07 Oct 2017
Safari guests sleep above trees in Segera Retreat's man-made bird's nest
BY Kim Megson
A resort in one of Kenya’s most popular safari destinations is offering guests the chance to sleep under the stars in a human-scale ‘bird's nest’ above the treetops.
Constructed alongside a river teeming with wildlife, the Nay Palad Bird Nest provides a 360-degree bird’s eye-view of the surrounding wilderness – home to giraffes, elephants and other wildlife.
The structure, designed by architect Daniel Pouzet, is built from raw materials, including tree branches woven into a nest by local craftspeople.
The concept, described as "inspiring living space unlike anything else in the world”, was developed by the Segera Retreat wildlife sanctuary in collaboration with Carolin Dekeyser, founder of Nay Palad, a producer of artisanal accessories.
Guests can choose to sleep either within the structure’s interior suite – which features a fully-equipped bathroom with solar-heated running water – or in the nest itself.
“We cannot wait to welcome our guests to this peaceful haven and to offer them a truly authentic and unique sleep-out experience,” said Segera general manager Jens Kozany.
“To wake up to the magical sound of wildlife and birds, surrounded by pristine nature as far as the eye can see, is a life-changing experience – this is a place of true, untouched wonderment.”
Segera was founded by philanthropist and conservationist Jochen Zeitz in the heart of the Laikipia Plateau, located at an altitude of 5,906ft immediately north of the equator. The site is a busy migratory corridor for animals and is home to many endangered species.
Zeitz funded the recently-completed Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa in Cape Town, South Africa, and Segera forms an east African satellite to the museum with artworks displayed throughout the retreat.
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