Our take
Borana Lodge overlooks Borana Conservancy in Laikipia, with eight guest bedrooms arranged in individual and family cottages. Rhino conservation, horse riding and walking add variety to game drives, while the stone-and-thatch buildings retain the feel of a welcoming bush home.
Borana Lodge is built around a main house where guests gather for drinks and dinner, with cottages stepping down the hillside. Natural stone, cedar and thatch suit the landscape, while fireplaces and a pool provide comfort between outings. Tourism here supports the conservancy’s wildlife protection and local livelihoods. The emphasis is on exploring an active conservation landscape, with opportunities to understand how wildlife, ranching and surrounding communities fit together.
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A closer look at the accommodation, atmosphere and setting.
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Accommodation
The lodge has eight guest bedrooms: four stand-alone cottages and two family cottages, each containing a double and a twin bedroom around shared sitting and dining space. Individual rooms vary in position and design. Private verandas, fireplaces and baths are characteristic features. Cottage Three is a twin room close to the main areas and is described by the lodge as wheelchair accessible; requirements should be checked against its exact layout.
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Food & drink
Much of the fresh produce comes from Waitabit Farm, helping connect the kitchen with the surrounding landscape. Dinner usually brings guests together in the main house, while verandas and outdoor settings provide alternatives for private meals. A farm visit can be combined with a picnic, and bush breakfasts or sundowners add another setting to the day.
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What to do
Game drives, guided walks and rhino tracking are complemented by horse riding, mountain biking and e-biking. Behind-the-scenes conservation activities explain the work of the ranger teams, while visits to Waitabit Farm explore food production. Excursions farther afield, including Ngare Ndare Forest or helicopter trips, require separate arrangements. Riding routes and walking activities are matched to experience, fitness and the ages of children.
Planning your stay
Two family cottages each combine a double and twin bedroom with a shared sitting and dining area. This gives parents and children more space than an extra bed in one room. Activities can be adapted, with suitable riding and walking options determined by age and experience.
Borana combines a small, residential lodge with rhino conservation and an unusually varied outdoor programme. The relationship with Waitabit Farm makes food part of the wider story, while riding and tracking provide alternatives to spending every outing in a vehicle.
The cottages occupy different positions on the hillside, so proximity to the main house and pool matters when choosing rooms. Take warm layers for highland evenings. Specialist outings beyond Borana need separate planning and may add to the trip cost.
Compare the alternatives
Explore the accommodation and setting of each property before choosing your combination.
Laikipia
Arijiju is an exclusive-use five-suite retreat within Borana Conservancy, where stone architecture, a private pool and extensive wellness facilities accompany a varied safari. It offers a house-based stay with room for several generations to spend time together.
Explore the property
Laikipia
Laragai House is an exclusive-use eight-bedroom home on Borana Conservancy in Laikipia. A staffed household, private pool, tennis court and varied conservancy activities make it a spacious base for families or friends travelling together.
Explore the property
Laikipia
Lengishu is an exclusive-use safari home in Borana Conservancy, with six main bedrooms across four cottages. A heated infinity pool, private living spaces and a flexible programme of drives, walks and conservation activities make it a residential Laikipia retreat.
Explore the propertyMake it part of a journey
Borana works well as the Laikipia element of a safari combining conservation, active experiences and the Mara’s open plains. Give it enough nights to try more than game drives. Families should choose the cottage arrangement first, then shape an activity programme around the children’s ages and interests.
These journeys are starting points. We adapt the route, accommodation and length of stay around your plans.
Explore Laikipia or read our Kenya seasonal guide.
Your questions
The lodge has eight guest bedrooms: four stand-alone cottages and two family cottages, each containing a double and a twin bedroom around shared sitting and dining space. Individual rooms vary in position and design. Private verandas, fireplaces and baths are characteristic features. Cottage Three is a twin room close to the main areas and is described by the lodge as wheelchair accessible; requirements should be checked against its exact layout.
Game drives, guided walks and rhino tracking are complemented by horse riding, mountain biking and e-biking. Behind-the-scenes conservation activities explain the work of the ranger teams, while visits to Waitabit Farm explore food production. Excursions farther afield, including Ngare Ndare Forest or helicopter trips, require separate arrangements. Riding routes and walking activities are matched to experience, fitness and the ages of children.
Two family cottages each combine a double and twin bedroom with a shared sitting and dining area. This gives parents and children more space than an extra bed in one room. Activities can be adapted, with suitable riding and walking options determined by age and experience.
Borana works well as the Laikipia element of a safari combining conservation, active experiences and the Mara’s open plains. Give it enough nights to try more than game drives. Families should choose the cottage arrangement first, then shape an activity programme around the children’s ages and interests.
Tailor-made Kenya
We will explain how it compares with the alternatives and whether it fits your preferred dates, route and pace.
Start planning