We knew that we had arrived at the land of the willowy Masai warriors when we saw our first tribesman at the entrance to Shompole, beautifully decorated with his draped cloth, and lavish ornamental beads, smiling and waving as he tugged on a rope to pull-up the boomgate. Even in silhouette he created a beautiful first impression as a living example of still-vibrant traditional African life.
Shompole’s standout design sensibility is obvious from the moment you wind your way up the escarpment. There is a huge pavillion, the public space, where the general manager, Patrick and his Swedish wife, Johanna wait in welcome.
The giant lounge/dining area is tiered on 2 levels under a massive thatched roof, and is completely open-air - a shaded oasis with no walls to block the incredible view. All the building materials look organic, from crooked tree trunks as structural poles, and tables and chairs made from slabs of raw timber to the sculpted white plaster walls and curved shelving. Shiny white concrete floors are coated in an inch of water to keep them cool; big timber planks form a pathway over it. Arriving at lunchtime, the hottest part of the day, we were just blown away by this oasis of soothing white - even the staff seem to add to the refreshing ambience in their long white robes.
The British owner and designer, Anthony Russell keeps the focus of light, space, water, and air. His rule of using no colour on the property, with white-only fabric for the sheets, uniforms, serviettes and furniture, creates an amazingly calming effect. Sheira and I are always on the lookout for inspiring design - this blew us away,especially in the heat and dust of Africa... These pools of serene white are in cultural contrast to the array of colour you see later in the dress of the local Masai people, with their reds, yellows, purples and greens.
The incredible views over Mount Shompole and clever design that maximises the cool breeze also make this an amazing place to chill out in. But as otherworldly as Shompole’s aesthetic is, and the English origin of its owner, we loved the way the property’s roots are firmly in African soil. There is a very strong collaboration and partnership with the local Masai people.
The Masai look after you with their heart and soul; they couldn’t do enough for us, from finding any excuse to play with Zoe (they adore kids) to greeting each request with a huge, heartfelt smile. It’s so much more than professional efficiency: it’s an embrace...
Shompole, named after the red ochre earth found on the mountains on the horizon, is made up of 3 camps, the MAIN CAMP where we stayed, LITTLE SHOMPOLE & 360 DEGREES.
Main camp has just six suites built on stilted wooden platforms above the natural landscape - all with ensuites and amazing views over the Great Rift Valley and faraway Lake Natron, which each unconventionally shaped communal areas opens up to.
We were generously upgraded from the already magnificent regular villa to the FAMILY VILLA, which was originally built as a dwelling for the resident manager before being converted. It was so exciting to make our way there: my Shompole dream was finally coming true!
We followed Patrick up bushland steps, along a pathway where trees met as a beautiful leafy arch canopy ,and were flanked by stacked stone walls partially detailed with white alcoves for night lighting. We loved the very indigenous style of the materials and the feeling of entering another world.
The purity that was so peaceful and uncluttered in the lounge works the same magic here, but with the added charm of privacy. There is a huge outdoor living area made from local white quartz stone with decks that hug your own plunge pool and look out over the surrounding wilderness.
The family villa has 2 SEPERATE SLEEPING PAVILLIONS, tent like structures under pale, multi-peaked thatched roofs for shelter. The MASTER BEDROOM has a enormous, bed( I was told 8 foot wide,custom made) with huge mosquito nets suspended above. On the opposite side of the villa, Zoe’s SECOND BEDROOM had 2 low, flat wooden king beds and a lovely deck space. The layout is certainly spacious enough to fit a large family.
Sheira marveled at the design flow of the space and the almost total lack of hard edges - it’s brilliant. She loved the way the shelves were scooped out of the plaster walls, and the bathroom completely open, yet cleverly private.The wooden decks just blended seamlessly with the pool.
The total commitment to being eco-organic really creates what Sheira calls a fabulous treehouse atmosphere. This is Tarzan with a design degree! The taps are raw timber, there is no air conditioning and refreshments are brought to your room in an ice box to avoid the intrusion of an electric minibar. Early evening the staff lower the mosquito nets around the beds and leave lanterns around the suite so that the villa glows in a flickering, golden yellow light. At night while you sleep you can here the distant sounds of the wildlife- It feels truly surreal. There are no TVs (there is WIFI).
Shompole manages to keep the fine balance between magical earthiness and absolute luxury. The sheer expanse of space is fantastic; the views out to the Rift Valley's distant plains and mountains are stunning and everything about the total effect casts a spell. We could sit by the pool and see baboons walk by in vast numbers, or watch zebra graze in the distance! It’s an oasis that you will love returning to after games drives for total relaxation - you won’t want to leave (hence the options of the thatched dining area). The two adjoining swimming pools in our villa are tiered on different levels with organically shaped pebble surrounds and timber planks to walk between.
PRICE NOTE
Generally this high-end level of Safari travel costs upwards of US$ 1000 per person, per day. Yes, this is pricey, but game lodges are in keeping with the best VALUE product on the luxury travel spectrum.
Accommodation includes 3 meals, wines and spirits - and certainly any requested extra snacks along the way - your camp fees, driver, guide and all your laundry. This is a big factor to consider. Some of our hotel laundry bills on trips to the big European cities bring tears to my eyes for all the wrong reasons!
Shompole doesn’t generally take children under 12 but it is worth making enquiries because they can bend that rule on a case by case basis.
LITTLE SHOMPOLE
This is the ultra - safari party house because of the stunning communal pavilion areas, as well as two enormous bedroom villas with 9 x 9 ft beds!! Although it is only a short walk up the hill and away from the main Shompole lodge, it feels like a world away. LITTLE SHOMPOLE can be used in 2 ways. Either by having 2 families book out this camp, for ultimate privacy. You will have your own kitchen staff, butlers and will have no need to visit MAIN CAMP. OR, LITTLE SHOMPOLE can be sold to 2 unrelated guest parties who choose LITTLE SHOMPOLE for more privacy than the main camp. The lap pool stretches for 37 metres along a horizon that melts into the Lake Natron basin beyond; those lucky enough to lounge poolside can choose their own nooks under sculpturally curved thatched roofs that are works of art in themselves.
360 DEGREES
This is marketed as THE ULTIMATE PRIVATE SAFARI HOME higher on the hill than the other 2 camps, it is made up of 2 luxury OWNERS villas that can accommodate 8 people.( It was built infact for the owners very own retreat, and only recently opened up to guests on a request basis. It comes with its own dining room, a pool that runs under the lounge area and amazing panoramic 360 degree views across the Rift Valley due to its dramatically high perch. The helipad and private butler is the icing on the cake.
Shompole's beautiful boutique is in its own stand alone pavilion located in ..
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