Sanctuary-ol-lentille-kenya
The Cessna bobbed west of Mount Kenya’s snow-capped peak and over cattle-grazing country toward the wild, northernmost escarpment of the Laikipia plateau. Waiting in a tan Land Rover at the airstrip was Timothy ole Mosiany, 27, my personal Masai guide for the next three days, kitted out in tribal regalia, with beads, red checkered cape and suede hiking boots. On our 45-minute drive towards the lodge, he identified Thomson’s gazelle, dik dik, kudu and klipspringer and the jagged 1,977m peak of Ole Lentille, once used as a lookout by Masai warriors against Samburu cattle raiders.
Timothy grew up on the Laikipia Masai Kijabe Group Ranch, the elders of which have partnered with the African Wildlife Foundation and private investors to set aside 2,630 hectares of cattle land for high-end tourism and nature conservation. Opened in Dec 2006 on a boulder-strewn ridge overlooking the territory, the joint project, the Sanctuary at Ol Lentille, consists of four luxury villas designed by Kenyan architect Lengai Croze with respective tribal, Lamu coast, colonial and retro sixties themes; all have fireplaces, outdoor decks and spectacular views from sun loungers, beds, and even toilets and bathtubs. The surrounding acacia-dotted hills and sandy riverbeds shelter elephant and more than 90 bird species along with rare wild dog and spotted and striped hyena.
The area is still recovering from overgrazing, so the emphasis is less on game viewing than personal rejuvenation: think Canyon Ranch meets Out of Africa. I spent my days hiking, mountain biking, quad biking and rock scrambling, while trying to fit in massages, reflexology, facials, manicures and pedicures in a spa modeled after a traditional thatched Masai house with wood-fenced cattle boma. Narrow stone paths link the villas to the spa, a large infinity pool, and a two-story library with a telescope and astronomical observation deck.
