The Treehouse at Malu, Naivasha

Set amid the yellow fever trees on the banks of the Malewa river, the Treehouse at Malu oozes in rustic charm. Built entirely from timber it offers an open plan living space (at canopy level) with a kitchen, dining table and sofa area. With two double ensuite bedrooms and a three-bed dormitory, it makes both the perfect hide away for couples and a great weekend retreat for families wanting something different. The upstairs double ensuite is big and bright and offers views down onto the river below through its wall of glass, while the downstairs bedroom is more modest but still full of that rustic timber beauty.

From the full width wooden terrace across the front one can watch the monkeys swinging at eye level and listen to the soft tones of the wind chime as well as the more earth notes of bathing hippos in the waters below. The lodge is a haven of serenity and calm, allowing its guests to relax in the trees, enjoy good food together and have a properly restorative night’s sleep.

Malu reserve, in which the Treehouse is situated, is made up of 1,786 acres of land stretching from the escarpment in the east to the Malewa in the west and comprises mainly indigenous juniper cedar forest. The density of the forest makes game viewing tricky but there are many leopard as well as buffalo, hyena, dikdik, warthog, zebra and serval cats – and, if you’re really lucky, Colobus and Sykes monkeys too!