Nairobi & the Quiet Rift: Magadi and Shompole
A private journey into Kenya’s South Rift — a genuinely less-visited corner of the country, close to the Tanzania border, between the ecosystems of the Masai Mara and Amboseli. Two properties fit this route well, each with a different character; both are described below so the choice can be made deliberately.
1 Night — Nairobi
The journey opens with a night in Nairobi — the Crowne Plaza Nairobi Airport, straightforward and comfortable ahead of the transfer south into the Rift Valley the next morning.
The South Rift: Two Properties, Two Characters
Lentorre Lodge sits in the Olkirimatian Conservancy, on a spur of the Nguruman Escarpment with views toward Mount Shompole and the active volcano Ol Donyo Lengai. It is the only lodge in its conservancy — just four villas and two family units, each with its own plunge pool, hosting a maximum of sixteen guests. A dedicated, professionally built photography hide allows overnight stays for serious photographers. The lodge is family-owned and works closely with SORALO, the South Rift’s community land-management association.
Shompole Wilderness sits on the banks of the Ewaso Ng’iro River in the neighbouring Shompole Conservancy, hosted directly by owners Johann and Samantha du Toit. It is smaller and more intimate — six en-suite tents, up to twelve guests — with two photographic hides of its own and a distinctly personal, lived-in safari-home atmosphere. Samantha helped establish SORALO herself, and the couple’s own guiding and conservation background shapes the stay directly.
Both sit within the same wider South Rift landscape, between Lake Magadi’s soda flats and the Loita Hills, and both are reached by light aircraft or a road transfer of a few hours from Nairobi. Lentorre suits travellers wanting more space and privacy per party; Shompole suits those wanting the more personal, owner-hosted register. The choice is confirmed during planning.
Planning This Journey
As with every Oloi Shorua itinerary, pricing is confirmed during planning rather than fixed in advance.
If this journey is the kind you are considering, we would be pleased to begin with a conversation.