Photo Credit: The Safari Collection You’ve all seen the photographs of Giraffe Manor on Instagram — they’re so wild they almost look AI-created. You know the ones I mean: giraffes craning their heads into open windows, tall and resplendent, being hand-fed by faces overwhelmed with wonder and joy. But this is not a simulated experience — it’s real — and one of the most worthwhile bucket list moments a traveler is likely to have.
The exclusive boutique hotel, owned by the Safari Collection, is set on 12 acres of private land within 140 acres of indigenous forest in the Langata suburb of Nairobi, Kenya. As one of Nairobi’s most iconic buildings, Giraffe Manor has extraordinary appeal, that harks back to the 1930s when European visitors first flocked to East Africa to enjoy safaris. With its stately façade, elegant interior, verdant green gardens, sunny terraces and delightful courtyards, guests often remark that it’s like walking into the film Out of Africa: (which would be apt, as one of its 12 rooms is named after the author Karen Blixen ).
To me, it was like walking into a dream. There are curated experiences involving an early morning feeding, breakfast, and afternoon tea, but it was the moments of complete stillness — pre-dawn — when one of the resident Rothschild’s giraffes strode through the darkness, resplendent and alone, that felt the most magical. But carry on, haute readers, because I’m going to break down what this incredible experience is .