Comfort
There are 8 cottages at Borana Lodge - four with double beds and four with twin beds, both of which are Queen size. Four of the cottages have their own verandah; two of the cottages share a verandah. Each of the cottages has an open fireplace and private bathroom.
The lodge is set in a verdant garden of indigenous plants and has an infinity pool overlooking the watering hole frequented by elephants. The main lodge area has a dining room and a sitting room with sofas and armchairs.
WiFI available.
There is an on-site spa providing a variety of spa treatments and massages. We recommend booking your treatments after your arrival at the lodge as timings may vary depending on activities and wildlife sightings.
There are also options for riders interested in spending an overnight at a luxurious fly camp.
Meals
Food at Borana is where ever possible locally sourced, organically grown on their own farms and those of their neighbours. There is juice freshly squuezed from the fruit in the orchard and wine from around the world. The chefs have great fun preparing delicious and healthy cuisine to suit any palette and cater for all dietary requirements and ages. Meals are served in the lodge, in the bush or in a treehouse.
Climate
The weather in Kenya is fine all year round with little seasonal variation.
The long rains fall in April and May and the short rains in November. During the day it will get hot while at night temperatures can drop quite sharply and it can feel cold.
February, March, and April are the hottest months with an average of 20-21° C in the day and maximum of up to 27° C.
The temperatures in May are around 19 ° C.
The coldest months are June, July, August with temperatures between 16 and 17° C with a maximum of 25° on better days .
Temperatures in September are around 18° C.
October, November, December and January have daytime temperatures around 19-20° C and 26° C on better days.
Tips
Tipping is customary in Kenya, always carry some small note denominations for drivers and porters in hotels or airports. It is customary to give a tip at the end of your safari, the amount will depend on the quality of the service you receive. Allow about $10 per day per person for the whole team.
Packing list
NB: Please be aware that Kenya has a strict law against single use plastic bags, which have been banned since 2017. Please do not use them for any of your packing and do not bring them into the country.
There is a 15kg luggage limit, but toiletries, towels, dressing gowns and hairdryers are all provided and there is a laundry service.
Head
-Equus Journeys strongly recommend that you wear a riding helmet and that you take your own to ensure a correct fit.
- Sunhat for when not riding
- Sunglasses - with a cord attached so they don't fly off when riding
- Buff or bandana
Upper body
- Long sleeved shirts provide protection from the sun and thorns
- T-shirts
- Fleece, jumper or jacket - the evenings can be cold
- Waterproof jacket - the rains can be difficult to foresee and it's better to be prepared.
- Casual clothes for the evening
Legs
- Lightweight, comfortable riding trousers or jodhpurs - we recommend riding in them at home before taking them on holiday to ensure they don't rub
- Shorts for lazy lunchtimes
- Casual clothes for the evening
Hands and Feet
- Comfortable riding boots. We recommend short boots with half chaps but you may wish to take long chaps to protect against thorns. We don't recommend taking your favourite long leather boots in case they get damaged
- Sandals, flip-flops or trainers for moving around the lodge and camp
- Gloves - your hands are particularly exposed to the sun whilst riding
Nightwear
Other useful items
- Swimsuit - for plunge pools
- Binoculars for viewing game
- Camera and high capacity memory card. Spare battery
- Bumbag for carrying your camera and small items whilst riding
- Insect repellent and bite relief cream
Medical kit
- Sunscreen and lip balm - must be high factor
- Insect repellent, preferably containing deet
- Any medication you regularly take
- Blister plasters in case of any rubs
- Antiseptic cream, plasters, aspirin, anti-histamine, insect-bite salve etc...
- Spare prescription glasses/contact lenses
- Anti malarial tablets and Yellow Fever Certificate if required (check with your doctor)
Our Recommendations
- Please don't take a hard sided suitcase. Your luggage should be soft sided, particularly for light air transfers. There is usually a luggage limit of 15kgs for the light aircraft transfer.
- Wherever possible you should wear neutral colours, such as beige, brown or natural bush colours for riding as bright colours, such as red, yellow or white can startle the wildlife and they will see you long before you've seen them
- We recommend travelling in your riding boots and carrying your hat and some riding clothes in your hand luggage - then if your luggage goes astray you are still able to ride!
