From the outside, a stay at The Safari Cottages is all wildlife on your doorstep, roaring fires ready for your arrival, chilled wine on the African plains, big smiles and big hearts. What you don’t really get to see or understand is the vision, the hard work and the dedication that comes with living your dream every day and sharing it with the world. So today we thought we’d share an interview with Ol Pejeta Safari Cottages owners, Andy and Sonja Webb to hear more about how they came to be here and what it’s really like living their dream every day in the African bush.
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
Andy and Sonja met in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe in their teens, and married young, before moving to Lake Kariba to grow their family and begin their journey in the safari industry. Over the next eighteen years Andy became one of Southern Africa’s most celebrated guides and the two of them built and ran life-changing mobile safaris in Zimbabwe; Sonja seamlessly handling the catering, marketing and business admin whilst Andy expertly hosted and guided life-changing bush experiences for their guests.
In 2003 they moved to Kenya’s Masai Mara and built, from the ground up, four incredibly successful Kenya safari camps that still hold rank in the country’s top safari properties. Finally in 2017, after forty years of guiding, hosting, building and operating safari camps and mobile operations in Zimbabwe and Kenya Andy and Sonja found their forever home on the Ol Pejeta Conservancy. It was here that they took all these years of experience and passion and expertise to create a bush experience that offers their guests everything that really matters without the fuss, without the hefty price tags and without the pretence. It was here that they redefined “luxury,” because the real luxury on safari, they know, lies in incredible value for money, in privacy and exclusivity, in feeling like you belong completely.
Andy, what was it about this location that appealed to you? And what were your top priorities in terms of minimising ecological impact during the construction?
“We found our location along the Ngobit River; this was originally a cattle station for Ol Pejeta Ranching Ltd and previously very barren. It had been completely overutilized by humans and livestock and the old wooden ranch managers house, built in the 50’s, still stood here but was totally unliveable. So our first thought was that it just made sense to build in an area where the soil had already been turned (utilised) rather than destroying virgin bush.
I think about our impact pretty much every day and protecting the existing, fragile eco system was a top priority for me during the build so I was careful to work around as many trees as possible and we upcycled the wood from the old house (stunning, aged cedar, purchased from Ol Pejeta) to make a lot of our furniture. To further protect both existing and new trees (primarily from from elephants - we love them but they can be very destructive) we ran a single strand electric fence around the property and wrapped some of the neighbouring acacias in chicken wire. The trees thanked us for it; today there is a beautiful grove of Yellow Bark Acacias in front of the cottages that not only look wonderful but support a multitude of insect and bird eco systems.”
Sonja, when it came down to curating and refining the guest experience what was your vision for the food, décor and staffing? What has most influenced your style and vision?
“Growing up on a farm in Zimbabwe, and being from an Afrikaans/Dutch descent, I have always had a passion for cooking and creating delicious dishes, pickles, and jams. This also stems from spending many happy hours in the kitchen with my Gran, Aunts and Mum who taught me to believe in the magic of a good, healthy, home cooked meal and gave me the foundational skills to create these types of dishes, with a little twist added by my amazing chefs.
I have always loved arts and crafts, so décor was a natural part of the learning process too. I did a year-long study in interior design, which I absolutely loved and this continues to fufill an artistic niche in my life. This love only grew as I designed and decorated a handful of camps in Zimbabwe and Kenya. I am a “bush bunny” at heart so when it came to setting up The Safari Cottages, my daughter Kathrine and I (we share a similar aesthetic) pulled together a vision board full of rich, warm colours and textures that were inspired by nature; I wanted people to walk in and feel like they have arrived home.
We worked closely with the staff during the design phase; hiring their artisan family members and purchasing hand-made goods from their communities whenever we could. The staff are a massive part of what we do and are the ambassadors for The Safari Cottages, so it was important that they love the space as much as I do.”
BEHIND THE SCENES: DAY TO DAY RUNNING OUR DREAM KENYA SAFARI CAMP
The days start nice and early, as radio chatter merges with birdsong and the askaris are preparing for morning calls. Andy and Sonja love to sit on the veranda with a cup of coffee and listen to Africa wake up as the sun rises, watching the day unfold before them. Then, when guests are well on their way for their morning game drive, they’re in the office, answering emails and checking in with their team for the day. They will often have guests who linger for breakfast in camp instead of heading out at first light, so they will usually pop down to say hello and make sure they have all they need or if they have any questions or concerns that can be addressed. Then the day really kicks off; restocking kitchen supplies, managing guest movements, vehicle and property maintenance, business management, preparing rooms and welcome packages for arrivals and allocating vehicles for transfers, supply runs and activities.
They will often host bush brunches in the late morning too, so after a quick bite to eat they’ll load up vehicles with staff, equipment and food then head to the river to set everything up ready for the guests’ arrival. If they aren’t out and about at midday then lunch is usually delivered to the office, and they admit they’re lucky enough to eat incredibly well thanks to their team of chefs! They’ll then check in with any guests they have yet to chat with at teatime, before they head off on their afternoon activity and finish up any final tasks and checks for the day.
In the evenings, if things are quiet, they try to make time to enjoy a sundowner together or to talk a walk around the property with the dogs (and the cat!) before the guests return. This is a great opportunity to assess the perimeter and grounds, and to spend some quality time enjoying their bush home and their years of hard work, love and care.
Sonja, what do you find the toughest part of managing the behind the scenes and what is the most rewarding part of it all?
“I would say that the toughest part behind the scenes would be making sure that everything from the cottages, menus, orders, and staff are all operating smoothly. I just love it when the “Floating Duck Syndrome” is well in place; things look to be operating with smooth, calm efficiency on the surface but we’re paddling like crazy out of sight!
I find the most rewarding part of all of this is being able to share my home in the African wilderness and love for nature with amazing guests and having them leaving wanting more!”
Andy, what is your favourite part of each working day?
“Sunset, easily. After a busy day in the office, welcoming new arrivals and bidding farewell to departures, chatting with guests over lunch down on the river deck we will often pack a cold beer or gin and tonic and enjoy a sundowner on the plains behind the cottages.”
“Like all other business, running The Safari Cottages is no mean feat and comes with it’s fair share of challenges, set backs and frustrations. But in the moments of quiet we so often look to one another and think, "aren’t we lucky to wake up each morning in a place that we love and spend our days pouring our hearts into watching our dream come true!" - Andy & Sonja
