Location
Nairobi, Kenya
A stay at Karen Blixen Coffee Garden & Cottages is a journey back to a romantic time. Situated in a peaceful, upscale suburb of Nairobi about 20 minutes from the city center and a half-hour from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, the property is ideally located for guests beginning or ending a Kenya safari. The 12 cottages are surrounded by one of the oldest formal gardens in Kenya and sit adjacent to historic Swedo House, the original Edwardian hunting lodge/farmhouse made famous in Blixen’s famous memoir Out of Africa.
The venerable old 1906 farmhouse that was Blixen's home has been renovated as a lounge where meals, tea and cocktails are served throughout the day. The property also features additional indoor and outdoor dining and lounge areas including a garden bar, a swimming pool, a small business center, and a gift shop. Cottages evoke the early 20th-century ambience of colonial Kenya, each with high beamed ceilings, a fireplace, en suite facilities with shower and bath, satellite television, and Internet and phone connections. Each has a private veranda for enjoying the birds, butterflies and blooming flowers. The estate gardens comprise 5-1/2 acres filled with century-old trees including huge jacaranda, candelabra, cactus and bottlebrush trees, a multitude of plants and more than 200 varieties of flowers. Numerous bird feeders situated throughout the gardens attract hundreds of different bird species. Guests enjoy convenient access to nearby attractions including the Karen Blixen Museum (featured in the movie Out of Africa), Nairobi National Park, David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust and elephant orphanage, and Langata Giraffe Sanctuary.