The Ark

The Ark was constructed by the Aberdare Country Club to provide a rustic lodge in the middle of the Park. It is built in the shape of an ark and the rooms were intended to resemble cabins on a ship, meaning its stands on wooden pillars partially and has long halls and very small rooms Unfortunately, but It didn’t matter as staying in the room was not why we came, our experience was more than made up for by the remarkable game viewing! It takes you about 3 hrs drive from Nairobi by car. We liked The Ark! I even liked the Aberdare Country Club which is the starting place. So we arrived at the country club a little early, I believe around 11:30 am so we toured the grounds before lunch was served. Luckily when we arrived, there weren’t many people. Lunch was then served which was delicious. More people started to arrive and have lunch as well. After lunch, it was time to board the bus to be brought to The Ark. We were told by a couple we met that one could horseback ride on the country club grounds with the giraffes! So we did and it was the best experience ever! we loved the country club and the staff there were so friendly and nice and accommodating. We were the last to leave the country club since we stayed on a horseback ride with the giraffes so it was just us and the driver, which was nice. Once we got to The Ark, we were shown to our room and after 30min we joined to explore. The lodge is exactly as we expected. The rooms were small as I had written earlier but very comfortable and more than adequate. BE WARNED though it is not a joke when they say to pack a small overnight bag and take only the essentials as there really is no room for large bags LOL! The hotel has cute little bathrooms with hot water, it is also cold cold cold, they did put hot water bottles in our beds which was wonderful. The buffet was loaded with something for everyone – soups, pasta, salads, and the full meal menu. The bar has everything you need, and there is coffee and tea service available in the cozy lobby sitting areas. A fireplace keeps the sitting areas toasty warm. The staff were so kind to us which really made this experience the best. Then you have the observation decks and the ground-level bunker for viewing. They have a buzzer system to alert you if certain animals visit the watering hole at night, the alert can be turned on and off depending on whether you want to be woken up at night to see new arrivals, and we witnessed a pack of hyenas make a kill – a waterbuck calf! It was an interesting (but saddening) experience – the circle of life! The level D bunker-style viewing area is amazing – you can be within 2-3 meters from the animals with no window between you – they can smell you and you can see their eyes! We were fortunate to see two herds of elephants, birds, buffalo, warthogs, and the sounds of the jungle surrounded us as we watched. I must say as a photographer I had a blast! I recommend The Ark hotel for the staff and the views and the food and the experience. It’s one of a kind. And riding horses with the giraffes at the country club was the best experience!