Bau Cottage is a house in the woods, of Enonkishu Conservancy. It is surrounded elephants, lions, cheetahs and hyenas but you are safe to walk outside. Made of brick and wood, it’s a simple, natural home on the banks of the Mara River. You can choose to crack open a beer and sit on the sun filled porch waiting for Zebra and Waterbuck to swing by. You can take the kids to spy on hippos and crocs from the cliff top above the river. You can drive into the local reserves and spot the big 5. Or you can take a day trip to the Mara Triangle for the best safari that Africa has to offer.
Bau House is a gem. A hidden gem. A gem that is so special and secret I’m questioning why I’m even telling you about it.
This Airbnb home is the guest house of a larger cottage and sister to the famed House in the Wild. All of these homes and more are set within the exclusive Naretoi Estate. This 1000-acre estate was formerly farmland, now returned to its natural wild state. Whilst it is fenced to keep top predators out the estate is home to an abundance of wildlife. Occupied by gorgeous private homes, of which Bau Cottage is one, the beauty of the estate is your proximity to nature whilst feeling safe. We took a long stroll every day with the kids, an absolute luxury on safari.
Enonkishu Conservancy
Naretoi estate resides within Enonkishu Conservancy which is bordered by the Lemek and Ol Chorro conservancies. There is a single entrance fee for visiting all three as they naturally flow into one another. The conservancies are home to the Big 5 and are jaw-droppingly beautiful. Different habitats mean the drive through the 17000+ acres of land ranges from savannah, to hilltop, to swamp. You won’t want for the quintessential shot of a lone acacia tree coloured pink by the deep red sunset, but you’ll also find yourself photographing less obvious scenarios as the raw beauty of the place creeps up on you. aA zebra foal lying in a meadow of flowers or a family of mongoose make their home on the river bank. It’s an incredibly diverse and indubitably magical place.
Bau Cottage sits within the grounds of a larger home, but you don’t feel like you are on a shared plot. The garden faces away from the main house and there is a large lawn and some incredible trees to give you a feeling of privacy. A brick, wood and makuti thatch home has been given simple and but modern touches. The muted pallet is reflected in the furniture and fittings.
The outside space is divided into cosy benches in the front where the sun lingers throughout the day and a table and bbq area at the back. The garden sits on the banks of the Mara River. Hippos can be heard bellowing throughout the night and lazy days can be spent hunting for crocodiles or other animals that come to the water to drink.
The home has two bedrooms and ostensibly sleeps four but we were allowed to come with a bunch of kids in tow. Bedding down on mattresses even with 10 of us it didn’t feel a squash. The bathrooms are clean and the water piping hot.
The kitchen is separate to the house and has everything you need; fridge, kettle and toaster and preloved but perfectly serviceable plates, cups and cutlery. The staff are outstanding and we were treated like Kings. Our food prepared, our dishes washed up and our beds made which is standard, I suppose, for Kenya. But the staff at Bau Cottage went above the call of duty – washing our car and cleaning our shoes without us asking them to.
Bau Cottage isn’t high-end luxury and this is reflected in the price. There are two types of people in this world. The ones that want to pay 250 dollars per person, per night, to spot wildlife in the Mara and those that don’t. We have 3 kids and two nights in a high-end resort approaches 2K for a weekend, so I’m firmly in the latter camp. Bau Cottage is a great little place, in a fabulous conservancy, in the North of the Mara which makes the drive shorter.
In short. It’s a winner.
Want to see other places I’ve reviewed in Kenya? Check out…
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