Solio Lodge is famed as an exclusive luxury lodge in Kenya that offers unique and mind-blowing rhino viewing experiences. Tucked in the valley between the lofty slopes of Mount Kenya and the peaks of the Aberdare Mountains, it is the only guest accommodation on the incredible 45,000-acre Solio Game Reserve.
Internationally recognised as one of the most successful private rhino breeding sanctuaries in East Africa, visitors will find that sightings of up to 40 rhinoceros at a time are not uncommon. If you are keen on rhino, the location is truly one of Africa’s hotspots!
With over 200 black and white rhinos living on Solio Conservancy, spending time with such vast numbers of these majestic beasts and seeing them at such close range is fascinating and mesmerising. Rhinos are of course the stars of the show and encountering them offers a magical experience.
For decades, the conservancy has provided a haven for black and white rhino - and today, both types may be sighted on day and night game drives. Unbelievable rhino encounters, first class hospitality, exquisite cuisine and abundant outdoor adventures await you.
The conservation fees you pay to stay at Solio Lodge directly support the running of Solio Conservancy and its successful rhino breeding programme, helping to protect this vulnerable species for future generations. With rhino horn fetching up to $60,000 on the black market, a full-time team of rangers protect each and every rhino from poachers at all times of the day and night.
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Solio is considered one of, if not the most successful rhino sanctuaries in East Africa, having relocated nearly 200 rhinos to other parks and reserves in Kenya and Uganda. Solio, along with other sanctuaries, has provided a light in the dark of illegal poaching of rhinos in Africa.
This luxury lodge Kenya boasts a fantastic location in a fertile valley between the Aberdare Mountain Range and Africa’s second highest mountain, Mount Kenya. Both of these forest-covered mountains act as vital ‘water towers’ to the nation, generating and storing water like giant living sponges to be slowly released through their myriad of streams. Rich soils surround this luxury lodge Kenya in the valley bottom, meaning the landscape is dotted with forest and grasslands making it a haven for wildlife.
It’s also ideal for agriculture and Solio Lodge offers a range of informative excursions to several nearby farms which use innovative sustainable practices we love to support. Tour a working coffee plantation to learn how your morning coffee is grown, harvested and processed; visit a family-run flower farm specialising in the most delightfully scented garden roses; take a tour around the farm which grows and makes all the natural, aromatic and deliciously fragrant products we provide for you in the rooms at our camps and lodges.
Solio Lodge might just be the ultimate in Laikipian luxury safari!
Location of Laikipia County in Kenya
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Accommodation at Solio Lodge
Solio Lodge’s guest accommodation comprises six sumptuous cottages, three either side of the communal building. The style of the cottages is very similar to the main lodge - they are equally spacious and filled with light from floor-to-ceiling windows. All can be configured as doubles or twins - and numbers 5 and 6 are linked, so they may be booked as a group or family unit.
Each cottage is very large and can comfortably accommodate 2 adults and 2 children in extra beds. The en-suite bathrooms have a bath and shower with a separate loo.
The décor of each cottage is contemporary chic, with a particular theme to its soft furnishings and artwork, such as ‘Zebra’ and ‘Banana Leaf’. There is an ample lounge area with snug corner fireplace, separated from the bedroom via a bar incorporating sound system, reading material and fridge!
Large en-suite bathrooms contain double sinks, huge walk-in rain showers, and free-standing bathtubs. The bathroom has a fireplace too, which is lovely in cold climes. It also has flush toilet, twin washbasins, rainfall shower, and freestanding bathtub.
Communal Areas
The communal areas at Solio Lodge are housed within a very grand and contemporary building, with brick walls, glass windows and a sweeping thatch-tiled roof. Inside, everywhere feels wonderfully airy and there is plenty of light. There are breathtaking views to the east, over the savanna as far as Mount Kenya!
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In the lounge area, two comfortably cushioned sofas curve around a fireplace, while in the dining space smart leather upright chairs circle elegant glass tables. Both areas look out over the lodge’s well-kept gardens and there is further seating just outside the doors. At the center of the gardens is the dining deck, erected around two tall acacia trees. Guests gather here for pre-dinner drinks or to enjoy breakfast and lunch, weather permitting. The lodge’s shop is located up a flight of steps from the lounge area.
Culinary Delights
The food and drink deserves a special mention too, as many ingredients are sourced from the lodge’s own vegetable and herb garden - and Ava herself is a fabulous chef, having spent five years in Italy perfecting the art of fine cuisine! Breakfast comprises a mix of hot and cold dishes, lunch a variety of pastas and salads followed by desserts, and dinner a medley of bar snacks before a formal meal.
Try vibrant culinary creations with tastes of Thailand and the Mediterranean, cooked with local and fresh ingredients from Solio’s farm. Plus amazing safari-style dining experiences: Bush lunch & breakfast: A sunrise picnic out in the wilderness.
Activities at Solio Lodge
Rhinos in Solio Game Reserve
At Solio Lodge a wide variety of activities are on offer. Solio Lodge has a complete range of outdoor activities for guests to fully embrace everything that this magical part of Kenya has to offer.
- Game Drives: Night and day game drives provide guests a chance to see many species including both black and white rhinoceros, leopard, lion, cheetah, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, warthog. You don’t have to venture far from the lodge to have great game drives.Enjoy bush breakfasts and sundowners as part of the experience. It's not uncommon to see upwards of 40 rhino in a single drive, as there are over 200 within the reserve.
- Outdoor Adventures: Cycle, walk or horse ride across Solio Ranch, soar above the mountain tops in our private helicopter, indulge in a spa treatment, visit a local flower or coffee farm, game drive through the bush and sip sundowners next to a journey of giraffes.
- Heli Experiences: Looking for an adrenalin filled experience with the WOW factor? Solio Lodge provides the perfect starting spot from which to explore Kenya’s hidden gems by private helicopter. Fly to the jagged peaks of Africa’s second highest mountain, touch down next to crystal clear streams for a spot of fly fishing, soar alongside flamingos over Lake Bogoria and land on the vast desert dunes.
Scenic helicopter flights to nearby Mount Kenya, accompanied by a hilltop picnic breakfast or trout fishing in the Aberdare National Park, can be arranged at additional cost and are incredibly unique ways to experience Kenya off the beaten track. Other methods of exploration include walking, horseback riding and mountain biking around Solio Ranch.
Massage therapists are also available for treatments within your cottage at an added cost.
SOLIO GAME RESERVE | A Rhino paradise and a Wildlife Haven
Wildlife at Solio Game Conservancy
Wildlife on Solio Game Conservancy is abundant, making for fabulous game viewing with plentiful sightings. Spot a diversity of animals from lions and leopard to zebra, giraffe and a whole range of antelope species, to name but a few.
The Safari Collection: A Bucket-List Safari
The magic of a Kenyan safari doesn’t end with Solio Lodge. The Safari Collection is the proud owner of six distinct camps and lodges in some of Kenya’s most spectacular locations: Giraffe Manor and The Retreat in Nairobi, Sala’s Camp in the Masai Mara, Sasaab in Samburu, Solio Lodge in Laikipia and Siruai Mobile Camp. Our team has over 20 years’ experience in designing unique and unforgettable tailor-made safaris across the whole of East Africa. You dream it. We make it happen.
Sustainability and Community Involvement
Tourism has the power to change lives for the better. The Safari collection is heavily focused on sustainability and giving back. Focus their efforts to be low impact, community, and conservation-oriented to the core. If local communities can experience direct benefits linked to tourism, they immediately become more invested in protecting the wilderness around them.
Know all about their programs:
- Westgate Community Conservancy: supports wildlife conservation alongside the sustainable development of infrastructure for the Samburu people living here.
- Medical clinics: free medical clinics to provide access to life-changing eye surgeries and dental treatments for people living in remote communities with little or no access to healthcare.
- Community Health Africa Trust: CHAT delivers family planning and health services to women in the remotest of locations, enabling them to take control of their bodies and their lives.
- TEAM talk: Empowering girls through an innovative combination of sports and education workshops, with a focus on sexual education and family planning.
- SAFE Samburu: Inspiring social change through dance and theatre, helping local Samburu communities to address issues of HIV and female genital mutilation.
- Education projects: With the belief that education is the key to eradicating poverty and hunger, and a vital part of successful conservation. The Safari Collection aims to educate and empower the communities through interactive wildlife excursions, scholarships, sports, theatre, and healthcare.
The Safari Collection also focuses on:
- Waste reduction: To keep our waste to an absolute minimum, almost all their fruit, vegetables, and salads are delivered unpackaged. And their chefs are great at making everything from scratch: tasty homemade granola, baked beans, you name it.
- Food miles: We purchase as many freshly grown and locally available products as possible to reduce the miles food travels to our tables. At most of our properties, produce only has to travel a few meters from our own kitchen gardens which are full of homegrown goodies.
- Green power: The Safari Collection uses solar energy exclusively where possible to provide electricity, and water is heated using solar-powered boilers. This reduces their electricity use to almost zero, apart from the odd time when the sun doesn’t shine!
- Water Conservation: All their drinking water is produced on-site using reverse osmosis machines, making it transport-free and packaging-free, as well as delicious. To help reduce the amount of water used, they provide a bucket for you to place under the tap when the water is cold. When the water is hot, remove the bucket. The water you collect is re-used for watering plants and cleaning.
- Plastic-free: The Safari Collection gives every client a reusable metal water bottle for them to keep, reducing the amount of plastic waste being generated. Since introducing reusable water bottles, they have reduced their plastic waste by 85%.
Rhino with Mount Kenya in the background
Not Your Average Luxury Lodge in Kenya
Solio prides itself on exceptional levels of hospitality and personalised service, making it one of the most highly rated luxury lodges in Kenya. Our lovely team strive to make every guests’ experience unforgettable and we cannot wait to welcome you to our peaceful oasis for the safari of a lifetime.
Important Information
- Children are ages 3 to 15 years inclusive. 16 years and over is an adult. 2 years and under is an infant.
- Check-Out Time: Guests need to be out of their rooms by 1000 Hours, although they can continue to use the rest of the lodge facilities.
Wildlife Sightings in Laikipia District Conservancies
The conservancies of the Laikipia District have varying concentrations and species of wildlife, and the below chart helps to illustrate major wildlife sightings often experienced in the area.
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is a rhino sanctuary, and this and other reserves in Laikipia feature unique subspecies, such as reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, Somali ostrich, gerenuk, and Jackson’s hartebeest and a number of other mammals, birds and reptiles.
| Conservancy | Major Wildlife Sightings |
|---|---|
| Lewa Wildlife Conservancy | Rhinos, reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, Somali ostrich, gerenuk, Jackson’s hartebeest |
| Solio Game Reserve | Black and white rhinoceros, leopard, lion, cheetah, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, warthog |
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