A Visit to Ol Donyo Lodge (full text and images here) So I just came back from a week in Kenya. I initially planned the trip because of a friend’s wedding and because of a Fashion Designers without Borders trip that I planned with Chrissie Lam the Founder of The Supply Change. The trip was [...]

SWEET-TOOTHED GIANTS   Elephant reaching up for marula fruit (Sclerocarya birrea) near oL Donyo Lodge, Kenya.

On 22nd February, Ride Kenya assisted a vet from the David Sheldrick foundation in darting and treating an elephant with an arrow wound wandering near ol Donyo Lodge and the Ride Kenya stables.                   Ride Kenya managers Paddy and Kim were on hand to track the elephant and follow it [...]

January has been a month full of fun activities at ol Donyo Lodge! Activities coordinator Scott Dyson and children’s program guide Elijah Morintat have been helping guests document their Chyulu Hills experience through art. Whether painting at the lodge or out on the plains, guests have been treated to dramatic  views of Mt Kilimanjaro and [...]

The most exciting thing happened last night when a couple of our guests along with Seki our head guide stumbled upon our well known local lion! It’s always a treat to get a sighting of a species which has been so heavily persecuted in this region. Small conservation steps matter. Today, all of the birds [...]

December at ol Donyo was certainly eventful! Ample late season rains continued to nourish green grasses for the plains game, making for lovely photo opportunities. Mt Kilimanjaro was also frequently visible, and made for a stunning backdrop to a variety of bush activities, gatherings, and celebrations. The Christmas spirit was certainly visible as well at [...]

All too often in the world of conservation, we are peppered with tragic stories. De-horned rhino here, speared lion there, but today we bring to you a conservation story which might just give you great hope for 2013 and beyond. Sure, you might say, “but it’s just a set of games, who cares, what’s that [...]

Senior Editor, Sarah Gleim, selected Great Plains’ ol Donyo Lodge as her “must-see-before-you-die” property for the entire world. She loves its approach to conservation and safari. We are humbled, and honored. Thanks, Sarah. We hope you join us there soon. Read on Forbes.com

November’s sometimes stormy skies have provided gorgeous backdrops for photography and the plains game have been plentiful. The forest areas at the base of the Chyulu Hills are fully green, and green is spreading across the plains and up the El Mau Hills. Wildlife has grown fat and happy in the midst of all the [...]

After 20 years of sole operation under Richard Bonham’s guidance, Maasailand Preservation Trust is proud to announce its merger with Big Life Foundation. Co-founded by conservationist Richard Bonham & photographer Nick Brandt in October 2010, Big Life’s conservation philosophy is so similar, and goals so identical, that it became obvious to both organizations that the [...]

Lara Logan of CBS 60 Minutes profiles “The Last Lions” filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert on location at their Great Plains Conservation Camps in Botswana Scheduled to air Sunday November 25, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT Lara Logan and a team from CBS 60 Minutes profiled filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert at their Great Plains [...]

Today, CNN featured both Ride Kenya and Selinda Canoe Trail in its article titled “9 Ways to Travel Africa in Style”. We are honored to be part of this adventurous round-up of authentic African experiences which slough off the glitz & glam and get real in the bush. Come join us soon.

From the W Family, USA who traveled in August 2012: “Ol Donyo Lodge – fabulous place! So luxurious after being in the dust and tents! Although the animal viewing is different to other parts of Kenya, the place more than makes up for it in the unusual activities that they offer. We had a great [...]

A recent influx of wildebeest and zebra has provided great opportunities for dramatic in-motion photographs. Stormy skies and the dominating bulk of Kilimanjaro have provided stunning backdrops and dramatic color, and the always lovely sunsets on the plains have made for some great silhouette shots. Wildlife becomes art in the Chyulu Hills!

At a spectacular ceremony in Italy this week, it was announced that Great Plains Conservation would be breaking new grounds for Relais & Châteaux. ol Donyo Lodge and Zarafa Camp are the first properties ever to be accredited as Relais & Châteaux members in Kenya and Botswana respectively and be accepted into this prestigious association.

October has brought scattered rains to ol Donyo Lodge, complete with dramatic skies and rolls of thunder. Predators following the plains game within the ecosystem have been spotted on recent game drives, and sightings of lion cubs have been of particular highlight. Here two adolescent cubs (male, left and female, right) survey the acacia-studded plains from [...]

You don’t have to go far at ol Donyo Lodge in Kenya to see great wildlife behavior! Several pairs of Black-Necked Weavers are constructing elaborate nests next to the breakfast area, and their progress is fascinating to see. Grey-headed sparrows, Blue-Naped Mousebirds, Purple Starlings, various sunbirds, and many, many others also frequent the garden surrounding [...]

Another successful Ride Kenya safari season winds down, as the Chyulu Hills await the November short rains. A lovely dry season palette of muted tones is beginning to give way to vibrant greens, and herds of plains game are moving into the area to take advantage of the coming new grasses. All of the Ride [...]

Richard Bonham, founder of ol Donyo Lodge is Kenya,  is featured in a Travel & Leisure article here  

September has been an exciting month at the ol Donyo hide, as dry season conditions cause elephants to congregate at the waterhole. The resident ol Donyo bulls have a fairly established social order, but order must be continually maintained and interactions among the various locals have been regular. Dry season interlopers from Amboseli National Park [...]

Dry grassland in the Mbirikani group ranch means more wildlife is visiting the ol Donyo Lodge waterhole, making for wonderful sightings from the log viewing hide. The resident bull elephants – One Ton, Torn Ear, Ozzie, Pug, Jagged, Kali and Tom – daily dominate the waterhole, their combined massive bulks making it tough going for [...]

Could there be any better location in Africa to enjoy your game drive, ever with the backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro whilst at ol Donyo Lodge in Kenya

Night game drives have been fantastic recently with pride of lions spotted heading towards the Chyulu Hills from the Emukutan area which is some 15 kilometers from the lodge. The lions are probably following the smell of prey moving to the greener pastures of the hills. Now more than ever is heard the roaring of lions at night,  followed by footprints [...]

Warthog in the Chyulu Hills In the Chyulu Hills, huge downfalls of rain have turned the countryside into a sea of green. The herbivores have moved away from the base of the hills and onto the savannah, exploring further across the plains and getting slowly fatter. They’ve been leaving the security of the lodge’s permanent watering [...]

Who does not dream of sleeping out under the stars of Africa? ol Donyo Lodge in Kenya awaits your visit to indulge your dreams

Rain has been falling almost daily at ol Donyo Lodge in the Chyulu Hills for several weeks. The dark clouds usually start floating in around mid-morning from Ol Donyo Hill behind the lodge or the twin peaks of El Mau facing the lodge. The smell of rain fills the air, a grey sheet comes racing [...]

With Patrick back from his annual vacation, we have been working hard to make sure that the horses are well schooled and fit before the season to the Chyulu Hills and Amboseli kick of. To make sure our guests can enjoy the same quality of riding that Ride Kenya Horse Safaris is known for.