Ol Malo - The Camp

As we drove up the hill to Ol Malo Safari Camp, we began to believe that the pictures we had seen on the internet were accurate. Looking up at the beautiful buildings at their setting atop the hill overlooking the valley, we could only look forward to our stay here. Our only concern would be the dryness of the terrain.

We were here at the beginning of the rainy season, but the rains had yet to appear. The lack of rain should mean that the sparse vegetation makes the animals easier to see. However, in this case, it also meant that many of the animals had moved on to better feeding elsewhere. This included the wild dogs that appear near the camp from time to time. As we would learn over the next three days, this safari camp was much better for birds than animals although we would have a couple of iconic sightings and special experiences that would have been unavailable elsewhere.

Our Hippo Tub

Note the creative use of beams

Double sink

A mix of rocks in the shower

 As we were shown to our room, our impression of the place only increased. We decided calling it a camp was a misnomer. We walked down stone stairs to a common room larger than most living rooms. Its stone floor opened out to a balcony overlooking the valley with a large fire place opposite. Rooms on either side would have been used by us and the Briggs had they been able to join us. These two rooms are perfect for two couples.

Our patio view

We had lunch with Rocky, who along with her husband Colin, had built this place. Colin had been managing another ranch when this one came available. They made the necessary sacrifices to purchase the property and begin building their dream. It was available because of the problems the previous owner had with the Samburu tribe living in the area. Instead of working with them, he refused to either hire them or work with them. Colin and Rocky hired the Samburu to do most of the work building the camp and used local materials. The results are magnificent. Floors and walls of local rock with the crushed red clay used as mortar. The ceiling held up by trees and branches visible give the place a rustic look. Our bath tub looked like a hippo, thus we were in the “Hippo Room”. To flush the toilet we pulled a branch above the tank.

That stick flushes the toilet