Sarova Shaba Game Lodge

About this hotel

Sarova Shaba Game Lodge is in the Shaba National Reserve. This Reserve is part of a conglomeration of reserves in the Eastern Province, descending from Mt. Kenya, at the entrance to the vast scrub desert that reaches beyond L.Turkana, are situated Samburu National Reserve, Buffalo Springs National Reserve and the third contiguous National Reserve, Shaba.

Deep in the arid North Country of Kenya; situated across the Great North Road, is Shaba National Reserve which forms part of a trio of reserves quite different from the ones found in Kenya. Shaba takes its name from Mount Shaba (1525 meters), a volcanic mountain that became extinct around 5,000 years ago and lies on the border of the reserve.

The Ewaso Nyiro River whose origin is the northern slope of Mt. Kenya around the Nanyuki Township borders all the reserves. The river’s name is derived from the local community’s language. It means the river of brown or muddy water.

This is the only lodge in the 239 sq. km Shaba National Reserve. The reserve was gazetted as a conservation area in 1976. Thirteen (13) years later, the lodge became officially operational.

This Lodge basks in a legacy bequeathed by Joy Adamson of the ‘Born Free’ fame. She was the wife of a prominent conservationist, George Adamson, who was a senior game warden of the area. Joy raised her adopted animals next door to the current Sarova Shaba Lodge’s site. She first came to Kenya in 1910 with her first husband whom she later divorced.

In 1956, George, in his capacity as the game warden was compelled to kill a man-eating lioness, which had three newly born cubs. So orphaned before they could imprint on any animate object, they were taken in by Joy Adamson who became their foster mother. She named them ‘Lustica’, ‘Big One’, and ‘Elsa’. She later found that she could not handle three fast-growing lionesses, therefore she reluctantly sent the cubs to By drop, Rotterdam when they were five months old.

Located in the Semi-desert Shaba Game Reserve in Central Kenya the Sarova Shaba Lodge offers the guests a chance to see the bounty of unique wildlife made famous by the film “Born Free”. In March 1998, the Lodge played host to the cast and crew of the “ Born Free”, true-life story of George and Joy Adamson and starred both Kenyan actors and International film stars. The majority of the filming took place in the Game Reserve but some of the scenes were actually shot in the lodge.

Climate

Located in the semi-arid region of Northern Kenya, just next to Ewaso Nyiro River
Very hot & dry with temperature averaging 29 degrees centigrade during the day
Warm nights

How to get to Sarova Shaba Lodge

The distance from Nairobi to Sarova Shaba is 314km
By Air 45 minutes from Nairobi (Wilson Airport) to Samburu or Shaba airstrip
By road: 5hrs from Nairobi – recommended 4×4 wheel drive or Tour Van