The Emakoko

Fabulous hospitality and experience at The Emakoko! Thank you to Anton, Rihaz, Eugene, Patrick and our amazing guide Elizaban! Truly an awesome place to visit and stay!

We had a fantastic day at Emakoko. A late flight meant we spent the day utilising the facilities and we only wish we could've stayed a few nights - the team were very attentive led by the owner Anton whose personal approach made us feel very welcome. The location is perfect, only a river separating the lodge from the national park - it is a hugely versatile place, you can relax by the pool, take the view of the animals in the park from your private terrace in the room, do a game drive, visit Nairobi, or eat & drink at your leisure. Nothing was too much for the staff and the food was excellent. We were looked after by Elizaban as our guide for the day, who was friendly, easy to chat to and very knowledgeable about the surrounding wildlife. A great place to spend some time in the national park and although less than a few miles from Nairobi it felt a world away.

We had an amazing 2 nights at the Emakoko at the start our 3 week safari journey through Kenya and Tanzania. The lodge is spectacular, the food is incredible and the hospitality is top notch. Elizaban was a wonderful guide, picking us up in Nairobi and leading us through 5 game drives. We saw so many animals and he was a delight to get to know on each drive. Thank you Emakoko for the perfect start to our time in Africa.

Perched on the edge of Nairobi National Park, the Emakoko inexplicably continues to just get even better which I thought would be impossible. The new pool, outdoor bar and dining area brings yet another outstanding feature. Visiting for a birthday celebrations, there was outstanding cuisine, divine suites, delicious Dawa’s and exemplary service. What a special place and what a treat to visit!

10/10 experience. Not only was the staff amazing but the guides are very knowledgeable and eager for you to have a good time! Ideal location right outside the city and close to the airport. An absolute blast.

Tucked away beneath the ridge line, the lodge offers a lovely hideaway from the city's chaotic rhythm. It's one to be experience rather than explained here :) ...a little slice of magic.

We have always wanted to stay at The Emakoko and our wish finally came true this year! We enjoyed an amazing night with great food, stunning views, friendly staff and pure relaxation by the pool. Our guide was Elizaban, a very nice man who showed us corners of the park that we had never seen before, despite living in Nairobi most of our lives. He found us 22 rhinos in just two drives and he is super knowledgeable on birds - which is what I was most interested in. Our room was beautiful - tucked away high on the ridge - with incredible views over the valley and seasonal river below. You are surrounded by birdsong during the day and the sound of leopard and hyenas at night. The meals were delicious, and we enjoyed freshly made enjoyed pizzas straight out of their wood fired oven and dawas at the bar, before sitting down to a three course meal under the stars. The whole experience was magical - thank you to Emma, Anton and the rest of team for looking after us so well.

My wife and I just returned from a three-night visit at the Emakoko, and throughly enjoyed the experience. This was our first trip to Kenya, and given the brief amount of time that we had, we were mainly looking for a relaxing place to stay near Nairobi and this was definitely it. As an all-inclusive lodge, all meals and drinks were included, as were daily game drives with a driver and guide, Sila, who was assigned to us for the whole visit. Sila picked us up and saw us off at the airport, and in-between, did a great job each day in helping us get the most out our game drives and excursions....he was a real pleasure to get to know. Our room was very comfortable, with a great view across the ravine to the park itself, where we often saw giraffes grazing on the opposite hilltop. The meals were excellent, and made all the better by the friendly and helpful service in the dining room, led by Patrick, and in general, the overall service in the lodge was great, with Rihaz and his team following up with us repeatedly to be certain that all was well. While the buildings of the lodge are built into the side of a bluff, several staff encouraged us to go to the top of the bluff to see the neighboring community, as well as the facilities where the lodge grows its own produce and maintains a flock of a hundred or more chickens that produce the eggs served in meals. I was glad that I did, as Peter, who created and manages the garden, generously took some time out to show me the operation and take me on a half-hour hike around the surrounding countryside, giving me more insight into the community and its interactions with the lodge (most of the staff come from there). An added bonus was meeting the resident orphaned giraffe, Melman, who lives on the grounds and was raised by Peter. Some reviewers have noted the remote location of the lodge, which is only reached by driving through Nairobi National Park, but for us, this was part of its appeal. Even so, we were still able to make trips to Karen to visit the Giraffe Centre and the Karen Blixen Museum. In short, we were really glad that we stayed here, and would gladly do so again if we are ever back in the area.