Samburu |
DESERT ROSE
ICONIC NORTHERN RETREAT
RESTORED & REFRESHED · ANCIENT LANDSCAPE & PEOPLE · AUTHENTIC CRAFT
At 5,500 feet on the lush cedar slopes of Mount Nyiro, Desert Rose sits in a landscape that feels both ancient and immediate. Guests arrive embraced by the mountain’s stillness, an atmosphere of gentle reverence where land, spirit, and self fall into easy alignment. Forest trails, hidden waterfalls, wild wood benches, and curated experiences encourage guests to explore, reflect, and discover the full depth of northern Kenya’s beauty.
Iconic, Intimate, Deeply Rooted
Privately owned and intentionally small, Desert Rose is steeped in the generational stories of the communities that call Mount Nyiro home.
Hand-hewn and shaped in partnership with local artisans, the lodge reflects a legacy of collaboration, craft, and a profound respect for place. Perched high above the Elbarta plains, between the Karisia Mountains and Lake Turkana, its views sweep endlessly across the Northern Frontier, mysterious, dramatic, and wildly beautiful. This altitude brings cool, fresh mountain air: calm by day, crisp by night.
S E T T I N G -
At 5,500 feet on the lush cedar slopes of Mount Nyiro, Desert Rose sits in landscape that feels both ancient and immediate. Guests arrive embraced by the mountain’s stillness, an atmosphere of gentle reverence where land, spirit, and self fall into easy alignment. Forest trails, hidden waterfalls, wild wood benches, and curated experiences encourage guests to explore, reflect, and discover the full depth of northern Kenya’s beauty.
A C C O M M O D A T I O N -
Four secluded, open-fronted stone cottages, and a spacious family cottage, offer total privacy and panoramic valley views. Each space is designed with understated natural luxury: handcrafted furniture, woven textures, soft linens, and subtle elegance
The lounge, pool, and outdoor living areas have been sculpted into the side of the mountain to blend into the indigenous gardens, framing the mountain and sky as the true centrepieces.
Every element at Desert Rose is intentional. A celebration of northern Kenya’s artistry, woodwork, woven pieces, carvings, textiles, elevated into a refined, contemporary aesthetic.
W H Y W E L O V E I T -
After three decades as one of Kenya’s most iconic northern retreats, Desert Rose has quietly returned, restored with deliberate care, refreshed in spirit, and ready for its next chapter.
Privately owned, small and intimate, Desert Rose is deeply rooted in the heritage and generational stories of Mount Nyiro. Built by hand and shaped in partnership with the local community, it is steeped in history and holds profound significance for the people who call this mountain home.
A D V E N T U R E -
The journey to Desert Rose is part of the magic, with vast horizons, volcanic formations, desert plains, and remarkable shifts in colour and terrain leading to a sanctuary where guests can enjoy nature walks and forest hikes, rock-pool swims and river walks, spa and wellness treatments, a hot tub and sauna perched above a rocky gorge, yoga, meditation and painting sessions, birdwatching, bush picnics and sundowners, as well as, for the adventurous, helicopter excursions over Lake Logipi, the Suguta Valley, Naibotom Crater, South Island and beyond, road safaris to Lake Turkana, fishing on the lake, and visits with Samburu and Turkana communities—an escape where slow, soulful moments meet big-sky adventure.
