel safari ride to view the animals more closely (read more on when is the best time to travel to Laikipia).



You could also visit the nearby Samburu village for an insight into their culture or pickup mementos of your Laikipia travel at the lodge boutique to support local artisans. The earnings from the sales go towards the betterment of the wilderness and its many inhabitants – both fauna and sapiens.

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