House in the Wild‘s exclusive-use Wild Villas are perfect for guests after an entirely private safari experience. Overlooking the Mara River, the homes are located on the Naretoi Estate on a private 1,000-acre farming concession holding its lease within the Enonkishu Conservancy just north of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
Overview
There are currently three Wild Villas: Amani (sleeping up to 14 guests) and Jamani and Olmarei (both sleeping up to 10 guests). Each is individual in its design and style, but all have the same level of service that is to be expected of House in the Wild. Meals by private chefs, free-flowing drinks, private game drives, laundry services and media rooms are just some of the extras included with each villa. It’s a first-class bush experience made for multi-generational families or an intimate gathering of friends.
Food & service
Emphasis is placed on quality, with the menus carefully designed according to the seasonality of ingredients, all sourced locally from a nearby family farm. Beef is produced by the local company Mara Beef, which breeds top-quality grass-fed Angus, Boran and Zebu.
Wild Villas
Amani House
Amani, sleeping up to fourteen guests, includes a set of three properties overlooking the plains of Naretoi with Kileleoni Hill in the distance. The family house has four king ensuite rooms and the guest houses have three double rooms. Along with spacious living, dining and media spaces, the main house has a large swimming pool, hot tub and a pergola for outdoor dining. There is also a basketball/pickleball court and a fully equipped gym.
Jamani House
Jamani, sleeping up to 10 guests, is designed to blend into the riverine forests of the Mara River and has spectacular views across the Naretoi plains. There are four double ensuite bedrooms and one bunk ensuite room perfect for kids. Along with a spacious living room including a fireplace, an open bar and a large dining room, there is also a small library with a rooftop terrace above for sundowners (and sunrises!).
Olmerai House
Olmerai is a ranch-style house sleeping up to 10 guests just a five-minute drive from the lodge. It overlooks a meander with hippos and stretches of lawn with a huge swimming pool. There are three king-sized ensuite rooms in the main house, along with two double ensuite rooms in the guest cottages. There is also a large living room with an open dining space connected to a kitchen. Outside on the veranda, there is a barbeque area with a ping pong table overlooking the river. Guests especially love the sundowner roof terrace with a fire pit.
Activities
Activities at the villas are extremely varied and can include anything from a dip in the swimming pool to lawn games (croquet, boules, badminton, table tennis) or 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.