experiences

Enjoy a relaxing ride on our gentle camels across the plains in the evening, or down the valley in the early morning on your way to bush breakfast. As you sway gently atop the camels, from your high vantage point you can enjoy breathtaking views of the landscape, spot wildlife and experience the serenity of the African bush.

Our camels are friendly and inquisitive with people, and with the wildlife they feed alongside during the day so all animals are well acquainted and move freely alongside one another often allowing you to get closer than on foot to their cousins the giraffe.

Ol Malo has a close and symbiotic relationship with the Samburu tribe and the Samburu families in the area. We have worked closely with the local tribe right from the beginning and our Samburu Trust supports numerous families in the area.

As a result our guests are welcomed into a number of the local community homesteads, an opportunity to gain an invaluable insight into the Samburu way of life and culture by seeing traditional dances and singing, visiting our Samburu Trust beading workshop and joining a Samburu Mama in her home for tea. It must be noted that these experiences are completely un-commercial and purely a cultural experience.

In the branches of an ancient Boskia tree, overlooking a small seasonal waterhole nestled in the heart of Ol Malo ranch sits the Ol Malo Treehouse. A sanctuary under the expansive and indescribable beauty of the African night sky; a chance for you to sleep under a million stars, disconnect from reality and enjoy the peace and quiet of the bush.

The treehouse experience begins with an evening drive (or walk) down the valley to reach your tree that has been set up for the evening. A large campfire surrounded by camp chairs and sundowners await you, at the base of the tree. Relax round the fire enjoying the evening sounds of the bush with your favourite drink in hand and enjoy a delicious dinner cooked on the fire.

The horse riding at Ol Malo caters to all levels of experience from beginners and children to advanced riders. Our horses are mostly homebred with thoroughbred, ethiopian, somali, arab and draft bloodlines. The horses grow up in a happy herd grazing wild during the day alongside the wildlife making them sure footed and well accustomed to wild animals.

Our riding style is English, however horses respond to neck reining and our tack is comfortable.
Rides are best in the early morning and late evening, they are private to a group and the length of rides can range depending on the level of the riders. For quiet rides the plains are peaceful and stunning, this is an opportunity to get up close and personal to wildlife, as

Game drives on Ol Malo are exclusive to our guests. Rooftop seats in modified Land Cruisers provide an ideal vantage point to spot wildlife and enjoy the landscape, an experience unique to Ol Malo since we are a private conservancy, allowing us the flexibility of being able to sit up on rooftop seats as opposed to being enclosed in a vehicle, as in most national parks.

On night drives guests will take out a spotlight to look for nocturnal animals such as lion, leopard, bat eared foxes, spotted and striped hyena and eagle owls. You can combine a night game drive with any number of hikes during the day, returning after a sundowner to spotlight your way home or head out after dinner for a late night drive in search of the elusive Aardvark !

Tucked in at the bottom of the cliff, overlooking a small waterhole and a tree where our elusive leopard tends to tree his kill, our all-weather leopard hide offers you a front row seat to the theatre of the wild. ‘The Hide’ is a rock & thatch cottage with an open front giving you the chance to see the nocturnal creatures visiting the waterhole, whilst safely tucked into your enclosed and private hideaway.

Inaccessible by car, you will walk down the escarpment from the Lodge into the safety of the hide, where the Ol Malo team will have set up cozy beds in bunk-bed style.

The dramatic lay of the terrain lends itself to exploring out of a vehicle. Escorted by an experienced Samburu Guide, connect with the land whilst on foot, learn about the medicinal plants, a bush apothecary and the rules of the wild. Guides can lead guests to hike nearby hills for sundowners, or to gently explore the plains on foot.

For the runners we have a 5.2 mile challenge, not for the faint hearted. Our ‘Three Peaks Challenge’ scales 3 hills, running and scrambling over rough terrain with no clear path weaving your way through the Acacia trees and occasionally Giraffe and Impala herds. Starting at a 5500 ft elevation and with a 1000ft change during the course of the adventure, it's a great way to work off the endless meals on safari!

The sundowner is a cherished African tradition symbolising the end of the day and the beginning of the evening. Relax and unwind after a full day of adventure, with your favourite drink watching the sun as it slowly dips below the horizon. At Ol Malo there is no shortage of incredible sundowner spots and its popularity makes it pretty much compulsory.

A sundowner is an intimate moment in serene and beautiful surroundings, a chance to reflect and connect with your family and friends whilst taking in the magic of an African evening. Some say the sun might not set if you don’t watch it with a drink in hand.

Leaving the Lodge or house at 7.30 a.m. before the heat of the day sets in, this is an opportunity to spend a morning out in the bush exploring the land on foot, camel, or horseback. You will be escorted by your Samburu guide and a spotter.

This is a chance to experience things that are missed on a game drive and enjoy the wilderness from a different perspective. Learn about the harvester ants and how they make their nests, the baboon spider safely nestled in his hole, the red ants living in the pods of the whistling thorn trees protecting their homes from the browsers. Listen to the weaver birds as they ‘busy’ around making their nests, spot an eagle on the hunt and enjoy being at one with the wildlife - a

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Should guests wish to visit a local Samburu market (Tuesdays and Saturdays) we suggest approaching the experience as a way to step into the culture of nomadic life rather than a shopping trip. The market vendors will likely only accept Kenya Shillings (so bring these if a market is something to plan to visit) unfortunately we cannot exchange money for Kenya Shillings on-site and there are no ATMs in the area.

Shopping - Samburu Trust Women's group, beadwork
The local markets are traders from all over and not necessarily families we know, a market is more of an experience however If guests wish to purchase beadwork or souvenirs, we ask you to empower the women employed in the non-profit Samburu Trust Women’s Group Shop. Based at Ol Malo since 2000

Ol Malo has a close and symbiotic relationship with the Samburu tribe and the Samburu families in the area. We have worked closely with the local tribe right from the beginning and our Samburu Trust supports numerous families in the area.

As a result our guests are welcomed into a number of the local community homesteads, an opportunity to gain an invaluable insight into the Samburu way of life and culture by seeing traditional dances and singing, visiting our Samburu Trust beading workshop and joining a Samburu Mama in her home for tea. It must be noted that these experiences are completely un-commercial and purely a cultural experience.

In a ‘doors off’ helicopter the adventures are some of the most unique experiences one can have into Africa, exploring places you never knew existed. Meeting time honoured faces, and wildlife where only the wild things can roam.

Trips can vary from an evening flight to a perfect sundowner perch, a visit to Reteti Elephant orphanage with a coffee stop or to our most epic day trips up the great rift valley, through moonscapes and volcanic paint pots, passing through landscapes of that could be from multiple countries and picnicking with your toes and crystal clear pools being nibbled by fish.
To take it one step further go on an overnight or multiple nights adventure Ol Malo Nomad Helicopter

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