Karen Blixen Coffee Garden & Cottages

OVERVIEW:

Karen Blixen Coffee Garden & Cottages is the site of the original farmhouse on Karen Blixen’s old coffee farm estate in what is now one of Nairobi’s prettiest, most upscale residential suburbs. More of a tranquil countryside idyll than a city hotel, it’s a peaceful spot surrounded by beautiful gardens within a stone’s throw of Nairobi’s most popular attractions, including the Giraffe Centre, Karen Blixen Museum, Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and Nairobi National Park. We recommend Karen Blixen Coffee Garden & Cottages for a short stopover at the beginning or end of your safari in Kenya. Rates are inclusive of breakfast and taxes.

ACCESS & LOCATION:

Karen Blixen Coffee Garden & Cottages is located in Nairobi’s attractive, leafy suburb of Karen, south-west of the central business district and bordering the beautiful Ngong Forest. It takes roughly one hour by car from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, depending on the traffic, and it’s approximately 30 minutes from Wilson Airport.

ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES AT KAREN BLIXEN COFFEE GARDEN & COTTAGES:

Karen Blixen Coffee Garden & Cottages has a collection of plantation-style cottages spread throughout the property’s charming, well-kept gardens. Three of these are classic double/twin units, each with a king-sized bed that can be converted into a twin configuration, as well as spacious and well-equipped washrooms with twin basins and walk-in showers. Six are junior suites with a living area, fireplace, and private veranda kitted out with wicker garden furniture. The three deluxe suites are larger, with separate lounges and fireplaces, and there is the option for two extra beds if travelling with children. There’s also a honeymoon suite with two double fireplaces and three family-style cottages, each with two en-suite bedrooms and a shared living room. All cottages have a private front porch and a leafy back garden space, so you feel like you’re in a tranquil countryside hotel within a stone’s throw of Nairobi’s airports and key activities.

Karen Blixen Coffee Garden & Cottages offers a selection of interior and al fresco dining spaces. Atrium is a glass conservatory-style space ideal for private dining functions, evening-only Babette’s has a brasserie-style fine dining menu in a country house setting, Hattons Lounge is a poolside space with indoor and outdoor seating under shady parasols, and the aptly named Garden Restaurant occupies a beautiful setting amidst the trees and gardens with an eclectic menu for lunch, tea, and dinner. There’s a large heated swimming pool, perfect for the cool Nairobi mornings, and a small gym and spa for those wanting to keep up with their fitness routine. The conference room seats a maximum of twenty people and has all the necessary business amenities, including Wi-Fi, an LCD projector, and a dropdown screen.

ACTIVITIES AT KAREN BLIXEN COFFEE GARDEN & COTTAGES:

While Nairobi is a transit city for most visitors, there’s plenty here to occupy your time before or after a Kenya wildlife safari.

• Giraffe Centre

  – Nairobi’s beloved Giraffe Centre allows visitors close-up encounters with the resident Rothschild’s giraffes from an elevated feeding platform. It’s run by the African Fund for Endangered Wildlife, and there’s an area where you can learn about the fund’s work and find out some interesting facts about this gentle, endangered species.

• Karen Blixen Museum

  – Set up in the home that once belonged to Danish writer Karen Blixen, of Out of Africa acclaim, the Karen Blixen Museum is a journey back in time, featuring antique furniture, artwork, and memorabilia offering guests a glimpse into a bygone era. The museum gardens are beautiful, and there’s also a nature trail and gift shop on site.

• Sheldrick Wildlife Trust

  – The Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is renowned for its orphan elephant rescue and rehabilitation program, and meeting the elephants at their Nairobi Nursery is an absolute highlight if you’re transiting through the city. From 11am until midday daily, guests can visit the young elephants for their mud bath and milk feed at the orphanage in Nairobi National Park. Access is by advance booking only.

• Nairobi National Park

  – Located on the city’s southern outskirts, Nairobi National Park is an extraordinary wild space, home to an impressive wildlife population, including lion, leopard, hyena, and more than fifty black rhino. Stretched out against a backdrop of towering skyscrapers, the park is unique to Nairobi and definitely worth visiting if you’re on an extended stay.

• Kazuri Beads Factory

  – Just a 10-minute walk from Karen Blixen Coffee Garden & Cottages, Kazuri was originally a project founded to support single mothers. The workshop has employed more than 300 women since its inception and is a treasure trove of handmade ceramic beads, pottery, and leather bags.