It is true to say that there is beauty in simplicity, and Treetops truly encapsulates that. Treetops, the oldest safari lodge in Kenya, has been a firm favourite for royalty and celebrities alike for almost 90 years.
Unfortunately, Treetops, along with another two of Kenya’s historic hotels within the lush county of Nyeri, have now been forced to close due to the COVID-19 pandemic and, in turn, in excess of a 90% drop in tourism due to travel restrictions. Africa relies on tourism to fund the majority of the continent’s conservation and anti-poaching costs, therefore, are likely to lose up to a staggering £183 billion this year alone, as reported by United Nations.
Princess Elizabeth and the late Prince Philip, then known as The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh, first visited Treetops on the 5th February 1952 during a tour of Kenya. Elizabeth’s father, King George VI, was too ill to make the tour himself due to suffering from lung cancer, although he found the strength to wave his daughter and son-in-law off from Heathrow airport.
At that time, Treetops was a humble lodge with a 30ft ladder, built high up in a giant fig tree, consisting of just two rooms, overlooking a waterhole which gave visitors a close-up experience of elephants, rhinos, various wildlife and breathtaking views of Mount Kenya.
Princess Elizabeth insisted on enjoyed tea on the balcony overlooking the waterhole and spent time capturing a waterbuck and rhinos on her cine camera.
Jim Corbett, the couple’s personal armed escort at the time, recalled the Princess saying: “I don’t want to miss one moment of this.”
King George VI passed away in his sleep the following day.
Famous for being a hunter of big-game, Corbett wrote in the logbook belonging to Treetops before leaving: “For the first time in the history of the world, a young girl climbed into the tree as a Princess and climbed down as a Queen.”
In 1954, Treetops became the base for British colonial snipers during Kenya’s Mau Mau uprising until it was burnt down by Kenyan opposing rebels.
Following this, Treetops was re-built in its place as a 36 room safari lodge on stilts. The Queen and Prince Philip returned to Treetops on two more occasions, during 1959 and 1983, although the lodge was a far cry from the one they first knew.
On closing, Treetops was left with a notice on the front gate, confirming the closure and the owners, Aberdare Safari Ltd’s email address for customers to direct their enquiries to. Treetops and its sister hotel – Outspan Hotel, are now up for sale at a mere £3.6 million.
The 120-acre land is also home to a cottage, previously owned and resident to Scouts founder, Lord Baden-Powell, who occupied the property for three years prior to his passing in 1941. The cottage has since been a museum, housing Lord Baden-Powell’s personal belongings, scout memorabilia, writings and paintings.
