Freephone an expert 01306 744 656

Send Enquiry
Opening Times
Monday
10am - 5pm
Tuesday
10am - 5pm
Wednesday
10am - 5pm
Thursday
10am - 5pm
Friday
10am - 5pm
Saturday
10am - 2pm
Sunday
Closed

Call 01306 744 656 or

For other destinations and types of holiday, visit Kuoni
For other destinations and types of holiday, visit Kuoni 

Things to do in Kenya

Mugie House: stay on a luxury Kenyan ranch

All the rooms have roaring fireplaces and copper baths, not to mention sweeping views across the Laikipia Plateau to Mount Kenya…

By Maria Dodds
Consultant and safari guide

Mugie House is a traditional Kenyan ranch built by a Swiss family in the late 1990s, complete with modern luxuries like a spa and infinity pool.  Set on the 50,000-acre Mugie Conservancy, the property features a main farm house where guests dine, as well as private stone cottages scattered around the ranch. All the rooms have a high-end, cosy feel with roaring fireplaces and copper baths, not to mention sweeping views of the nearby waterhole all the way across the Laikipia Plateau to Mount Kenya.

We’re a low-impact ranch and pride ourselves on supporting the local Pokot people with community grazing programmes and funding for schools and health clinics. Guests staying at Governors’ Mugie have the opportunity to visit the Pokot at a nearby village and learn about the traditions and customs of this colourful tribe who hail from the districts of West Pokot and Baringo (donation fee required). You can also get an insight into life on a traditional ranch; we encourage you to visit the cattle enclosures, talk to our herdsmen and get involved with activities like the weekly spray race to get rid of cattle ticks. You can visit our vegetable gardens too, where we grow delicious organic produce. Everything is farm-to-fork at Mugie and we have an eclectic menu – two of our chefs are Italian-Kenyan and make the most phenomenal pasta.

Since we’re on a private conservancy, you get the chance to enjoy nature on foot or on an e-bike, which is great if you’ve just been cooped up on game drives in national parks. After breakfast, perhaps you’ll go for a round of golf on the nearby nine-hole course, which also has its own running track, then head to the Mugie dam for a picnic lunch and a jug of Pimms. The dam is home to hippos, lots of colourful birdlife and is a popular swimming spot for elephants. Maybe you’ll spend the rest of the afternoon by the pool or at the spa, or if you are feeling more active you may wish to canoe on the Mugie Dam, which offers a thrilling opportunity to view wildlife from the water.

Mugie Conservancy manages to strike a balance between the community, wildlife conservation and tourism. We proudly protect ecosystems and migration corridors for native wildlife while allowing space for herdsmen to graze their cattle. So, on game drives you’ll likely spot rare and endangered species like the Jackson’s hartebeest, Grevy’s zebra and reticulated giraffe, as well as plenty of big cats and elephants. On the ranch, you can even meet Tala, our orphaned giraffe, and the friendly bloodhounds who work in our anti-poaching unit.

Categories

  • Culture
  • Places to stay
  • Wildlife

Available in these itineraries…

Alfred & Maria Dodds

Maria Dodds is a third-generation cattle rancher and an accomplished amateur botanist who’s discovered a number of endemic plant species. In a male-dominated industry, Maria is an effervescent gem in the safari guiding world and has a detailed knowledge of cultural plant use, Kenyan bird species and animal behaviour. Maria is equally comfortable sharing a tequila around the campfire with grandad or joining in with the kids’ mud-fight – or even instigating one!

Maria Dodds, Governors' Mugie House

Plan your holiday withAlfred&

Your journey will start with one of our UK team – someone like Becky, who's travelled extensively in Kenya. They’ll shape your ideas into the trip of a lifetime. But they won't do it alone. They'll draw on the expertise of our contacts on the ground, connecting you to the people who'll make your holiday one you'll always remember - the safari rangers, local village chiefs and camp managers you'll be talking about for years to come. Start planning today, call us, email an enquiry or arrange a phone or video appointment for ideas and advice.

Freephone an expert 01306 744 656

Subscribe to Newsletter

Let us inspire you with holiday ideas, exclusive event invites and travel offers from our network of contacts around the world.