Ever heard of Joy and George Adamson? Elsamere lodge, which is located on the southern shores of Lake Naivasha, was home to these conservationists. As I learnt, Joy Adamson was famous for documenting all the forty two tribes of Kenya and was an author of a book dubbed, “born free,” which sold nearly 3 Million copies. It was also in this lodge where Joy nurtured some of her orphaned cats.
If you are a history loving couple then this is the place to have an intimate garden nuptial or even a first night! You’ll enjoy the rich history that has been preserved here for a long time and you can take pleasure in having some tranquility away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
The first thing that you meet as you walk along this lodge is “take care” sign posts everywhere. This is because wild animals come in the lodge especially at night, so be careful not to bump into one. My visit to this place made me learn a lot on wildlife conservation and also I got to see a wide range of memorabilia. Can you believe that this museum still has all the artifacts like the paintings and utensils that were used during the colonial times? At the entrance, they have preserved the land rover where George was shot as he drove from his camp- which was situated at Kora national park- to rescue a guest who had been captured by Somali bandits. The wife too was murdered in the 1980s and she did much of her writing in this place. She also had a relationship with Elsa, the lioness who, as I learnt that day, was raised by Joy as a young cub and later on released to go back into the wild.
I loved their Garden Restaurant too and the view of Lake Naivasha as one satiates their appetite or converses with their loved ones or friends is quite captivating. The lodge has a trust fund and for over forty years, millions of dollars have been raised and young children have been taught on environmental conservation and sustainability. All the proceeds from the lodge go straight into this fund so it can be great for couples to visit this place to support a great course.
Published on People’s Daily
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