Solio Lodge | Best Kenya Safari Lodges

The place

I sit on the deck with my artist pad and watercolours, trying to do justice to the captivating views of Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Mountains before me. I’m no JMW Turner, but I’m inspired by the beauty surrounding me at Solio Lodge, located on some 18,200ha of private conservancy in northern Kenya‘s Laikipia. We’re practically on the equator, at the heart of Kenya’s first private conservancy and East Africa’s most successful rhino-breeding ground.

The room

The diminishing light warns me that it’s time to change for dinner. I venture inside my large cottage, one of only four at Solio Lodge, watching the sunset from the floor-to-ceiling glass windows and warming myself by the open fire. Torn between the monsoon shower and the stand-alone tub, I decide to run a bath, which allows me to enjoy every variation of colour from equally large windows as the sun sinks. Solio Lodge has the most amazing body soap, bath oil and body lotion, sourced from a nearby Cinnabar Green farm, and I decide that we simply must go visit it. I wrap myself in a fluffy bathrobe and put on slippers before going to the dressing room to choose an outfit. I’m so warm from my bath that I’m tempted to dine indoors by candlelight next to the fire, simply enjoying my lovely suite’s African décor and cosy carpeted floors. However, before my partner set off for an afternoon game drive we’d arranged to meet at a private table in the dining area, where we’ll enjoy a freshly-made three-course meal from the lodge’s surprisingly large organic vegetable garden. On warmer nights, dinner can be served under the stars; something I can’t wait to experience. A blazing log fire welcomes me to the dining hall, where dinner surpasses my expectations. We love it so much that we ask for some of the recipes to take home with us. Joining new friends at the bar, we discuss the next day’s adventure: a guided mountain biking trip through the conservancy, where we might see leopard, lion, cheetah, oryx and eland. We’re sure to encounter some majestic rhino grazing on the plains too, completely at peace in their sanctuary, unaware that they’re surrounded by one of Kenya’s first conservation fences and armed rangers to keep them safe.

The diminishing light warns me that it’s time to change for dinner. I venture inside my large cottage, one of only four at Solio Lodge, watching the sunset from the floor-to-ceiling glass windows and warming myself by the open fire.

Torn between the monsoon shower and the stand-alone tub, I decide to run a bath, which allows me to enjoy every variation of colour from equally large windows as the sun sinks. Solio Lodge has the most amazing body soap, bath oil and body lotion, sourced from a nearby Cinnabar Green farm, and I decide that we simply must go visit it.

I wrap myself in a fluffy bathrobe and put on slippers before going to the dressing room to choose an outfit. I’m so warm from my bath that I’m tempted to dine indoors by candlelight next to the fire, simply enjoying my lovely suite’s African décor and cosy carpeted floors.

However, before my partner set off for an afternoon game drive we’d arranged to meet at a private table in the dining area, where we’ll enjoy a freshly-made three-course meal from the lodge’s surprisingly large organic vegetable garden. On warmer nights, dinner can be served under the stars; something I can’t wait to experience.

A blazing log fire welcomes me to the dining hall, where dinner surpasses my expectations. We love it so much that we ask for some of the recipes to take home with us. Joining new friends at the bar, we discuss the next day’s adventure: a guided mountain biking trip through the conservancy, where we might see leopard, lion, cheetah, oryx and eland. We’re sure to encounter some majestic rhino grazing on the plains too, completely at peace in their sanctuary, unaware that they’re surrounded by one of Kenya’s first conservation fences and armed rangers to keep them safe.

What sets it apart

I love the fact that there are fireplaces in the lobby, in the dining hall and in every cottage, which keeps everything cosy and welcoming at night – crucial at this high altitude. It’s also wonderful that we have the whole conservancy to ourselves, as Solio is the only accommodation here. However, the magic is in the details – welcome drinks, personal escorts to your room, candle-lit baths drawn after game drives, fires lit up without the need to ask, hot water bottles in our turned-down bed… And of course, the dinnertime visits by the lodge’s resident bush baby are a highlight of every day.

At a glance

Luxury safari lodge in the remote Laikipia area of northern Kenya, in a private rhino sanctuary. With just four cottages, it’s utterly intimate and exclusive.
Private conservancy, maximum five guests per safari vehicle, private vehicles (additional cost), private dining and flexible schedules.
Game drives, night drives, walking safaris, horse riding, bush breakfasts and sundowners, mountain biking, local farm visits (additional cost), helicopter excursions (additional cost), day trips to the Aberdare National Park, farm and market visits and spa treatments (additional cost).
Children welcome, and babysitting and children’s safaris available. One family cottage and others can take an extra bed.

Luxury safari lodge in the remote Laikipia area of northern Kenya, in a private rhino sanctuary. With just four cottages, it’s utterly intimate and exclusive.
Private conservancy, maximum five guests per safari vehicle, private vehicles (additional cost), private dining and flexible schedules.
Game drives, night drives, walking safaris, horse riding, bush breakfasts and sundowners, mountain biking, local farm visits (additional cost), helicopter excursions (additional cost), day trips to the Aberdare National Park, farm and market visits and spa treatments (additional cost).
Children welcome, and babysitting and children’s safaris available. One family cottage and others can take an extra bed.

Prices

Not only do African safari lodge prices shift with the seasons, they also change based on your length of stay, room type, travel party composition, special offers, if your trip involves stays at sister lodges – and for more reasons besides.
It’s worth noting that depending on your itinerary, your lodge cost will make up about 75–85% of your total safari trip cost.
Our safaris are tailor-made to match your personal safari dream, we’d be delighted if you’d allow us to create a bespoke proposal for you. Simply enquire now – our quotes are complimentary and obligation-free.
However, to help you get an idea of safari lodge prices we’ve created three safari-lodge categories with various price ranges, to find out more click here.

Not only do African safari lodge prices shift with the seasons, they also change based on your length of stay, room type, travel party composition, special offers, if your trip involves stays at sister lodges – and for more reasons besides.
It’s worth noting that depending on your itinerary, your lodge cost will make up about 75–85% of your total safari trip cost.
Our safaris are tailor-made to match your personal safari dream, we’d be delighted if you’d allow us to create a bespoke proposal for you. Simply enquire now – our quotes are complimentary and obligation-free.
However, to help you get an idea of safari lodge prices we’ve created three safari-lodge categories with various price ranges, to find out more click here.