Macushla House

The house was built in the '70s and its whole aesthetic has something timeless about it. It's trendy in an unpretentious way, so you can really feel at home here. The swimming pool is tiled in a chequered black and white and is surrounded by a beautifully maintained garden. We love the stone veranda and cane furniture, and the African curios in the colonial dining room. There’s a 24-hour bar and a poolside snack menu. Sounds like a holiday, right?

The six rooms are spacious and comfortable, with design details that are a throwback to another era: the bay windows, the high-backed cane chairs, wide kelims and floor-to-ceiling shuttered wooden cupboards. All the beds are netted and the rooms have modern, tiled en-suite bathrooms. The interiors are cool, with the right amount of light and quiet – except for the vervets in the morning. But hey, this is Africa.

Most travellers stay at Macushla en route to the Masai Mara. The guesthouse is well located for local sightseeing too, as it's just a short walk or taxi drive from local tourist attractions such as the giraffe sanctuary and the David Sheldrick Elephant Nursery. Out of Africa fans can head to the Karen Blixen Museum. The original home of the writer, who was known by her pen name, Isak Dinesen, the house played a starring role in the Oscar-winning film.