Arijiju

Arijiju sits on a hillside in Kenya's Borana Conservancy, on the Laikipia Plateau, and is so carefully set into the land that it is easy to miss from the air. Designed by Nicholas Plewman with a grass roof and walls of local Meru stone, it takes its cue from the rock-hewn monasteries of Ethiopia, then softens that austerity with candlelit lounges, chandeliers and handcrafted Kenyan furniture.

The house is taken on an exclusive-use basis, with five suites for up to ten guests: three arranged around the central courtyard and two in connected cottage suites. Beyond the bedrooms you'll find a cinema, library, spa house, gym and yoga studio, tennis and squash courts, and an infinity pool that looks out over a waterhole visited by elephant, rhino and giraffe.

Days are shaped around the conservancy: walking safaris and rhino tracking with expert guides, night drives, mountain biking and, by helicopter, fly-fishing on Mount Kenya. Arijiju was built and is run with conservation at its heart, and its guests help to fund the protection of the land around it.

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