Spend a Night With Giraffes at The Giraffe Manor in Nairobi

Giraffe Manor is a unique property and hotel in the Lang'ata suburb of Nairobi, Kenya, famous for its resident herd of endangered Rothschild giraffes that live in the extensive grounds of the manor house. Every day shortly before 9am, the mammoth beasts stroll up to the house and poke their heads through the windows and doors in search of morning treats. Guests could feed the giraffes from their breakfast table, photograph them and interact with this graceful animal through the open window, at the front door and even at the second floor bedroom window. This is the only place in the world where one can share breakfast with the world’s tallest animal.

The Giraffe Manor was built in 1932 by Sir David Duncan, in 150 acres of land running down to the Mbagathi River, the southern boundary of the city of Nairobi. In the 1960s the Manor was purchased by a local investor who leased it to a succession of people, including the late Dennis Lakin, before it fell into disrepair, unoccupied.

giraffe-manor-3

Photo credit

In 1974 Jock Leslie-Melville, grandson of a Scots earl, and his American wife Betty, who also founded the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife (AFEW), bought the Manor. They then moved two highly endangered baby Rothschild giraffe to the estate, where they thrived and produced several further generations of giraffe.

When Jock died, Betty decided to open her house, now called The Giraffe Manor, to visitors. Today, many tourist make the Giraffe Manor part of their East African Safari. Some spend a week here and The Giraffe Manor is reported to have many repeat guests, who have become old friends with the hotel owners.

The Giraffe Manor is surrounded by 140 acres of indigenous forest just outside Kenya's capital, Nairobi. As well as the giraffe, the property is also home to many species of birds, large families of warthogs and the elusive Bush Buck.

giraffe-manor-5