Sat overlooking the Mara River, House in the Wild is a boutique eco-lodge located in Naratoi, a private 1,000-acre farming concession holding its lease within the Enonkishu Conservancy just north of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Overview
Owner-run by Lippa and Tarquin Wood, the founders of Enonkishu, House in the Wild consists of seven cottages, three of which are family units. The main lodge has a large lounge and dining area with a Swahili-style bar and a swimming pool with a thatched gazebo overlooking the river. The lodge is fully staffed with a brilliant chef and private guide. Wi-Fi is accessible throughout the lodge and a daily laundry service is available.
Food & service
Ingredients for meals at House in the Wild, including vegetables, eggs, milk, chicken and baked goods, are produced by the family or the farm at Naratoi. All of the beef is produced by the local company Mara Beef, which breeds top-quality grass-fed Angus, Boran and Zebu. Dining can be arranged in a private setting under the stars, by the fireplace, dining room, or on your private verandah. Sundowners are on the lawn in the evenings or enjoyed out on the plains on your drive.
Rooms
The lodge has seven cottages along the river. Four are regular suites with one bedroom, a bathroom, and a lounge area opening up onto a private veranda. Three are family suites with two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a lounge area, an open fire and a private veranda. The décor in the rooms is light and comfortable. The cottages are semi-canvas, lending themselves to feeling closer to the wild, while at the same time retaining a lovely level of comfort.
Activities
Activities at House in the Wild are extremely varied and can include anything from a dip in the swimming pool, to going on wildlife drives and guided walks. Guests can also visit the local Maasai villages, go fishing, visit the rhino sanctuary or even help out on the estate milking cows, beekeeping, planting trees or assisting the scouts in their conservation work.
Impact
Conservation
Lippa and Tarquin Wood are the founders of Enonkishu Conservancy, which is part of a belt of rangeland conservancies that serve as a buffer zone between the Maasai Mara and Kenya farmland. The levies from Enonkishu’s conservation fees are distributed evenly among the community and help to incentivise conservation within the local communities, which hold title deeds to the land. In total, levies have risen from KSh1,000,000 in 2017 to a fantastic KSh4,000,000 as of now.
Commerce
The lodge employs sustainable business practices throughout its day-to-day function, including community training and sustainable rangeland management.
Community
House in the Wild supports sustainability workshops at the Mara Training Centre, which allows local communities to work together and explore methods of protecting wildlife while earning a living.