Loldia House

Overview

Location: Kenya
Accommodation Type: Lodge
Comfort Level: Luxury

Good For: Solo, Couple/Romantic, Family |
The 8 000 acre Loldia farm was established by a settler family who trekked by ox-wagon from South Africa after the Boer War. Today their descendants still own the land.

Located on the verdant western shore of Lake Naivasha, the highest and clearest lake in the Great Rift Valley, the present Loldia House was built from locally quarried stone by Italian prisoners of war. Shaded by huge, old acacia and wild fig trees, the graceful colonial style mansion with its elegantly comfortable interiors has a welcoming homely ambience. This relaxing retreat offers spectacular views across Lake Naivasha to the dormant volcano, Mount Longonot. Wildlife roams freely across the farm, and in the stillness of the evening, as one gazes across the beautiful indigenous garden, hippos can be seen, and heard, as they snort and munch the green lawns.

Loldia offers guests sumptuous comfort, superb cuisine and impeccable personalised service. Loldia House has maintained the high standards set by the now-retired house manager, Peter Njoroge, whom England’s Country Life magazine described as ‘probably the world’s best butler’. Loldia is just two hours’ drive from Nairobi.

Accommodation

Loldia accommodates a maximum of eighteen guests in nine rooms. There are four en-suite rooms in the main house, furnished in original colonial style with antique furnishings, high ceilings, wooden floorboards, and thick old-fashioned drapes. The deep, expansive stone verandah, with views across the exquisite gardens stretching down to the lake, is the perfect place to relax. Alternatively, guests may sit back on the large sofas around the crackling fireplace, or tinkle a tune on the grand piano.

Set in the beautiful gardens close by, offering expansive lake views, is an original guest cottage with three separate rooms, two of which are en-suite and the third with a bathroom outside. The comfortable lounge has a fireplace for chilly winter evenings. The newly built cottage on the lakeshore is ideal for honeymooners. It has two en-suite double rooms, and offers magnificent views across the lake to Mount Longonot.

Wildlife

Guests do not have to set foot off the property to see great wildlife. Hippos graze on the lawns of Loldia House, and waterbuck, eland, buffalo, dik-dik, and fish eagles are regularly sighted. On night drives, guests may also see leopard, bat-eared foxes, jackal, and the elusive aardvark.

Over 400 species of birds have been recorded in the Rift Valley. There is a plethora of birdlife around Lake Naivasha. Loldia House has a resident ornithologist to guide guests on bird-viewing excursions, where Pink-backed pelicans, cormorants, kingfishers, Goliath herons, jacanas, and Saddle-billed storks are frequently spotted.

More Info

Children
• Loldia House welcomes and caters for children of all ages.

Please Note:
• Malaria occurs throughout Kenya, right through the year.
• Malaria prophylaxis is recommended for all travellers to Kenya.
• Inoculation against Hepatitis A and typhoid is also recommended.

Directions

BY AIR:

• There is a gravel airstrip at Loldia House which is used for daily scheduled flights from Nairobi Wilson Airport (flights take 20 / 25 minutes).

• Guests can also fly from Loldia House to the Masai Mara as part of a bigger itinerary – the flight takes about 40 minutes.

• Private charter flights can fly from anywhere in Kenya to Loldia.

• Transfers to lodge are available

BY ROAD:

• Loldia House is about a 2 hour drive from Nairobi on 120km (75 miles) of tar and gravel roads.

GPS: -0.7139 (latitude) 36.3045 (longitude)