Step back in time for high tea at Elsamere (Lake Naivasha)

Unless you were born in the last few minutes, you must surely know about the best thing to do in Naivasha and have heard of “Born Free” or Elsa the Lion? Maybe George and Joy Adamson?

Okay, well in the 1960’s while on a scouting trip in Kenya, George Adamson shot and killed a lioness when it attacked a member of the party. In the aftermath, they would discover a number of lioncubs which George would then bring back to hs wife Joy in their home on Lake Naivasha.

Elsa was the lion cub whom they kept and proceeded to raise on their home property for the next 5 years. Although a number of lion breeding programs and lion-man relationships can be found throughout Africa today, you must realize that during the 1960’s this was unheard of, highly dangerous and entirely absurd. Elsa would eventually die of tick fever but such was the strength of her relationship with the Adamsons, that Joy would go on to adopt a leopard and a cheetah in later years as well as setting up the Elsa Conservation fund which now has a presence worldwide.

This was what you might consider “real” Africa with abundant wildlife, tribes and mystical landscapes while the Adamsons home on Lake Naivasha is a quaint old cottage filled with memorabilia and interesting stories. Yes, as I said, it’s the best thing to do in Lake Naivasah. The gardens out back have stunning views across the lake and hundreds of bird species chirping between the trees and colobus monkeys who hang from them.

It is possible to stay in Elsamere overnight or to have lunch/dinner in the house but the finest experience here is arguably the high tea at Elsamere. Starting at 3pm, you can indulge in tea/coffee with a wide variety of fresh home baked cakes before exploring the memorbilia around the house and finally, watching a heartwarming video about the story of Elsa.

Check out more things to do in Kenya on our list of Kenya Day Tours.