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 LODGE
Makena’s Hills Lodge 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 the 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.
For Bookings & Enquiries
Email: visit@mukutanconservancy.org
Call/WhatsApp: +254 757 257 687
KUKI'S NEST
Kuki’s Nest lies tucked deep in the forest, a secluded eyrie where quiet and birdsong weave through the trees. It is here that Kuki Gallmann wrote I Dreamed of Africa, a place shaped for reflection, for slow mornings and long, thoughtful evenings as the forest breathes around you.
From the veranda, the light folds softly over the valley and returns golden at day’s end, perfect for unhurried sundowners. Below the Nest, a salt lick draws elephants and buffalo, and a spring runs all year, its clear water alive with small fish.
Thoughtfully crafted and highly eco-friendly, the one-bedroom hideaway is intimate and warm: a king bed, an antique writing desk inviting you to linger, spaces that open to the canopy and the western sky. Every detail is considered yet unobtrusive, letting the landscape remain the true luxury.
Kuki’s Nest is a single, sole-use unit. We host only one booking at a time, offering personalised attention from a small, dedicated team. It’s ideal for an individual, a couple, or a small family. During your stay, it is just you, our discreet service team, and for many miles—the forest, the hills, and the quiet that belongs to them.
Here, you can wander the forest trails to hidden viewpoints, read on the deck as hundreds of bird species pass through the branches, pause by the spring and wait for quiet arrivals. When you are ready to range farther, the wider conservancy opens to walks along the ridges and sunset outlooks over the Mukutan Gorge.
For Bookings & Enquiries
Email: visit@mukutanconservancy.org
Call/WhatsApp: +254 757 257 687
MUKUTAN
BANDAS
The Mukutan Bandas are our most down-to-earth way to experience Mukutan; simple, comfortable, and right in the wild.
Set in a small, peaceful savannah at the heart of the conservancy, the bandas sit on a landscape frequented by buffalo and elephants by day and, at night, alive with the unforgettable chorus of the bush. With easy access to our community and conservation projects—and close to our main offices—you’ll feel connected to the people and work that keep this place thriving.
They’re ideal for adventurous travellers keen to explore the vast landscapes of Mukutan, for guests working remotely for a time, for walking safaris, team-building workshops (which we can organise), and for special-interest groups such as bird-watchers, volunteers, and researchers.
The bandas also suit anyone who wants to be fully immersed in nature without packing full camping gear.
Accommodation
We have 8 bandas, each with two queen beds and a verandah. Bathrooms are simple, with modern long-drop toilets and hot bucket showers under the stars. Outside, a cosy communal mess area with a hearty fireplace is where stories are shared at day’s end.
If needed, additional simple dorms nearby can host up to 30 more people.
Meals & style of stay
The Mukutan Bandas are available on full-board or self-catering options.
Getting here
The bandas are a self-drive option. If you don’t have a vehicle, we can arrange transfers—just let us know. We also have a safari car you can pre-book.
For Bookings & enquiries
Email: visit@mukutanconservancy.org
Call/WhatsApp: +254 757 257 687
CAMPING
Sleep close to the land and wake to birdsong and first light on the hills. Camping at Mukutan is simple, low-impact, and quietly immersive, made for travellers who want the night sounds, the open sky, and the feeling of being truly out in nature.
Choose the mood that suits you. We host a variety of private wild campsites to match different preferences: shaded forest clearings, waterside spots rich with birdlife, open acacia country, and hillside settings near the gorge with big, horizon-wide views.
Every camping booking includes an overnight ranger/guide for safety and local knowledge. We keep sites minimal to protect the landscape—clear, level ground and a designated fire area where appropriate—so your presence leaves only footprints and good memories.
Please bring your own camping gear. The sites are self-drive friendly (4×4 recommended), and our team can advise on access, seasons, and pairing your stay with walks, bush drives, birding, cycling, or a classic sundowner.
Click on the 'More' tab to explore our different camping sites.
For Bookings & enquiries
Email: visit@mukutanconservancy.org
Call/WhatsApp: +254 757 257 687
MUKUTAN EXPERIENCES
From the quiet rhythm of a walking safari to the exhilaration of mountain biking along rugged trails, Mukutan is a place to move, explore, and connect.
Wander through rolling hills and shaded forest paths, ride across open acacia plains, or take to the water for paddle boarding and other seasonal activities on our dams. Join our guides for birding, crayfishing, or the unforgettable K9 dog tracking experience, and discover the stories and people at the heart of our community projects.
Whether you’re seeking adventure, wildlife encounters, or moments of stillness in the wild, we’ll help you find the experience that fits.
View all activities and rates.
For Bookings & Enquiries
Email: visit@mukutanconservancy.org
Call/WhatsApp: +254 757 257 687
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.
Email: info@mukutanconservancy.org
Call? WhatsApp: +254757257687Call
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.