Giraffe Experience at Giraffe Manor
Guests at Giraffe Manor can experience something truly unique - breakfast and tea with the resident Rothschild’s giraffes! The giraffes roam freely around the estate and poke their heads through the windows looking for treats.
There are two main feeding sessions with the giraffes. The morning feeding takes place during breakfast between 6:30-9:30am. The afternoon tea feeding takes place around 5 pm. During feeding, you are given special pellets to feed the giraffes by hand (they only want the pellets, they won’t steal your pancakes!).
While the main giraffe feeding takes place over breakfast and afternoon tea, you can also feed the giraffes directly from your room, depending on which room you are staying in (see our room guide below).
Giraffe Manor Location
Brilliant says
Giraffe Manor is one of the most competitive lodges in the world. If you want to stay here, you'll need to book at least 18 months in advance, longer if you are looking at peak season.
Include Giraffe Manor on these trips
The tours below showcase just some of what is possible. Use these itineraries as starting points, or to draw inspiration. Then get in touch, and let our expert team help craft the perfect itinerary for you.
Rooms at Giraffe Manor
Giraffe manor has 12 rooms, split across their Manor House and Garden Manor. Each house has 1 Family Suite and 5 Superior Rooms.
All rooms are beautifully furnished with ensuite bathrooms and king size or twin beds. Most rooms have a private terrace or balcony from which you can feed the giraffes.
You'll find a full breakdown of each room at Giraffe Manor below.
Manor House Rooms
Karen Blixen Suite
Karen Blixen Suite is Giraffe Manor's Superior Family Suite.
113m², this suite is comprised of two separate en-suite bathrooms with both a bathtub and a shower. The master room has a king-sized bed, and the twin room can be converted into a double. There is a shared living room with a roaring fire and a large balcony with giraffe feeding access.
Karen Blixen Suite
Betty's Room
Betty's Room is a Superior Room.
24 m², this suite has a king-sized bed with access to feed the giraffes out the front window and balcony. It's fitted with an original art-deco bathroom with both a bathtub and a shower.
Betty's Room
Jock's Room
Jock's Room is a Superior Room.
22 m², this suite comes with either a king-size bed or twin beds, access to feeding giraffes from the front view window, and an en-suite bathroom with bathtub, shower and twin sinks.
Jock's Room
Daisy's Room
Daisy's Room is a Superior Room.
17 m², this suite comes with king-sized or twin beds, with access to feed the giraffes from the balcony. It's fitted with an en-suite bathroom with twin sinks and a spacious shower.
Daisy's Room
Marlon's Room
Marlon's Room is a Superior Room.
43 m², the suite comes with a king-size bed or twin beds and an adjoining lounge. It has a private terrace with a seating area and giraffe feeding access. Two en-suite bathrooms, one large bathroom with shower and one compact bathroom with shower.
Marlon's Room
Lynn's Room
Lynn's Room is a Superior Room.
47m², it comes with a king-size bed or twin beds, and a private walk-out terrace with a seating area and access to feeding giraffes. It also has an en-suite bathroom with shower and bath.
Lynn's Room
Garden Manor Rooms
Finch Hatton Suite
Finch Hatton Suite is Giraffe Manor's Family Suite.
40 m², it comes with a king-size bed, 6ft twin beds and a small day bed, and an en-suite bathroom with a large double-headed shower, twin sinks and bathtub.
Finch Hattons Suite
Helen's Room
Helen's Room is a Superior Room.
25 m², it comes with a king-size bed or twin beds (it's possible to add a baby cot), and access to feeding giraffes through the window. The suite also has an en-suite bathroom with twin sinks, bathtub and shower.
Helen's Room
Kelly's Room
Kelly's Rooms is a Superior Room.
33 m², this suite comes with a king-size bed or twin beds and an extra twin bed and access to feeding giraffes through the window. It also has an en-suite bathroom with twin sinks, bathtub and shower.
Kelly's Room
Arlene's Room
Arlene's Room is a Superior Room.
22 m², this suite comes with a king-size bed and a quirky-shaped bathroom with both a bath and shower. There's no access to feed giraffes from this suite.
Arlene's Room
Edd's Room
Edd's Room is a Superior Room.
29 m², this suite has a king-size bed and an en-suite bathroom with a bathtub, a large double shower and twin sinks. It also has a private veranda and bar, and wheelchair access. There's no access to feed giraffes from this suite.
Edd's Room
Salma's Room
Salma's Room is a Superior Room.
23 m², this suite comes with a king-size bed or twin beds, an en-suite bathroom with bathtub, shower and single sink, and a private balcony. There's no access to feed giraffes from this suite.
Salma's Room
Frequently Asked Questions About Giraffe Manor
-
How far in advance do I need to book to stay at Giraffe Manor?
Giraffe Manor only has 12 rooms, split between the original Manor House and Garden Manor. The lodge has also become a social media phenomenon since 2015 and is now one of the most sought-after properties in Kenya.
This means it gets booked up very far in advance.
If you are not flexible with your travel dates and/or you’re travelling during peak season (July-October or the festive period between mid-December and early Jan), you will need to book 12-18 months in advance.
It’s common for the most popular rooms like the Finch Hatton Suite to be booked up 2 years ahead of time.
The giraffe feeding experience isn’t seasonal, so if you’re flexible on dates and happy to travel outside of peak season it’s possible to secure rooms less than 12 months in advance. There are sometimes last minute cancellations which free up rooms - although these are rare and there will be a waitlist.
If you combine your stay at Giraffe Manor with a sister property like Sala’s Camp in the Masai Mara, this can help get you priority access to rooms at Giraffe Manor - our team can talk you through your options here.
-
Do all rooms have access to giraffe interactions, or are certain rooms better suited for this experience?
All guests staying at Giraffe Manor can participate in the breakfast and afternoon feeding with the giraffes. This means that you will be able to see them, regardless of which room you stay in.
However, the giraffes can also visit the rooms themselves - it’s not uncommon for them to be waiting by the window in the early morning waiting for their pellets.
You can feed the the giraffes from all of the rooms at Giraffe Manor, except for Arlene’s, Salma’s and Edd’s room in the Garden Manor.
Manor House Rooms
- Karen Blixen Suite - balcony for feeding giraffes in early morning
- Betty’s Room - balcony for feeding giraffes in early morning
- Daisy’s Room - balcony for feeding giraffes in early morning, but only the tallest of the herds can reach this balcony
- Jock’s Room - giraffes visit the front-view window for feeding
- Marlon’s Room - balcony for feeding giraffes in early morning
- Lynn’s Room - terrace for feeding giraffes in early morning
Garden Manor Room
- Finch Hatton Suite - giraffes visit the doorway for feeding
- Helen’s Room - giraffes visit the window for feeding
- Kelly’s Room - giraffes visit the window for feeding
- Arlene’s Room - no access to feeding the giraffes from the room
- Salma’s Room - no access to feeding the giraffes from the room
- Edd’s Room - no access to feeding the giraffes from the room
History of Giraffe Manor
Giraffe Manor was first built in 1932 and was modelled after a Scottish hunting lodge. The beautiful giraffes have called its lawns home ever since the 1970s when Jock and Betty Leslie-Melville first adopted a Rothschild’s giraffe called Daisy that had been orphaned.
Tanya and Mikey Carr-Hartley bought the manor in April 2009, ever since, the manor has become a globally recognised hotel.
Giraffe Manor has always played a significant role in Tanya Carr-Hartley’s life as she grew up in the neighbourhood. When she was a child, she rode on a horse through the grounds and maybe have a cup of tea with Betty before going back home.
Travel with Brilliant Africa
Every year, we help hundreds of travellers explore East Africa.
Our team can help you find the trip to match your dreams, budget, and appetite for adventure.
Include Giraffe Manor on these trips
The tours below showcase just some of what is possible. Use these itineraries as starting points, or to draw inspiration. Then get in touch, and let our expert team help craft the perfect itinerary for you.
Ready to plan your African adventure?
Listen
We'll spend some time listening to your aspirations, then discuss the kind of experience that might suit you.
Match
Next we'll discuss the options, shortlist the best trips for you and present you our impartial recommendations.
Reserve
We'll place a 24 hour hold on your preferred option - without obligation - whilst we talk through the details.
Whatever your budget, group size, length of stay, preferred activity or appetite for adventure, we can help.