Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort

A 150-acre resort on Lake Naivasha's southern shore, built around its own trees, with two-storey crescent cottages and free-roaming wildlife on the grounds.

The build story here is part of the appeal — when Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort went up on 150 acres of southern-shore grassland, the architects routed the main building around the existing trees rather than clearing them, which is why the property’s central structure curves and winds in a way no other lodge on the lake does. Giraffes, hippos, waterbuck and monkeys wander the grounds freely, turning a walk to breakfast into its own small safari.

Twenty-one two-storey cottages, arranged in a crescent, hold the bulk of the accommodation: ground-floor rooms with two queen beds and a furnished living area, top-floor rooms with a king bed and a wrought-iron balcony overlooking the grassland. Suites add a separate lounge and mini-bar, and villas step up further with multiple bedrooms and a private garden for families or groups. Conference space for up to 250 makes this one of the few properties on the lake equally built for business and leisure.

Standard Rooms: En-suite rooms in the resort’s crescent cottages, ground-floor with two queen beds or top-floor with a king bed and balcony.

Suites: Rooms with a separate living area and mini-bar.

Villas: Multi-bedroom villas with a private garden, suited to families or groups.