“We stayed at Mundui House for a friend’s birthday and had an amazing time relaxing and going on game drives. The service was fabulous – as was the food. The house is lovingly restored and delightful. Views of the lake are wonderful. Highly recommended for family and friends events, weddings, parties… anything! Go and have fun!”

Jane, Nairobi

The imposing 9-bedroom colonial Mundui House consists of two main buildings which date back more than 90 years. The house’s central courtyard features an enticing swimming pool edged with colourful aloes, succulents and palms. A veranda runs the width of the main house, and wide green lawns slope down to the lake fringed with towering African fig trees and ‘yelllow fever’ acacias.

Large, elegant rooms with fireplaces and lovely views make Mundui perfect for large groups, weddings or even a romantic break or getaway with family or friends. Meals are eaten on the lawn, under the trees with views of the lake or in the luxurious dining room. Traditional cream teas and Sunday roasts are Mundui specialities, and meals feature organic vegetables from the estate farm.

Wildlife such as buffalo, hippopotamus, giraffe, zebra, warthog and antelope graze the surrounding grassland, and many of the area’s 400 bird species can be spotted from the comfort of the veranda or when cruising the lake by boat. Other activities included in a stay at Mundui are night and day game drives, guided nature walks, bike rides, bush breakfasts, sundowners and visits to the the ARR animal orphanage and rehabilitation centre.

“We had a lovely break at Mundui and were all looked after very well. The house is strongly recommended for all ages – in our instance we ranged from 2 to 79 years old! It’s a good spot to relax as well as see some game and have a sundowner close to Nairobi.”

Jon, Nairobi

Mundui has a colourful and aristocratic colonial history. The first part of the house was built in 1926 by Jerome and Alice (Kiki) Preston, and the double-storey guest house, built to resemble an Austrian hunting lodge, was completed in 1933. The Prestons played host to many notable guests including Ernest Hemingway, Winston Churchill, the Aga Khan and Evelyn Waugh, who wrote about his stay at ‘very luxurious’ Mundui in his travel book ‘Remote People’ (1931).

In 1941 Prince Paul and Princes Olga of Yugoslavia and their family were exiled to British East Africa because of the Prince’s close relationship with Hitler, and the British government selected Mundui House as their temporary home. The Prestons left Kenya in 1958, having sold Mundui to big game hunter Baron Von Knapitsch. Author James Fox stayed in the Hunting Lodge while writing and researching ‘White Mischief’, his investigation into the wartime murder of Lord Erroll. Published in 1982, the book mentions his time at Mundui and dinners with the Baron.

The Earl of Enniskillen owned the Mundui Estate for many years before it was sold to its current owner Margaret Zak, who created the Animal Rights Reserved foundation and conservancy in 2010. The conservancy, comprising 2,000 acres of Kongoni Game Valley and Mundui Estate, both with varying landscapes and a wealth of wild game, serves as the ideal spot to reintroduce many rescued or relocated animals.

Animal Rights Reserved caters to many wildlife emergencies, providing urgent help wherever it may be needed. From poaching incidents, through difficult births, to treating infections and diseases, its mobile veterinary unit is on 24-hour call. ARR also runs research projects concerning the surrounding ecosystems and creates methods of improving health and sustainability.