Five-star Laikipia County, Laikipia
Segera Retreat
Ten thatched villas and houses on 50,000 acres of private land below Mount Kenya, with black rhino on the plains and African art in an old stable block.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- Villas and houses
- Ten, all thatched
- Land
- About 50,000 private acres
- Power
- Fully solar
- From Nairobi
- About an hour by private charter
The hotel
A cattle ranch given back to the wild.
Jochen Zeitz has owned the land since 2005. He bought it from a cattle rancher, and much of it was overgrazed. Since then the Zeitz Foundation has worked to restore the grass and the wildlife, and Segera remains family owned. Twice a day, drives go out across the plains. Lion, leopard, elephant and Eastern black rhino now roam the property, along with Grevy's zebra and reticulated giraffe.
The buildings went up in wood cut within 300 kilometres. The old stable block is now a gallery of contemporary African art, and Walter Oltmann's giant wire figure, Suit II, stands out on the grazing land. Everything runs on solar power and the gardens are watered with recycled water. Segera is a member of The Long Run, and up to 150 species of birds have been seen here.
- Rhino and rangers Twice-daily drives on a private Big Five reserve, where the team also runs East Africa's first academy for women rangers.
- The Bird Nest A raised platform by the river, built like a nest, for a night under the stars.
- Art and wine Works by African artists in the villas and the gallery, and a Wine Tower stocked with African bottles.
Rooms & suites
Villas on stilts and houses for families.
Ten independent villas and houses, each thatched, spread through a botanical garden.
- For two Garden Villas Raised on stilts, with a deck, a swinging bed and a stone hot tub.
- For families Segera House and the Farmhouse Larger houses for a family or a group, one of them the ranch's former farmhouse.
- Outside Bird Nest An open sleeping platform beside the river.
Good to know
Before you go.
- Children Welcome, and the larger houses suit families.
- Wildlife This is open Big Five country, so walks and drives go out with guides.
Getting there
Flying to Laikipia.
International flights land at Jomo Kenyatta in Nairobi. From Wilson airport, scheduled light aircraft reach Nanyuki in about 35 minutes, followed by a road transfer; a private charter flies direct to Segera in about an hour.
- Zanzibar 1 h 10
- Kigali 1 h 20
- Seychelles 3 h 05
- Dubai 5 h 00
- London 9 h 20 long-range jet
Questions
What guests ask first.
- How do you get to Segera from Nairobi?
- By light aircraft: about 35 minutes to Nanyuki on a scheduled flight and then by road, or about an hour by private charter straight to Segera.
- Are children welcome at Segera?
- Yes. Families usually take one of the houses.
- Can you see rhino at Segera?
- Yes. Eastern black rhino live on the property with lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant and buffalo.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Laikipia?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Laikipia, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Laikipia
Other hotels worth the trip.
Staying at Segera Retreat?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Laikipia, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.