Elsamere

Top choice in Lake Naivasha


Stippled with sisal, yellow fever trees and candelabra euphorbia, this is the former home of the late Joy Adamson of Born Free fame. She bought the house in 1967 with her husband George and did much of her painting, writing and conservation work here until her murder in 1980. Guests can attend regular screenings of a flickering 1970s film about Joy's life and her myriad love affairs, notably with Elsa the lioness.

There's also a fascinating museum housed in the couple's former master bedroom, brimming with cloth-bound animal-behaviour manuals, dusty typewriters, photographs and Joy's art. In the yard, the vehicle in which George was shot dead sits empty.

Entry includes high tea (with cakes) on the peaceful lawn, and front-row seats to study the resident black-and-white colobus monkeys. You can also visit the conservation centre in the grounds, or even stay here in one of the lovely garden rooms.


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