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House in the Wild: Expanding and Evolving into the Collection in the Wild
We are brimming with excitement and gratitude sharing the news that House in the Wild is growing and branching out. We are taking a giant leap towards expanding our horizons, and it comes with an invigorating promise of more growth, deeper impact, and more inspiring wild experiences for you. The path of evolution has led us to create our unique ensemble, the "Collection in the Wild".
Under this umbrella of the Collection in the Wild, we're expanding our offerings into other remarkable corners of beautiful Kenya.
House in the Wild
Still our flagship lodge, once a mud hut on a bean farm, on the Mara River, is the beating heart of Collection in the Wild. It will stay as a small, charming, intimate lodge; but the experience is getting better and better.
Wild Villas:
Part of our rewilding journey involved finding investors to help turn the Olerai Farm into the Wildlife sanctuary that is Naretoi and to help create the surrounding Enonkishu Conservancy. Amani, Jamani and Olmarei are beautiful, private safari homes, where our team manage every part of the guest experience. These have been bustling with activity during the high season, filled with families creating beautiful memories, enjoying our and making new lifelong friends in this part of the Mara.
Kipeleo
We are in the process of creating Collection in the Wild's flagship Wild Villa, Kipeleo, with living grass roofs, accessed through a secret door on the Kileleoni Hill, with breathtaking views overlooking the vast Mara plains below... The hill, known as 'Kipeleo' by the elders, has lent its name and spirit to this new project. We are beyond excited about the potential this project holds not only with the unique experiences it will offer our guests, but also with plans to protect more biodiversity and support further Sustainable Rangeland Management programs in the Northern Mara.
House on the Beach:
We are also taking a plunge into the warm waters of the Indian Ocean with our House on the Beach. We are bringing the charm and magic of House in the Wild to a secluded beach getaway on Lamu Island. It is a new chapter in our journey and a fantastic opportunity for our guests to experience the wild in a new light. It is an ideal destination for those who wish to unwind after an exhilarating safari. Each guest will also be supporting marine conservation and we are excited to partner with some inspirational teams working hard to preserve the Kenyan coast for future generations and uplifting local communities.
Both Kipeleo and House on the Beach are set to be launched in 2024, and we couldn't be more excited. In the meantime, we promise to keep you updated on the progress and developments!
We'll also continue sharing updates from the Wild from Adam who is closely observing the captivating dynamics of the big cat population in the Northern Maasai Mara. His findings, insights, and narratives promise to offer a rare and captivating glimpse into the lives of these incredible creatures. Over the passed month, a lot has happened. See all of Adam's incredible images below his narrative from the passed month.
The Great Migration is currently happening - a breath-taking annual spectacle in the Serengeti- Mara ecosystem, involving millions of wildebeest, zebras, and other animals. Driven by the search for water and food, they cover vast distances, braving predators, and obstacles, creating an awe-inspiring display of nature's power and resilience. On the 15th of July the first of the big herds stampeded across the Sand River, crossing the political boundary between Tanzania and Kenya. With each passing day more and more individuals arrive. The first challenge is the Sand River, but a few days later comes the more chaotic, and challenging crossing of the crocodile-infested Mara River. It’s not for the faint hearted and truly remains one of the greatest wonders of the natural world.
Our guests have been spoilt so far this season – delicious picnics in hand, many have made the journey down into the Mara Triangle to spend the day amongst the herds. After revelling in the chaos, they return to camp, covered in a thin layer of African dust, wearing broad smiles from ear to ear. One of the reasons we are so lucky at House in the Wild is that we are located within the private Northern Mara Conservancies – this means that after sharing sightings with many other tourists in the national reserve guests can return to a more quiet, exclusive, and relaxed environment for the remainder of their stay.
Watching lion cubs at play stirs the soul. Their carefree antics and boundless energy exude pure joy, reminding us of the beauty of innocence and the wonders of nature. The Lemek Pride currently have at least 7 cubs (from three different litters), and these little bundles always provide much entertainment.
Closer to home, the three Sankai Males continue to hold onto their small territory around the lodge. A dead hippo provided for a much-appreciated feast – for lion and hyena alike.
Two lionesses are rumoured to have had cubs close to House in the Wild, and we all eagerly wait for the big reveal. The two lionesses from this small pride have already provided many fantastic sightings over the past month – being seen hunting and killing warthogs on at least three different occasions.
However, the hot topic on all our lips at the moment revolves around Kisaru – Queen of Enonkishu. We last saw her heavily pregnant, struggling to hunt burdened by the weight of her bulging belly. She has been seen after this – belly thin and lean. She has clearly given birth. We have dedicated a conservancy ranger car, and team, to monitor her – and make sure she is protected from harm’s way. We cannot wait for the moment she decides to show them to us for the first time.
We are fortunate to have The Ol Chorro rhino sanctuary 20 minutes from us. The Ol Chorro Rangers are the guardians of two white rhinos, Kofi Anan and Queen Elizabeth. We were fortunate enough to have Steve Backshall, a well known British naturalist and explorer come and stay on a special father- son safari. A highlight for them was getting up close to the rhinos and experiencing the vast open plains of the Mara at sunset.
In our fast-paced world, we're often overwhelmed by a continuous flow of information. To ensure we provide meaningful, engaging content, we've decided to adjust our blogging schedule. We'll now be sharing updates once a month, instead of every two weeks. This will allow us to highlight the best of each month, giving you a more consolidated, curated view of our progress and adventures.
We will continue to share regular glimpses of our escapades on Instagram, handle soon to be changed to @collectioninthewild. We're excited about the road ahead, and we're incredibly grateful to you for being a part of this journey.