It faces Mt Kenya and is surrounded by gardens of fresh and organic vegetables as well as fruits such as apples, and blueberries.
Today, a visitor is welcomed by a well-manicured garden with various types of flowers and trees as well as animals such as ducks, sheep, and cows, creating a rural, homely feeling.
Bessotted Farmstay offers the option of renting out the entire four-bedroom villa or paying per room.
When Mumbi Mathangani set out to build her retirement home, she envisioned a setting that would make her feel the beauty of nature. After years of working in cities characterised by hustle and bustle, she was looking forward to the soothing nature of the countryside.
Those are the same qualities that have spawned a thriving homestay business out of her home. Bessotted Farmstay, located about four hours north of Nairobi in Gatune (Narumoro), off the Nyeri-Nanyuki highway, stands out for two key reasons; it is off the grid and two, it is surrounded by nature.
It faces Mt Kenya and is surrounded by gardens of fresh and organic vegetables as well as fruits such as apples, and blueberries.
“I wanted to live upcountry, so decided to build my home in Naromoru and when I started getting visitors they all talked about how beautiful it was and I could turn it into a farmstay,” the Catholic University Alternative Dispute Resolution and Administrative Law lecturer tells the Enterprise.
In 2019 she did just that.
“People would come and stay here and enjoy the landscapes, as well as the mountain views and I thought why not because anyway I had to be close to Nairobi since my children were going to school so I couldn’t exactly come and live here (upcountry)," the single mothers says.
Today, a visitor is welcomed by a well-manicured garden with various types of flowers and trees as well as animals such as ducks, sheep, and cows, creating a rural, homely feeling. And it’s an experience visitors are willing to pay a premium for.
Bessotted Farmstay offers the option of renting out the entire four-bedroom villa or paying per room. The charges range from Sh25,000 per night to Sh30,000 for the entire villa during the peak season for a maximum of eight people.
For a room, it costs as low as Sh5,500. The charges are inclusive of bed and breakfast.
The house design is inspired by a French Country Villa. It combines spatial, charming, woody and comfortable design.
She designed the whole house, including décor.
“You know there was really no architect because I just went to the internet and found what I wanted. Then I worked with the local engineer and foreman.”
“It is rustic, but not rough. So, everything is specifically designed and properly done. You still get a sense that you are still in a luxurious environment. The whole idea is to enjoy nature in the countryside but at the same time a lovely place to sleep, relax, and rest,” says Ms Mathangani, adding that she invested Sh25 million from savings accumulated over the years of work in various organisations including the UN, into the property.
With the demand the property has attracted, she plans to spend another Sh10 million on cottages and a swimming pool to make the stay more enjoyable.
Ms Mathangani is also passionate about conservation. Bessotted Farmstay operates in a way that minimises environmental footprint. She has tapped into green energy from sources such as wind and solar to run all electrical appliances in the villa.
She has installed solar that generates about 25 kilowatt hour (KWH) per day and wind system about 16KWH per day.
Out of 41KWH generated, the farm consumes about 33KWH per day. This has seen her save over Sh20,000 in electricity bill per month.
“It works for us, especially because when it is not windy it is sunny, when it is not sunny it is windy. Either way, we are somehow covered. Basically, that is one thing that a lot of people who visit us appreciate,” she says.
Similarly, visitors get to enjoy visits to nearby animal parks and sanctuaries such as Ol Pejeta Conservancy Tour, Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy, and Ngare Ndare Forest.
So far Bessotted Farmstay has received over 500 visitors from Kenya and around the world.
“Our first customer was a Belgian woman. She came to stay for one day but ended up staying for three days. She was actually healing, recovering from cancer treatment and said she just connected with nature.”
Bessotted Farmstay also receives groups (mainly repeat clientele) who give them referrals.
"We have had county governors come and stay (here), CEOs, judges, among others.
“One group that we love and who really seem to also appreciate what Besotted offers is the Asian community. They are really one of our biggest promoters as well as regular customers,” she says.
The facility has two in-house chefs (who tailor-make cuisines to guests) as well as a housekeeper.
“We try to offer you the kind of meal that you would appreciate in a home setting,” says Ms Mathangani.
“But one thing that our guests have appreciated has been our coffee and chapatis.”
The facility employs at least six workers, including local people who work for them on a casual basis depending on how busy they are. They are busiest during weekends.
“We really work at building all manner of love whether you are coming with your wife, family, children, or friends. It is all centered on creating a community of love and memories that everybody can cherish from a love experience.”
Human Resource as well as property maintenance costs as well as commissions charged on online booking platforms such as booking.com (18 percent) and Airbnb (3 percent) are the biggest expenses for Bessotted Farmstay.
“And then there was there is the technical challenge. It is hard to get qualified skills (competent fundis for solar. So, that was a long journey but eventually, we captured it.”
Another challenge is water shortages.
“In a couple of instances, we have had to purchase water.”
Ms Mathangani plans to expand the villa to increase the capacity and make it attractive to companies, especially small and medium-sized enterprises that may want to have retreats.
“We have been doing that and we think that Besotted offers a fantastic environment for retreats because it is scientifically proven that when people are thinking outside in nature, they are more likely to come up with creative imaginative ideas and to be relaxed. So, it gives you that environment as a company as a group. You are really able to relax and chill.”
She is also a lover of art.
"Basically, I am a collector of art. So, you will see a lot of art pieces from all over the world that I really treasure.”
