Reviews of Giraffe Manor
Wildlife sightings and reviews
35 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Giraffe Manor and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
"A lovely treat"
After unpacking and a reviving shower I was escorted to the Giraffe Centre where one of the volunteers introduced me to Betty the giraffe and showed me how to feed her. At 5pm the Centre closes and the giraffes drift up to the Manor to be fed from the Terrace. Even if you're not staying at the Manor, you can arrange to have afternoon tea on the terrace and join in the feeding.
Later I had a beautifully-cooked dinner followed by coffee on the terrace by the light of the full moon. Magical ! Early the following morning I had giraffes at my bedroom window and fed them again through the breakfast-room windows. Overall a lovely treat and fantastic start to my holiday." See all these reviews: 13n in Kenya
"Giraffe Manor review"
There are no locks on the room doors ( well only from inside) You can help yourself to drinks in the lounge.
Betty's room is the best room as it has a balcony that the giraffes visit in the morning ( if you tempt them)
The room we had was lovely - (Jock) . But the bathroom is not perfect - the toilet and bath both need re-surfacing , although I do appreciate they are probably original features and therefore very old.
However there were real roses in the room which was lovely and a hairdryer in a drawer!!
There was a glass decanter for the drinking water and a safe in the room .
We arrived for lunch which was lovely and we had it outside in the courtyard
Then - we met the giraffes (5pm ) outside the front of the house. I didn't realise we would be able to feed them in the evening as well as the morning - so that was a nice surprise. We all had great fun taking photos and feeding the giraffes ( and warthogs)
We were able to feed them from our room window also. The grill on the front of the window makes it difficult to lean out though.
Later, we were walked to the giraffe sactuary by some staff - and entered via a particular gate ( so you don't have to pay)
We met some giraffes , fed them some food. You can buy childrens drawings there. There Is a small tourist souvenir shop.
Meals were good, drinks were included.
Breakfast with the giraffes was at 6:30- Bettys room upstairs got them first - but then they came to the breakfast room later.
The manor has it's own shop which is quite expensive for some items. I saw a lovely silver giraffe pendant there that I wanted but was too dear. Later I saw it in a shop in the local area ( Utamundi I think ?) and it was considerably cheaper.
Also saw the giraffe tealight holders that they have on the table at dinner in a local shop which was much cheaper than at the manor's shop.
The morning visit in the breakfast room went on for ages and we took lots of photos.
The staff also take photos for you but some are more skilled at photography than others ! - be aware many photos will probably be discarded when you get home. I thought the breakfast room would be very busy but it was quite a calm affair with plenty of time with the giraffes. Only six tables - so plenty of room to move around to different windows.
Ed was the nicest giraffe :)
The annexe is built to match the main house and seemed very nice. It has it's own lounge and dining room but people staying there joined us for dinner in the main house. They found no problem with staying there rather than the main building.
Heard they do have non-residents for afternoon tea and also dinner if they are not full BTW." See all these reviews: 12n in Kenya
"A unique experience"
The staff was very cordial and welcoming, helping us plan activities for our stay with them and suggesting appropriate timing for touring various places. Their driver was available to take us where we wanted to tour in the area. The highlights of our stay were a morning tour of the Kazuri Bead workshop -- the process is interesting, and the jewelry makes wonderful gifts -- and a delightful visit to the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage. We highly recommend both places. We were escorted to the Giraffe Centre and given a tour of the nature walk by one of their guides, and then fed the one giraffe who approached the viewing platform. A brief visit there was sufficient, as we were not offered the opportunity to do any other activity other than go to their gift shop.
Feeding the giraffes at breakfast was a fun and unique experience. Due to the rainy weather during our stay, the staff had trouble coaxing the giraffes to come out of the trees to the windows for their treats, but finally were successful in enticing two of them to entertain us.
The food was excellent. On one night dinner was served at individual tables, and on the other night it was served to all the guests at a communal table. We wished that the manager or another staff member had dined with us as they usually do at bush camps.
Giraffe Manor provided a great break in our travels among safari camps." See all these reviews: 10n in Tanzania; 7n in Kenya
"Giraffe Manor Review"
"Giraffe Manor"
There are a couple of things to note. The new building fits in beautifully but the giraffes don't go there for their food so it does not quite have the same charm. Also, when we were there, there was a big group, so we ended up having dinner in the breakfast room rather than on the communal dining room where we ate last time we were here. althoughh the experience was still excellent, this took away fom the country house atmosphere that this place otherwise does so well." See all these reviews: 7n in Kenya
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