Nairobi is a Rubik's cube. You take one turn, through a gate, and suddenly you are in a completely different and unfamiliar neighbourhood. Everything quiets down. The lawns change colour so drastically, to an unfathomable green. Flowers bloom against fences. Ageing well-heeled couples take unhurried strolls down the street. A woman pushes a pram. In the distance, a lawnmower groans. Even the birds look self-actualised.
This is Kunde Road, in Lavington, a very short drive off Korosho Road which runs into the curve of Argwings Kodhek with its ill-mannered, bleating, roguish matatus and thuggish Nairobi drivers. As we crawled down Kunde Road my Uber driver who didn’t even know this road existed exclaimed, “Huku ni Nairobi kweli?”
Where you are heading is Deerpark Luxury Stays. You’ve probably never heard it because true luxury doesn’t shout. It’s the establishments with printed internet photos of elephants that trumpet the loudest. Deerpark Luxury Stays was once a home before the owner turned it into a boutique hotel. He contracted an architect who knocked down walls and created an astounding space of elegance of imagination.
The gardens are their centrepiece; lush-like photos you see of Switzerland that look like what heaven might look like. “The gardener has a sacred communion with these plants and grass,” the owner, an acquaintance, told us as we sat on the patio overlooking a swimming pool where meals and conversations are had.
The intimacy and serenity of the place force you to lower your voice while talking. Across the fence loomed a home built like a castle. It looked charming, like Dracula’s house.
Deerpark is for introverts. For lovers of silence. For those who appreciate decor and art. For those who appreciate intimacy and discretion. The staycation lovers who pontificate “me time.”
Their clientele is currently mostly Scandinavians who got there by word of mouth. It’s also for those who want to have a quiet drink and a good meal away from the loudness of Nairobi’s eating and drinking culture. It’s excellent for lovers, and for visiting clients who hate the dreary sameness of hotels. For those who seek a quiet garden to read their book while having wine on a Saturday morning or afternoon.
If you like to be seen, this isn’t for you. This is for those who have already seen themselves.
