Located about a two-hour drive northwest of Nairobi in Kenya’s legendary Great Rift Valley, the Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort offers an ideal location for viewing the wildlife that gathers around its namesake lake, as well as relishing the best in East African food, accommodation and company.

Here are three great reasons to include this unforgettable resort in your East Africa plans:

1. Africa is literally right outside your door

Set in one 150 acres of grassland studded with acacia, the resort is home to a resident giraffe, waterbuck and both vervet and colobus monkeys, as well as a night stop for hippos when they leave the lake after dark and trim the grass of the resort’s expansive lawns.

2. Take a boat ride

The best way to explore Lake Naivasha is on a guided boat trip organized by Sopa. In addition to a large hippo population, the lake nurtures more than 400 bird species while both the freshwater and lakeshore grasslands attract numerous mammals including antelope, giraffe, zebra and even the occasional buffalo. Naivasha also boasts human history: Born Free author Joy Adamson lived along its shore in the early 1960s, Imperial Airways flying boats once landed here on their way between England and South Africa, and the lake area played a pivotal role in the notorious “Happy Days” scandal of British colonial times.

3. Snuggle up in bed and order room service

The food at Lake Naivasha Sopa Resort ranges between continental, Swahili (Kenya Coast), and Mediterranean cuisines, often with a deliciously subtle fusion of all three disciplines. These are accompanied by a selection of home baked breads, and garden-fresh fruit and vegetables.

If you don’t feel like dining in your room, the resort also offers a dining room with huge chandeliers, large fireplace, and buffet area with a spectacular, red granite-topped live cooking area. There’s also a large, outdoor patio with umbrella-shaded tables for those who wish to enjoy an open-air meal during the day, or during our often warm and balmy evenings.