Lemon Valley Farm Elementaita – A Perfect Weekend Getaway

There are two types of camping in Kenya: bush camping and easy camping. My love of pitching a tent in the wild with nothing but a long drop and a pride of lions is well documented, but there is something to be said for easy peasy, camping lite… and this is where Lemon Valley Farm at Lake Elementaita excels.

Lemon Valley is perched on the side of the hills that run along Lake Elementaita / Nakuru Valley. The 30 acre farm affords a view across Soysambu Conservancy and its ever weary askari, the infamous ‘Sleeping Warrior’. It’s hard to drag your eyes from the panoramic vista; Lake Elementaita changes colour by the hour, grey in the morning, pink at lunch, sky blue by the evening, dust devils whizz and spin across Soysambu’s sandy interior and the warrior comes in and out of focus as the light changes.

Enough of the views, I hear you say. I’m reading this blog to learn about the campsite. But in Kenya, camping anywhere that isn’t intrinsically marvellous is a complete waste of time. If you aren’t looking at elephants or river rapids, then you better make sure the view is divine.

Lemon Valley has spacious campgrounds, quirky bandas and fixed safari tents giving you differing options for your stay here. The campsite is magnificently equipped with huge covered areas where you can hide from the sun or rain. The toilets and showers are close by, and the Frog and Toad restaurant is just a few steps away. However, there are limited options for washing pots and pans and a firepit is brought at night, rather than having a fixed fire, (as the large campsite area is sometimes used for parties and weddings.)

There are endless options for the kids. There’s a gorgeous pool – colder than a witch’s tit – but bearable on the fiery hot days you get up on the hillside. Games include a volleyball net, ring toss, limbo bar, corn toss, giant chess, trampoline, climbing frames, swings, sandpit. You can hire bicycles (although it’s very hilly), quad bikes (16 years and over), ride ponies, or visit the petting farm. There’s a short but exhilarating zipline (500 bob a go)

As we were visiting for one night, we chose to eat in the restaurant and forgo the hassle of cooking. The Frog and Toad restaurant was the only part of the Lemon Valley Farm experience that missed a beat. They state on the menu that it is a 90 minute waiting time for food, and they aren’t joking. It took over an hour to get a cup of tea or coffee. We swiftly wised up and ordered our meals a few hours in advance. The staff were ever so friendly and set our large group up at a table with views over the valley. The food was hit and miss: pizzas and salads weren’t great, curries, burgers and tilapia were decent, breakfast was pretty good.

The ease of being able to order from the restaurant was negated by the slow service and the quality of food. However, I doubt anyone comes camping in Kenya expecting 5-star dining, and so perhaps I am being a little mean.

Overall, the experience of camping at Lemon Valley Farm was excellent. I have been twice now and I intend to come again. The farm is beautifully kept, with some wonderfully eccentric touches, sweet signposts adding a touch of humour, impeccably kept toilets and showering facilities. The bandas are basic but clean and comfortable and the campsite is pristine.

In the end, I keep coming back to the location: the clean air, the smell of eucalyptus, the shining blue pool, the views over the valley. I didn’t want to leave.

Facilities at Lemon Valley Farm

• Restaurant
• Swimming pool
• Spa – massages and facials
• Biking
• Zip lining
• Petting zoo
• Horse riding
• Quad biking
• Archery
• Hiking
• Movie nights

Lemon Valley Farm Prices

• Cottages – sleep up to 7 – From 16000 KES / 160 USD per cottage
• Cabins – sleep up to 2 – From 5500 KES / 55 USD per person
• Glamp tents – sleep up to 2 – From 5500 KES / 55 USD per person
• Camping – 2000 KES / 20 USD per adults & kids half price

Lemon Valley Farm Directions

Kasambara Hills,
Elementaita, Nakuru

Lemon Valley is on the hillside opposite Soysambu Conservancy. Head to Naivasha and continue along the Nakuru-Nairobi highway, between Kikopey and Nakuru town. The farm is signposted along the right-hand side of the road when headed to Nakuru.

Contact details and booking for Lemon Valley Farm

Website: https://lemonvalley.co.ke/
Tel: (+254) 0778 915 880
Email: reservations@lemonvalley.co.ke

Further Reading

15 Best day trips from Nairobi

Lake Elementaita Camping – 5 best campsites

45 Unmissable Places to Visit in Kenya (and my Top Kenya Tourist Attractions)

Savage House – luxurious ranch Living in Naivasha

Kericho – Quaint Tea Town Tucked in Kenya’s Western Highlands

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