r/FATSafari

If you want the single most exclusive and unusual safari experience in Africa, I think this is it. Ol Jogi had been on my list for years, and it more than delivered. There's almost no real feedback out there on it, so after three nights with my family and a group of 11, here's my review. Harry Potter meets safari meets vintage Vogue is the fastest way I can describe it, and it's unlike anywhere I've ever stayed.

Who went

I am a TA who specializes in Africa and this has been on my bucket list for years. We paid full price. We were a group of 11, and this was a purpose-built trip. It was centered around visiting a school we helped fund in Nairobi through One Girl Can, a non-profit that educates and empowers girls in Kenya. So the group was a real mix: my Travel Coordinator and her little family, some clients/friends, our on-the-ground partner and bestie Don in Africa, other supporters of the cause, and the CEO of One Girl Can, along with my husband, my daughter and me. Ol Jogi turned out to be an incredible base for a group like this, because you take the whole property on an exclusive-use basis and get to spend proper quality time together. For full transparency: I'm a travel advisor, and this was a regular stay for us, not comped or hosted.

When we went

End of May of this year, for 3 nights. We paid roughly $35k per night for the whole property, so about $105k all in for the lodge across our 3 nights, split across the group with each family covering their own share. On top of that we paid for private charter flights with Scenic Air to get in and out, which is worth budgeting for since it's separate from the lodge cost.

Overall impressions

It was once the private home of the Wildenstein family, and it now runs as an exclusive-use lodge inside a 58,000-acre private conservancy in Laikipia. When I say private, I mean private. There are no other guests anywhere on the conservancy. It's just you, your people, your guides, the wildlife, and this enormous piece of Kenya completely to yourselves.

The house itself is honestly unlike anywhere I've ever stayed. Secret tunnels, hidden rooms, a dungeon-like wine cellar, treasures collected from all over the world, and then you're casually eating and drinking off Christian Dior and Hermès crockery like this is just normal life. There's a huge retro-sexy pool, a gym, spa, billiards room, library and movie room, plus an actual hidden silver room where they keep all the silver used throughout the house. The standouts for me were the sheer privacy, the wildly characterful house, the activities and guiding, the conservation side, the flexibility, and the people.

Now the honest part on the look of the place, because the decor won't be for everyone, and I'll be upfront that this isn't normally my style at all. If you want a clean, modern aesthetic, this isn't it. It's weird, wild, dramatic and eccentric, more Vintage Vegas meets Billionaire 70s over the top than minimalist. We also stayed at Wild Hill on this trip, which is completely my personal taste, basically what I'd want my own home to look like, so Ol Jogi sits at the total opposite end of the spectrum for me. And yet. I went in thinking I might hate it, and somehow I got completely swept up in it, like I'd wandered onto some James Bond or White Lotus set. That is the magic of it, they could never change it. The other honest note is the kids' food at dinner (more on that below). Neither of those changed how much I loved it.

Location

Getting here is part of it. You come in by light aircraft, we flew Scenic Air, landing right on the conservancy itself out in Laikipia, up on Kenya's central plateau. It's high, wide, dramatic country, a completely different landscape and feel from the Mara. Laikipia is also one of the most important strongholds for rhino in Kenya, and you feel how seriously they take that here in everything they do.

The room

Ol Jogi has 11 bedrooms across 8 cottages, and this is not a place where the rooms feel standard or predictable. Every space has its own personality, and part of the magic is that you never quite know what's behind the next door.

My husband, my daughter and I stayed in one of the master suites, which was wild. My travel coordinator and her family stayed in a room that was really two rooms in one: the main bedroom, and then a separate bunk-bed room for the kids with its own en-suite bathroom. It felt like English cottage meets safari. Cozy, layered, charming, and still completely Ol Jogi.

The masters are the suites facing the waterhole, and they are mind-blowing. From the outside you'd never know what's waiting inside. It's one building split into two wings, with a suite on each side and a shared central lounge between them. The lounge has a massive circular seating area and the most insane fireplace I've ever seen, with the biggest piece of amethyst above it. Each wing is enormous: a master bedroom, a second bedroom with its own en-suite, a study, his-and-hers bathrooms, and a wardrobe that is honestly an entire room for your clothes. The size alone is wild, but it's also the style. These are not polished, copy-and-paste safari rooms, they're layered, eccentric and completely unique.

Service

The staff were incredible, and truly one of the things that stood out most about the whole stay. Fred, the house manager, was hands down one of my favorite people we met. So kind, so patient, and so full of wonderful stories. He's worked for the Wildenstein family for 36 years, and you can feel that history in the way he speaks about the property, the family, the team and the land.

What I loved most is that the kindness never felt put on or overly polished, it felt completely genuine. From housekeeping to front of house, you could tell every single person wanted us to have the most special time. Halima, who helped look after the two children on the trip, was the most amazing lady. She warmed to the kids completely naturally, never forced or prompted, it just happened. They also quickly learn your likes, your dislikes and your rhythm without you having to ask. Warm, thoughtful, patient and deeply personal, and a huge part of what made the whole experience so special.

Food & beverage

Dining was the one area where our group had a few mixed opinions, but personally I really enjoyed it. The meals were tasty, generous and easy to enjoy. Most were served buffet-style, which I loved because it kept things relaxed and made it feel more like being in someone's private home than a stiff lodge meal. If you wanted something more formal, I'm sure that could be arranged.

One of our dinners was a bush dinner and the setting was unreal. A full bar, kitchen and dining setup out in the open, with the dining area set over a flowing river. One of those moments where you look around and think, how is this real?

The one spot where I felt they missed the mark slightly was the children's food. It was almost a little too "chef-y" for kids. Not bad at all, just not always basic enough for little ones who sometimes just want something simple and familiar. So a heads-up for families with younger kids: I'd be quite specific about what you want for them from the start.

Amenities & activities

For me, the activities and experiences here are what truly set Ol Jogi apart from anywhere else I've been in Africa. You come to Kenya for the wildlife and the game drives, but the whole thing is built around you and your group. This is not the usual up-at-5am, back-by-7pm safari schedule. You make your own rhythm, and travelling with two children that was an absolute game changer.

On our first morning we only left at 9:30am and it ended up being one of the most incredible mornings. We went out with one of the property's conservationists, who talked us through Ol Jogi's philosophies, the conservation work, and how they manage and protect the animals. Even leaving late we still saw lion, cheetah, elephant and rhino all in one morning, and stopped for a snack near what I can only describe as a mini Grand Canyon, a dramatic ancient gorge hundreds of millions of years old.

A few things I have to highlight:

·       The underground tunnel to the hide, a few metres from the waterhole. On our first night we watched three black rhino, one of them a baby, so close we could hear them breathing and had no idea we were there. I don't think I'll ever forget it.

·       Meeting Bella, the resident orphaned baby black rhino, and her caregiver Peter. We spent about 45 minutes with her and it was the highlight of my nature time in Kenya.

·       Leopard every single night.

·       A 5km walk straight from the veranda up to a kopje, learning about the plants and landscape along the way.

·       The canine unit came to the lodge and did a full demonstration of how their working dogs help track and catch poachers. Amazing to watch.

The whole thing is so much more than a safari. It's exciting, interesting, flexible, educational, and honestly amazing for the whole family.

Final thoughts

Ol Jogi isn't like anything else in the world. The activities and experiences are what set it apart, and if you want the single most exclusive and unique safari experience in Africa, I truly believe this is it. Every safari expert I know who has had the privilege of going says it's their favorite of all time, and after these few nights I completely understand why. If you want somewhere completely private, wildly characterful, brilliant for kids, and serious about conservation, I can't recommend it enough. It's the rare place I'd tell you to experience at least once.

Happy to answer any questions.