The Emakoko

Game drives depart from the lodge into Nairobi National Park twice daily. The Emakoko is 10 cottages and a two-bedroom private house built into a valley cliff on the Mbagathi River at the park's southern boundary, 45 minutes from either Jomo Kenyatta or Wilson airport. Established in 1946, Nairobi National Park is Kenya's oldest park and holds lion, leopard, cheetah, black rhino, buffalo, and giraffe within sight of the capital's skyline. Over 400 bird species have been recorded here. Anthony and Emma Childs, both raised in Kenya, run the lodge with their family and live on site.

Five cottages occupy the main level; five more are set higher into the cliff face and reached by an outdoor lift. Each cottage faces the river and the park beyond through floor-to-ceiling glass. Fig trees grow through the structure. Rooms include a verandah, tea and coffee, a safe, bathrobes, and an en-suite shower. The private house adds a plunge pool, bar, dining room, and dedicated guide and vehicle. A lap pool overlooks the river. Hippo graze the lawn at dawn and dusk. Rhino and buffalo cross the grounds at night during the dry season.

Guides lead morning and afternoon drives through the park in open vehicles. Walking safaris track animals on foot with an armed ranger. The lodge arranges visits to the David Sheldrick elephant orphanage and the Rothschild's giraffe centre in Nairobi. Massage treatments are available in-room. The head chef prepares meals using produce from the kitchen garden, where over 3,500 tree seedlings are grown for reforestation projects across Nairobi.