Walking: Whistling thorns is situated at the foot of the Ngong Hills. The immediate area is open rolling grassland interspersed with (seasonal) river valleys. The grassland is used by Masai Herders for their catrtle and one had a good chance to see various Gazelles, ostrich, Zebra and occassionally Giraffes. The surrounding ground at Whistling Thorns support a great variety of bird species. You need not take a guide with you when explring the area as you are unlikely to get lost and you cn make the walks as long/ as short as you like. There is a real feeling of relaxation when you absorb the silence and uncrwoded space of the bush. However, if you want a serious hike, we can arrange that: there are full day walks on the Ngong Hills and from Corner Baridi to Whistling Thorns. These 6/7 hours excursions with a guide and packed lunch are USD 85p.p.(min 2 pax).

Horse riding: You can go for 1 hour rides with a syce from the Farm in the surrounding area, and as with the walks you may encounter plains game and the Masai with their cattle. (USD 16 per hour p.p.). Longer excursions are available on request, and you can take a picnic luinch with you. Riders must be experienced. Cycling: If you have a Mountain Bike, the surrounding area has many (rough) tracks that allow you to explore small farms, homesteads, Masai Herders and plains game. This is a very untouristy area, and people are friendly and hospitable. Please keep it this way.

Golfing: In the vicinity of Whistling Thorns are several excellent Golf Courses. The nearest one is at Karen Country Club. Others such as Muthaiga and Windsor are of International fame and are easily accessible. Less high profile but just as strenuous and enjoyable are Royal Nairobi, Sigona, Limuru and Kiambu to name a few.
A day golfing includes escort, transport, green fees, light lunch and 18 holes. You can bring your own clubs or hire some here.
To practice your golf swing at 1700 m elevation there is a golf driving range at Whistling Thorns. Equipment can be hired here.

Day Excursions:
Karen and vicinity: Just outside Nairobi and 30 minutes from Whistling Thorns is the village of Karen with the following attractions:
Karen Blixen Museum - the house where Karen Blixen lived. She wrote the book on which the film Out of Africa was based.
Giraffe Manor - where you can feed the Rothschild Giraffes, and meet them 'eye to eye'.
Daphne Sheldreck and her orphaned baby elephants. At 11 am they go for a bath and have playtime. You can observe them very close by.
(Please note that the aim is to rehabilitate the baby elephants into the wild - there may be times when there are no orphaned elephants).
Shopping & Eating: there is the Kazuri Bead Factory (ceramic beads), Utamaduni Craft Centre (collection of craft shops) and the Horseman Restaurant.

Ologesalie Excavations & Rift Valley: Approximately 50 minutes from Whistling Thorns is Ologesalie. You travel over the shoulder of the Ngong Hills into the Rift Valley and a different world. The Rift stretches from Malawi to the Red Sea, and the scenery you encounter whne you are descending the steep slope resembels the scenery of the Lake Turkana region, many hundrreds of kilometres to the North. This is a hot and sparsely populated area with thornbush vegetation.
Ologesalie is an excavation site where there is evidence of human habitation, but no human remains have been found (as the Leakey did in Olduvai Gorge, in Tanzania further south). It is an interesting site as a lot of the excavations have been left in situ. But remember: this is a hot, dry and dusty place. The charges include a picnic lunch in a shady place overlooking the site.

Camping: Whistling Thorns has a campsite with picnic tables. Camping charges includes the use of the swimming pool. There are hot showers. Food and drinks can be bought from the bar/restaurant. There is a pooltable and darts in the bar. We have tents and mattresses for those who want to camp but do not have basic equipment.

Local Community: This area is untouched by tourism, and we think it is important to keep it this way. We operate on a small scale and ask our visitors to respect the local community. If our visitors want to visit a local school/clinic or homestead we can arrange for that, and ask for integrity from our visitors.