Travel Kuoni

 Governors' Mugie House 

Stay on a luxury Kenyan ranch

There’s great wildlife viewing at the private Mugie Conservancy in northern Kenya.

Set on a private conservancy, Governors' Mugie has a myriad of activities for exploring Laikipia's vast open landscapes and endagered species. The property features a luxury main house where guests dine, as well as private stone cottages scattered around the ranch. You’ll often see herds of elephants drinking at the waterhole close to the main house and, if you’re lucky, you might watch leopard and cheetah on your game drive from the airstrip. There’s rarer wildlife to be found too, like the Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe and Jackson’s hartebeest. Wildlife viewing is private and with only four vehicles heading out on game drives each day, your wildlife viewing is quite private. You can track lions with rangers, canoe on the dam, head out with the bloodhounds and their handlers from the anti-poaching unit and learn about the excellent community cattle grazing programme. You can also head out on e-bikes, go on bush walks or head to the new hide to observe game.

Why we love Governors' Mugie House

  • As you are located on a private conservancy, you can explore on foot or by e-bike

  • Guests are encouraged to visit the cattle enclosures, talk to the herdsmen and get involved with activities

  • Head to the Mugie dam for a picnic lunch and a jug of Pimms

  • On the ranch, you can meet the friendly bloodhounds who work in the anti-poaching unit

Laikipia
Governors' Mugie is located on the private 49,000-acre Mugie Conservancy in Laikipia
It is a one-hour light aircraft flight from Nairobi's Wilson Airport to Loisaba Airstrip with Governors' Aviation. Flights from the Mara to Mugie are also available with Governors' Aviation, followed by a 25-minute game drive up to the house.
Unique experiences
Mugie anti-poaching unit

Get an inside look at the anti-poaching unit in Mugie Conservancy, where you’ll meet the adorable bloodhound tracker dogs. The dogs have been trained to sniff out poachers since they were puppies and are highly skilled in scent work. Although there isn’t much illegal activity on the conservancy, the dogs are sent all over Kenya on missions and work locally on different projects. You can take part in a scent tracking demonstration, setting a trail with one of the rangers and then hiding while the dogs track you down.

Mugie’s golf course

Enjoy a round of golf at Mugie Conservancy’s nine-hole golf course. It’s the only one of its kind this far north in Kenya and although the climate is so hot and dry in Laikipia, it has beautifully-manicured greens surrounded by trees. The golf course is home to a few impalas and other plains game but it’s protected by an electric fence to keep most animals out.

Farming, community and conservation work at Mugie House

When you stay at Mugie House, you’ll get to learn about life on a real Kenyan ranch and get involved with their community and conservation work. Located on the 50,000-acre Mugie Conservancy, it was set up to protect ecosystems for native wildlife like big cats and elephants. The Mugie Conservancy is home to endangered and rare species, from Jackson’s hartebeest to the reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra and oryx – all of which you might spot during a game drive in the area.

Track lions at Mugie Conservancy

Joining one of Governor’s expert wildlife guides, track down lions that are being studied as part of the conservation programme taking place at Mugie Conservancy – Lion Landscapes. With your guide, you will venture out to find the two collared lionesses that are tracked to better understand the pride’s movement and the relationship between human activity, such as farming and wildlife.

Facilities

  • Restaurants & bars
  • Board
  • Spas & wellness
  • Activities
  • Sustainability
  • Golf

Everything is farm-to-fork at Mugie and there is an eclectic menu as two of the chefs are Italian-Kenyan and make the most phenomenal pasta.

What's Included

Lodge Package
• Breakfast, lunch and dinner • Selected drinks including soft drinks, house wine, local beer/spirits • Choice of 2 shared daily game drives or excursions and activities per day • Laundry • Airstrip transfers • Conservancy fees

Relax in the poolside spa where massages use 100% natural products. Soothing treatments are the perfect way to relax between game activities.

As you are on a private conservancy, as well as game drives, you get the chance to enjoy nature on foot or on an e-bike. Enjoy a picnic lunch at the Mugie dam or, if you are feeling active, you can canoe on the dam. Other activities include a tracking demonstration with the anti-poaching unit, learning about community grazing and livestock trading, see the conservancy’s animal research programme or go tracking lions.

Mugie House is a low-impact ranch and prides itself on supporting the local Pokot people with community grazing programmes and funds local schools and health clinics. They proudly protect ecosystems and migration corridors for native wildlife while allowing space for herdsmen to graze their cattle.

Go for a round of golf on the nearby nine-hole course which also has its own running track.