To describe the experience of staying at Giraffe Manor as a privilege is an understatement to say the very least. Before you even mention the fact that you interacting with wild giraffes you are immediately struck by the sumptious decor of the building itself and incredible service from their wonderful staff. To spend Christmas Eve there, well that is really quite something! The highlight of any stay is the opportunity to interact with the giraffes. They often visit the manor in the morning and evening, poking their long necks through windows and doors in search of treats. Guests can feed them from their hands or even from their breakfast table.
It was a lovely evening: first we were serenaded with Christmas Carols in the library by a local choir which really set the tone before sitting down for a fantastic supper in the main drawing room with the other guests. This was probably the largest group of people we’d seen on the trip but everyone got along famously; all buying into the Christmas spirit. The only issue was that I wasn’t feeling well – a 24 hour bug picked up prior to arrival that resulted in shivers and shakes as well as a fervent desire to remain within running distance of a bathroom. Oh well, I guess I will have to return at some point just to check that the experience wasn’t just some sort of delireum brought on by a lack of gin and tonic.
The manor itself is a stately building built by the Rowntree family in the 1930s. It is deceptively big with 12 guest bedrooms, all of which are uniquely decorated in an elegant, colonial style that feels very natural and avoids the trap of coming across as being ostentacious or pretentious. The rooms are spacious (another understatement: the bed was so big my wife was sleeping in the next postcode) and comfortable, with en-suite bathrooms and often dual aspect views of the surrounding gardens and their resident Rothschild Giraffe and cheeky warthogs.
Breakfast on Christmas morning was simply breathtaking. We had a early morning visit through our room window by a giraffe enquiring whether we had any kibble to spare and then, after making our way down to the breakfast room, we were joined by several other giraffe who appreared through the numerous windows on the ground floor to dine with us.
The cherry on the cake is of course the fact that a stay at Giraffe Manor supports the conservation of the endangered Rothschild’s giraffe. The property is part of a breeding program aimed at increasing the population of these giraffes in the wild.
Deano's World 