The Ziwa Bush Lodge, a place to visit
“By the time we were through with the tour, it was about 7 pm and I didn’t want to leave.”
By Racheal Kimani
NAIROBI, KENYA:
“Hi, are you free on this day? ” this is how most of my traveling escapades start, and this time was no different. I had never heard of Ziwa Bush Lodge until my friend called and asked if I was up for a short trip out of town to have dinner as we explored the place. Did he even have to ask? Who doesn’t like the sound of food and travel in one sentence? Right? I thought so too.
This gem is along Njoro-Molo road, about 30 minutes drive from Nakuru Town. Take the Nairobi-Eldoret highway like you headed to Eldoret. At the Soilo intersection, take the left exit, it will lead you to the Njoro-Molo road. Immediately you enter the Njoro-Molo road, reduce your speed so that you avoid missing the second turn on your left. You will spot signages for the lodge right from the entry of the road leading to the lodge but if you miss them, like we did, the locals are very friendly. They will point you in the right direction.
Right from the gate, we are greeted with calmness and freshness. We passed through an Orphanage that the owners built and managed. This touched my heart. I don’t know but there is a peaceful reception that meets you at the entrance of the lodge, at least that is what I felt.
Maybe it was the captivating view of the town in between the mountains or the small garden pond filled with little-tiny goldfish that I had never seen before. Can you believe that? At the age of 25, I had never seen a goldfish, unbelievable. Or maybe it was the beautiful courteous lady who greeted us with her warm smile or maybe it was the harmonious melodies the birds made, I just couldn’t put my finger on it. It was magical!
The receptionist gave us some guest forms to fill and led us towards the restaurant when we were done. The footpath is well laid. Not in a specific manner. Curved stones. There were trees everywhere and well-cut green grass. It was quite clear the place was well maintained.
Before I continue allow me to give you a short story about how the place came to existence as Ralph the owner narrates. Ralph and his wife loved to travel, although they no longer do it as much as they used to. I don’t know why. I didn’t ask.
When they came to Kenya and bought this land, they wanted to build the orphanage and thought of also building the Lodge but they didn’t want to build something that was a cliche. So they set out to look for unique and creative ideas for their new venture and after visiting 10 places in different parts of the world, Ziwa Bush Lodge was brought to life. Isn’t that amazing? I can only imagine the fun they had, I would be thrilled to do such research.
The story made me understand the beauty of the place. The Restaurant is like a home, it has a lovely lounge with warm cozy couches and a fireplace, a dining area that is well set and organized, the wall hangings are beautiful and bring out an African vibe.
At the balcony, you see a big man-made fish pond, and right beyond it, a forest that shelters different kinds of birds. This forest, Ralph says, was about to be cut down before He bought it. Did you get that? He bought the whole forest like damn! How rich is this guy? i thought.
My mind was blown, the Love Ralph has for nature is unspeakable. I saw it in every detail of the place. As we were taking in the view before us, a friendly waiter approached. He warmly greeted us and presented the menu to us, after taking us through the menu he takes our order, asks us to feel comfortable then walks off. Having been in so many places I would gladly give their customer service a five-star review.
Their chef didn’t take long preparing our super delicious food, simply made with natural ingredients. I don’t like too many spices in my food, the chef made sure that didn’t happen. The waiters are keen to take specific orders of how you want your food made. They serve both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Yes, they do allow drinks from outside even cakes at a small corkage fee. You can choose to dine either on the balcony or in the restaurant.
After we finished our meal and chatted with Ralph, we were offered a small tour of their rooms and Oh My! Did I feel I should have brought my man along? Calling them rooms I feel it is an understatement.
These traditional Makuti thatched-roof rooms have plenty of space and are well furnished, the beds are super comfy, super clean, neatly spread, and stable. The enormous bathrooms are well partitioned, one side has the toilet and the other side has the shower, body lotion and shower gel are available in every room for use.
As we were being shown around we noticed a group of foreigners walking toward their restaurant. The waiter told us that a lot of their clients are non-resident who come and stay for more than 2 months. I wasn’t surprised. The place is a mini heaven. I would have stayed for the rest of my life.
They have a variety of rooms depending on the number of guests. Standard rooms which to me are more than standard. An executive room and a villa that can accommodate more than five people. The villas are designed with every aspect of a normal house. Their rates are affordable and negotiable depending on how long you will be staying.
By the time we were through with the tour, it was about 7 pm and I didn’t want to leave. Oh I almost forgot, they have this spectacular swimming pool with the most breathtaking view, you can watch the sun go to sleep. I did and it was amazing. Sadly, I had to go back to reality, the noisy dusty town.
I don’t think words can paint the exact picture of how beautiful Ziwa Bush Lodge is but I assure you it is worth a visit.
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