The strap line of this unique lodge is ‘Return to the Origin of Life’. This might sound dramatic, but then this is a very dramatic lodge situated in an even more dramatic region that will be sheer delight for those with a bent for the offbeat.

Desert Rose is without doubt the remotest lodge in Kenya. Maybe in all of East Africa. It sits halfway up a dense forested mountain in a region of burning deserts and colourful nomads. The nearest tourist-class safari lodge is about half a country away and anyone venturing up here is unlikely to meet a single other tourist. Just getting here is an adventure. The easiest way is by flying in on a privately chartered light plane or helicopter from Nairobi. Be prepared for a real heart-in-the-mouth landing! But for real adventure through, some of the most diverse and exciting wilderness-seekers in Africa come in overland in a private jeep over the course of several long days.

The lodge itself would be an architectural achievement even if it was in the centre of Nairobi, but out here you can only wonder at the vision and determination that went into creating this plasticine-like rock and twisted-tree-branch fantasy. The rooms themselves, the best of which are half-exposed to the elements, are only half the story of a stay here. The other half goes to the cuisine. The management takes rightful pride in the quality and creativity of the food they serve (much of which is home grown).

One thing that any potential guest of Desert Rose should know is that a stay here isn’t about sharp-fanged lions and droopy-nosed elephants. This is a safari into the fascinating culture of the butterfly bright Samburu people, the stark and otherworldly landscapes which range from mountain forests to flamingo-filled pans and enormous Lake Turkana, the Jade Sea. And, as the strap line suggests, this is also a safari into the origins of humankind, because it wasn’t far from Desert Rose that the earliest hominid fossils were discovered.