ABOUT NARETOI
A pioneering re-wilding project in the Maasai Mara
Naretoi is a 1000 acre private safari estate, offering limited opportunities to purchase property for bush home development on the edge of the Greater Mara-Serengeti ecosystem. Once an arable farm, it has now been transformed back to its natural state, replete with wildlife, waterholes and seasonal streams.
ON WHAT WAS ONCE A BEAN FARM...
Naretoi is part of a pioneering rewilding project where in 2013, the closest intensive pivot irrigation farm on the Mara upstream of the Maasai Mara Reserve, was taken out of farming and put into conservation and eco-tourism. Where once French beans were grown, picked and sent overnight to Tesco’s in the UK, are now open fields, dotted with acacia’s, natural streams flowing through them and a dam enjoyed by over 50 hippos. It is a story of hope, growth and progress where communities are actively involved in this eco-tourism and conservation, and nature has been given a chance to recover.
Biodiversity is being restored, wildlife habitats are again flourishing, and the wildlife is thriving.
The Enonkishu Conservancy, once a barren piece of over grazed land outside of the Naretoi Estate, is managed under a holistic grazing plan, where the community cattle, clustered into one herd, graze it in sections and leave the grass adequate time to recover before it is grazed again. This method of management has seen the different grasses regenerate, and over six years there has been a dramatic increase in ground cover. On the back of this, a whole variety of new bird, mammal and insect species are now able to call this home, with plains game and a resident pride of lion. The livestock live in predator-proof bomas and are in better body condition as a result of the improved grasslands and forage, preserved during times of drought.
MAKING SAFARI A WAY OF LIFE...
Designed to be environmentally responsible, dedicated to sustainable conservation and the empowerment of local communities, Naretoi, meaning “place where blessed things happen” was founded in 2012.
There are a set of building guidelines provided to create a gentle balance of home comforts, yet feeling at one with nature, allowing for a range of different house sizes and styles to suit everyone’s needs and budgets.
Homeowners at Naretoi have worked with some of Kenya's leading architects and contractors, creating a unique opportunity to unwind in the bush, explore and mix with wildlife in safety in magnificent surroundings.
A SENSE OF COMMUNITY
Naretoi also offers a sense of community, of like-minded adventurers. Families who have bought into the Naretoi estate have invested in a lifestyle to create an unforgettable haven in which to create life-long memories. A place that is becoming increasingly rare in this world, the opportunity to connect with nature and with each other. A place for small children to run free and enjoy the wide open spaces. Teenagers riding bikes and fishing in the dams, a safe place away from the nightclubs and shopping malls. Learning how to drive, learning to love the wild, climbing trees, experiencing real life...