Sarara Reteti House

close to the baby elephant rescue centre

Sarara Reteti House is located in the Mathews Range area of northcentral Kenya.

The private house lies in a secluded valley framed by rocky hills and woodland, with far-reaching views across the dry country to Mount Nyiru. Reteti House was created as a high-end exclusive-use retreat for small groups and families who want immersion in Samburu culture, access to the nearby Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, and a breadth of wilderness activities.

The cultural connection is central to a stay here. Guests are welcomed by Samburu hosts and guides and are invited to visit local homesteads, take part in beading sessions, learn traditional skills such as camel handling, and hear stories around the evening fire.

The nearby Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is community owned and provides care and rehabilitation for orphaned elephant calves before their return to the wild.

Despite the remote setting, the house is presented to a high standard. Built from natural stone and timber, it has a spacious lounge and dining area opening to shaded verandas that look across the valley to a waterhole often visited by elephant and antelope. Outdoor spaces include a swimming pool and sun deck set into the hillside, with wide views over the conservancy

Rooms

Accommodation is in four large en-suite bedrooms within the main house, each with high beamed ceilings, private verandas, indoor and outdoor showers and far-reaching valley views.

Suites: x4

Activities

Sarara Reteti House provides the following guided activities, not all of which are necessarily included in the room rate …

• Elephant sanctuary visits
• Vehicle safari
• Walking safari
• Mountain hiking
• Cultural interaction
• Scenic flights to the far north
• Bivouac camping

Visits to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary give behind-the-scenes access to the feeding sessions and the conservation work undertaken by the Samburu community. Cultural activities vary by season and are coordinated respectfully with local families.

The Mathews Range is a remote safari area which offers a very wide range of activities, but where wildlife viewing is inherently less productive than more popular areas like the Maasai Mara. As a result, this area tends to appeal most to more experienced safari travellers, for whom the quality of sightings is more important than the quantity.

The usual stay duration is 4-7 nights.

Seasonality

The best time to visit the Mathews Range is generally considered to be the Jun-Feb dry season, but seasonality is low here and there are very good reasons to visit during other months. In fact during Jan-Mar the Mathews Range often enjoys the best conditions of any safari area in Kenya.

Getting there

The Mathews Range is usually accessed by light aircraft from Nairobi and distant safari locations like Maasai Mara and Amboseli.

The area is often combined in trips with other parts of this region such as Lewa and Samburu, with which it can be connected by road).

tends to appeal most to experienced safari travellers