“We had a fantastic stay at Ajabu house. The house, gardens and setting are really beautiful, neat and well kept. The tennis court was a super plus and used quite frequently. The team in the house took great care of us and our meals. The road to the house was easy to do and actually a nice little game drive – we saw lots of animals on the way. All in all a super weekend.”

Oliver, Nairobi

Ajabu House – ‘the miracle’ in Kiswahili – sits in an idyllic clifftop spot above the lake – manicured lawns and colourful terraced gardens slope down towards the water and much of the property nestles under the shade of huge spreading fig trees. The canopy of trees and breezy lakeside position ensure that the house and gardens are cool and sheltered even on the hottest days, and there are numerous shady spots in which to sit and enjoy the area’s extensive birdlife and wonderful lake views.

Ajabu Main House comprises two ensuite bedrooms, dining room, drawing room, kitchen and front veranda. The Master Bedroom features a 4-poster bed and a double sofabed (useful for small children) and ensuite bathroom. The adjoining and quite unique Bird Room is triple-bedded and ideal for children. The lovely murals on the walls and ceiling were painted by a family friend over 60 years ago to educate children on East African birdlife.

The Siriane Guest Cottage sleeps up to 4 guests. There are two spacious double bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms, and a veranda with armchairs, dining table and tingatinga paintings. It is a truly peaceful spot with exceptional views across the water to Mount Longonot.

The Muse Guest Cottage, the original stable block and offices for the house and farm, has recently been converted to provide additional and very comfortable accommodation and sleeps up to 9 guests. There is one family room with shared bathroom (a double bed for parents and 3 singles for children) and two other double bedrooms with ensuite bathrooms.

“Ajabu has excellent staff who clearly care about the property and the guests. The chef was particularly impressive – we didn’t give him much to work with, but he put together a delicious feast for every meal.”

Shamim, Nairobi

Meals can be taken in the main dining room, on one of the verandas, or down on the huge wooden deck under the largest fig tree. The kitchen specialises in delicious home-cooked meals and a selection of fresh produce is always available from the organic vegetable garden, together with free-range chickens and lambs from the farm, all of which are available for purchase by self-catering guests.

Guests are ably looked after by a very dedicated and experienced team of six staff – several of whom have worked at the house for decades. Esther, Joseph, Norah, Andrew, Sammy and Adreano will do all they can to make sure you stay is as comfortable and enjoyable as possible.

For more energetic visitors there is a hard tennis court, trampoline for children and game drives through the Loldia Conservancy which carries over 4000 head of wildlife – including leopard, aardvark, buffalo, eland, bat-eared fox, hyenas, impalas, zebras and hippopotami.

Ajabu has been in the Hopcraft family for over 100 years. Built in the early 1930s and added to over the decades, it was a family home for over 65 years and is now owned by the great-grandchildren of the original settlers. A genuinely unspoilt and authentic home that harks back to a bygone era, it makes a wonderful getaway from Nairobi – and a really comfortable and relaxing spot from which to contemplate, or to recover from, a more gruelling safari.