Guest reviews Giraffe Manor

by Z887YNcarolinem

An unforgettable experience of a lifetime

We visited Giraffe Manor as a family of four adults at the beginning of April 2022 and the whole experience was absolutely fantastic. Our planned visit had been postponed for two years due to COVID travel restrictions but it was well worth the wait. The Manor House sits in 12 acres of private grounds and most of the area is dedicated to its most important residents, the magnificent herd of Rothschild giraffes. The welfare of the giraffes, alongside giving guests the experience of a lifetime, is carefully managed by the Giraffe Manor Team. Staff go above and beyond to make sure that guests are able to intermingle with the giraffes and get the type of photographs you see associated with the Giraffe Manor experience while at all times respecting the welfare of these wonderful animals. The giraffes visit twice a day, arriving at the bedroom windows as the sun comes up to stay for breakfast, arriving again in the late afternoon to spend an hour or two with guests. Between these times the giraffes can be seen in and around the adjacent Giraffe Centre where visitors can learn all about the breeding and conservation programme in place to protect the Rothschild giraffes. A trip over there is included in your stay and it is well worth it as the staff are extremely knowledgable as well as also being passionate about the welfare of the giraffes. We stayed in the characterful Karen Blixen suite which has two en-suite bedrooms that are spacious, comfortable and clean with a balcony connecting the rooms that looks out towards the front of the building towards the nearby giraffe sanctuary. Meals and drinks are included in your stay and we found the food to be delicious; the plates were attractively presented and portion sizes generous. Afternoon tea is also provided and it was a real treat to have this served at the front of the manor as the giraffes meander over for their evening visit. We were assigned Caroline to look after us during our two-day stay and she was absolutely terrific in all aspects. As well as serving us our meals, drinks and making sure we were comfortable, she spent a lot of time teaching us how to interact safely with the giraffes and how to feed them correctly. She also assumed the role of chief photographer, ensuring that we got lots of brilliant photographs of us feeding the giraffes. She learned that our son sponsors Ed, the male giraffe, and made special effort to get lots of photos of the two of them together as well as a couple of whole family photos with Ed. Unfortunately Caroline wasn’t available one morning so she organised for Mutemi to make sure we didn’t miss out in any way, and he too went above and beyond to get us more photographs in different settings. For sure, it is no easy shift for the staff of the manor as guest expectations can be extremely high and possibly occasionally unrealistic. While the giraffes are generally friendly and obliging, they are still wild animals who are unpredictable and very, very large! I was extremely impressed with both Caroline and Mutemi’s awareness of guest safety, highlighting that for the giraffes it is ‘no food, no friendship’ and reminding us at all times to be aware of how we approached and interacted with them. They also all did their best to make sure that everyone got an equal amount of time spent with the giraffes and similar photo opportunities while at the same time making sure breakfast was served to us as well as to the giraffes! All of this was done with a big smile and a genuine willingness to make sure guests got the best experience possible. Giraffe Manor is a world renowned ‘bucket list’ hotel and it does not disappoint. Thank you to Anne Marie, the manager, and her team for giving us the most magical two days. Thank you also to Mutemi for going above and beyond to get us that 'extra' photo. Last but far from least, a special thank you to Caroline who made our stay at Giraffe Manor the most brilliant and unforgettable experience of a lifetime.

by justdoit2105 London, United Kingdom

The coolest experience

What an incredible place to stay. Being up close to such beautiful creatures is pretty awesome. Getting to interact with them, feed treats and just hang out with them in a private garden…seeing their long eyelashes and huge long purple come looking for treats. Waking up to the giraffes at your window in the morning has to be the best wake up ever out. All the staff made us feel so welcome and at home, nothing was too much to ask. Super comfy beds, delicious food…two nights was not enough!

by Kikipanache

Magical experience,

We visited Giraffe Manor and wow, what a truly magical experience we had. From the moment we arrived the staff, the food, rooms and of course the giraffe were wonderful, we could not fault a moment of it. Equally impressed were our two teenage children: blown away. Remarking that to have the opportunity to be so close to these amazing animals in such a beautiful setting was worthy of being offline!! In addition to the manor there is an amazing retreat where you can just sit, swim, eat or drink and be part of Africa. Thank you to all of the staff who went above and beyond to make our experience perfect.

by valeriejL4620LD Kingswood, United Kingdom

What an absolutely Amazing Place to stay

My granddaughter & I recently spent a couple of days at Giraffe Manor. What a treat it was. We had a really nice room that the giraffes actually visited in the morning. Yes, we fed them 'giraffe nuts' whilst still in our bathrobes! The service everywhere was excellent from being greeted upon our arrival in the car park right up to the moment we left. The highlight of the visit was the tremendous fun feeding the giraffes at tea time, with the staff helping us get some great photos. The location is lovely, peaceful too. It's also very convenient for visiting the Baby Elephant Orphanage and Kazuri Beads. We had a wonderful, 5-star time there, can thoroughly recommend.

by Katharinaschoen

Most amazing!

We spent a night at Giraffe Manor and the day at the retreat. It was a very enjoyable stay for our family. The time and exposure we had with the giraffes were amazing and great fun. The service and management were both very friendly and accommodating. You eat and drink so well in both places. The spa treatments are amazing. You are in the middle of Nairobi and yet you feel so remote and peaceful. A perfect ending to our time in Kenya.