Tassia Lodge

 

Owned by members of the semi-nomadic Laikipiak Maasai tribe, this six-banda open-plan lodge sits inside the tribe's 60,000-acre ranch, giving you access to lands that run from the Mokogodo Escarpment across massive plains to the Ngare Ndare River, along which gazelle and buffalo roam. Situated at the foot of the Mokogodo Forest, Tassia enjoys views of the Mathews Range, sacred Mount Lolokwe and further north to Ethiopia - one of the most spectacular vistas in East Africa where at night no other artificial light can be seen.

The Laikipiak are renowned for their hospitality - the losers of Survivor Africa were sent here to lick their wounds—and their guest lodge has a laid-back, all-natural vibe: thatch roofs, wood floors, hand-carved furniture, paraffin hot-water heaters, and half walls in the bedrooms, which are designed to let cool breezes in without impeding the views of Lolokwe Mountain. The area offers walking through unspoiled and uninhabited bush, climbing in the Tassia Lugga or swimming in pools under waterfalls when the river flows following rain. The nearby Mokogodo forest is home to butterflies, birds and rare plants and for the really intrepid paragliding from the top of Ol Donyo Lossos is possible. The local Maasai will make your stay memorable with their expert knowledge of the local fauna and flora, medicinal properties of plants, tracking and spoor and local legends. At the end of the day, Tassia guests usually end up wallowing like happy hippos in the lodge's stone-floored swimming pool.