VISIT
This is Africa at her wildest. Step into Mukutan to discover a world of untamed nature, where animals have only rare encounters with humans, where the only lights you will see are those of your own camp on the way back from a sundowner, where it feels like nature is truly in charge and us humans are privileged visitors.
We invite you to slow down, immerse yourself in this ancient landscape and feel the pulse of life ringing through the night sounds where the rhythms of the day and the cycles of the seasons dictate all our activities. Welcoming a diversity of visitors is at the core of our mission, whether you seek a serene retreat in the bush, an unparalleled adventure through remote gorges and forests, or an opportunity to give back and participate in our conservation efforts at the ground level.
This is not a place where you will see the ‘Big Five’ in one day surrounded by many other vehicles, but rather a place which will reveal itself to you slowly, allowing for surprise encounters with wildlife and walking expeditions into seldom-visited places. It is the perfect place to begin to understand the true pulse of the African bush, to connect with an ancient and powerful landscape, and to learn what conservation is really all about.
We have a number of different accommodation options available, and offer volunteer programmes at certain times of the year for those who wish to get involved.
“Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better."
Albert Einstein
MAKENA'S
HILLS
Makena’s Hills sits on the highest point of Mukutan’s escarpment that overlooks Kenya’s Great Rift Valley. With views that leave visitors awed and humbled by ancient and limitless horizons, the light constantly changes and plays over Lake Baringo and across the Cradle of Humanity. Indeed, being at Makena’s recalls a sense of revisiting our most ancient origins and reawakening forgotten instincts.
On a clear morning one can see Mt Elgon’s forest clad mass to the west and Mt Kenya’s snowy peaks to the east. As a guest once said – ‘Drinking my morning tea on the veranda, I felt that this is a place where time is measured in millennia, not minutes’.
Crafted with soulful attention under Kuki Gallmann’s artistic eye, the communal space is a Bedouin-inspired structure open to the western vista, with cosy fireplaces and contemplative nooks hidden in every corner. Each luxury tent sits tucked into the hillside with a private view of the evocative landscape, furnished carefully with pieces collected on Kuki’s travels, an antique writing desk sitting nearby, awaiting your inspiration. The surrounding hills are perfect for long walks ending in secret spots for sunset overlooking the precipitous Mukutan Gorge. The nearby Engelesha Forest, thick with cedar and huge acacias is brimming with wildlife: colobus monkeys and elusive melanistic leopards, many rare birds and endemic insects. A nearby cottage by a lake is the perfect place to while away an afternoon waiting for elephants and buffalo to come to the water to drink.
Please contact our Reservations Office to book:
+254 735 831 620
+254 701 053 086
MUKUTAN
BANDAS
The Mukutan Bandas are a charming and affordable option from which to explore the conservancy.
They are located in the centre of the conservancy, in a small and peaceful savannah frequented by buffalo, elephants, and lions, seen by day and memorably heard by night. With easy access to community and conservation projects and near our offices, you will feel close to the heart of conservancy activities and have opportunities to interact with our incredible team.
They are perfect for adventurous souls looking to explore the vast landscapes of Mukutan, people looking to work remotely for a time, large gatherings, walking safaris, team-building workshops (which we can organise) and specific interest groups such as bird-watchers, volunteers, and researchers.
The Mukutan bandas are also a perfect option when you’d like to be completely immersed in nature but do not have the time to pack all your camping gear.
Accommodation:
There are 8 bandas, each with two queen beds and a verandah. Bathrooms are simple with long drops and hot bucket showers under the stars. Outside there is a cosy communal and mess area with a hearty fireplace where guests gather to recount stories of the day’s adventures.
If needed, there is further accommodation for another 30 people in simple dorms nearby.
We can offer the bandas on a full board or self catering basis.
The bandas are a self-drive option, if you do not have a vehicle please let us know so that we can come up with a plan.
Please contact our Reservations Office to book:
+254 735 831 620
+254 701 053 086
WALKING, CLIMBING, BIKING AND CAMPING
SAFARIS
Mukutan is the ultimate destination for those looking for immersive and adventurous excursions in the bush. Whether a guided walking safari through rolling hills and valleys, camping under the stars as hippos snort nearby, or bird-watching tours to spot rare and migratory species that call Mukutan home, the wilderness is yours to explore. Bring your motorcycle for epic rides through the landscape and sundowners over Lake Baringo, or test your stamina on steep mountain biking trails. The magical Mukutan Gorge harbours secret hot springs and waterfalls plummeting down into the Great Rift Valley below.
Our integrated approach to conservation is also a fantastic opportunity for those looking to safari with a purpose. Experience our community projects and enterprises firsthand or visit the community-based conservancies nearby with whom we partner closely. If you want to better understand the dynamics, complexities, and challenges of modern conservation, we’d love to bring you along.
Mukutan has several private campsites from which you can visit different corners of the conservancy. These campsites have been set in beautiful and secluded locations. Please get in touch with us directly to figure out which one will best suit your needs according to your interests, the season and the size of your group.
+254 735 831 620
+254 701 053 086
WELLNESS
Wellness is at the core of our ethos. Mukutan’s landscape offers a rich and exciting canvas with which to explore many facets of wellness. The windswept ridges and verdant valleys offer a tranquillity and spaciousness that the modern mind desperately needs. Our work to preserve this corner of wilderness has created an inimitable escape for renewal and inspiration.
Whether you are weaving your way silently through the Engelesha forest immersed in a symphony of nature, practicing invigorating yoga by the water’s edge, or dancing to the beat of our talented drummers, we know one thing- you will return home inspired and reinvigorated.
We curate yoga and meditation retreats hosted at Makena’s Hills lodge, holistic lifestyle workshops with nutritional coaches and acupuncturists, writing and creative retreats, plant medicine experiences, an organic spa using essential oils drawn locally drawn from indigenous plant species, and more. The environment is our canvas, and our creativity is the limit. Contact us for our calendar or if you would like to host a retreat with us.
+254 735 831 620
+254 701 053 086
VOLUNTEER
Finding innovative solutions for conservation is a never ending learning process, and provides abundant opportunities both to learn on the ground and to offer your skill set towards a deeply meaningful cause. Volunteers have always been an important part of the culture at Mukutan, and in the past have supported our various projects through their skills in research, ecology, architecture, outdoor education, graphic design, photography, filmmaking, arts, sports, and many more, and have come to us from both within Kenya and dozens of other countries.
We have two kinds of volunteers: those who are looking for a learning opportunity to expand their skill sets and experience through a structured program to further their education or career, and those who arrive with an existing skill that meets a need at the Conservancy. For the latter, we are using the WorkAway platform: see more details by following this link.
We expect all volunteers to have a love for the outdoors, independence, a capacity to focus, leadership skills, and dedication to a cause. You will be living in a remote and wild location and should be prepared for a living situation that replaces some of the comforts of modern life with the inimitable magic of the bush.
If you are looking for an introductory experience into conservation related to your field of study or career objectives, please email info@mukutanconservancy.org. We require a resumé of all your past education, work and volunteer experience. Please be sure to mention all your talents, skills and hobbies. Additionally, we will require at least two references, one preferably from an academic work point of view and the other on a more informal basis. It is very important to be clear and concise. Please send a cover letter with details of why you wish to volunteer at Mukutan. Please be clear about your field of interest and your aspirations for your volunteer period on the Conservancy. Please mention the period you are interested in visiting and for how long.
All volunteers that visit the Conservancy are expected to be self-reliant in most aspects of their stay. We, therefore, recommend finding independent financing or grant support before you plan a visit. We have sponsorship programmes for Kenyan citizens only.