Eco Farmhouse: Ostrich House Review
Today, I decided to post the last part of my review of Eco Farmhouse: Ostrich House Kenya. As I mentioned in the first one, we were there for two nights and this was our last day/night there since we left a little early the next morning.
For the full video experience of day 2, check out my YouTube video yesterday:
Exploring
We started by exploring some more. One thing we all love is being out in nature so we were just outside for most of the morning taking pictures.
Before we left, we had some tea which was complementary but I didn’t have any because they didn’t offer any vegan/plant based milk options. I took pictures for the blog though, lolz.
Fruit Picking and Ostrich Feeding
In the afternoon, we wanted to feed the ostriches again and do a bit of fruit picking which was a blast. We were able to pick so many fruits including dragonfruit, raw mangoes and raw papayas and more. I absolutely love raw mangoes and papayas and is the only way I eat them. I really dislike ripe papayas and not a fan of ripe mangoes either. The workers were super helpful and helped us pick the fruits since some were too high up for us to reach. And for some there were no path for us to walk through to get to the fruits.
We did get to some gooseberries (aka amla), something I talked to my blogging buddy Devang about and he even wrote a post about it:
Other fruits we came back with:
Once we got back to the house, we were able to feed the ostriches again which was such a blast and also less scary this time!
Until, I tried my stand up comedy routine once more and instantly regretted it…
Final Thoughts
After all this, we decided to play some cards before dinner.
Once we were done, we heated up some dinner, finished eating and headed to bed since we were planning on leaving early the next day.
The Good
Since this was the last post about Eco Farmhouse: Ostrich House, it thought I would share the good and the bad since this is technically a review. I’ll start with the good:
- The owner let us check in a little early which was really nice of her.
- They let us pick huge amounts of fruits which was so generous. Stuff like dragonfruit is actually pretty expensive and it was so nice of them to let us pick so many. Some people have a limit but they didn’t and were very generous.
- The staff was so friendly and helpful.
- We woke up to squirrels running around on the roof and birds chirping which made me feel like I was in a fairytale.
What Could Be Improved
I’m not mentioning this as “the bad” because I think it wasn’t “the bad.” Just more like things I feel the owner could improve to help people feel more comfortable at the farm. I’ms haring this just so people who may plan to go there someday get the full picture of what they should expect.
- The farm and the farmhouse itself was crawling in bugs and lizards. There were SO many insects we were kind of taken aback. I’m not stupid, I know there are bound to be bugs and other things at farmhouses. I’ve been to multiple farms both in Kenya and in other countries. However, the sheer quantity of bugs and lizards was insane. There were so many spiders in my sisters room and two actually fell on her. There were also tiny spider in her bed behind her pillows. And a cricket jumped on her while she tried to close the window. There were also a lot of ants in her room. These were probably harmless but still, ew. There were wasps and bees too which was kind of scary because I almost got stung by the wasp multiple times. And mosquitos which I sort of have PTSD with because of the time I got malaria. These insects then attracted lizards which were EVERYWHERE including walking around on the floor and literally pooping on us from the ceiling. The place seriously needed to be fumigated or better maintained. All they did was put bug spray in our room before we slept which didn’t really help at all to be honest. And if you pointed out any of the insects to them they would hit them to death with a broom which I found barbaric. As a vegan, I just couldn’t see that so I kept quiet. I was literally scared to sleep and slept with the lights on because there were so many weird bugs and lizards in my bedroom.
- It was quite dirty. Not messy, dirty. There was dirt/dust on the utensils as well as bugs on many of them. We had to rewash stuff before using it. The bedsheets literally had dead insects on them.
- It was quite mismanaged. They didn’t replace our hand towels when they came to clean our rooms. Which was odd because mine was pretty dirty. I also ran out of bathing towels the first night and they didn’t replace those either when they cleaned the next day. They just took the ones I had used to wash. That was odd to me since every hotel, AirBnB, motel, inn etc I have ever been to has at least replaced towels without having to ask. I don’t blame the workers for this though. I think the owner needs to tell them to always replace things. Especially when you’re charging quite a lot for two nights. I feel like that’s the least you can do.
- The weeds hadn’t been removed so there were no paths to the fruits for fruit picking. I feel like if you’re offering fruit picking as one of your activities at least have paths to the fruit? Getting to the fruit through a bunch of overgrown weeds and grass was hard. And it meant there were lots of insects in the grass, some of which do bite/sting. I’ve been to other farms and there have always been paths which we can use to get to the fruits. Again, this wouldn’t generally be such a big deal for me but it was because of the price. It’s pretty expensive (for Kenya) and if you’re advertising it as this beautiful, well maintained, luxurious place you should be ready to deliver that experience.
- This was sort of the dealbreaker from me and guaranteed I won’t be going back there. It had to do with the bathrooms. For some unknown reason, there were huge windows next to the toilet and shower in the bathroom. These windows were located in such a way that you could see what was happening inside the bathroom from the middle area with the couches. I went to use the bathroom in the evening and my sister ran in to tell me she can see what I’m doing from outside. I was mortified. The only thing covering the windows were shutters. So we called one of the staff members to help close the shutters as mine was broken. He closed them and I asked if they were fully closed and he told me they were. I thanked him and he left. My sister suggested we make sure nothing could be seen now so I went outside and my sister stayed in the bathroom and unfortunately I could still see inside. I couldn’t see one hundred percent but I could definitely see enough. It didn’t help that the bathroom light was so bright and the shutters were so old and bent in certain parts. This made me so uncomfortable so I covered the window with a towel so at least no one could see me use the bathroom. When I mentioned this to the owner (very politely after assuring her everything else was great) she got weirdly defensive and spammed me with pictures for days trying to prove me wrong. But I know what I saw and you can’t always see stuff in pictures that you can in real life. If you do decide to go here, please be aware of this because I found the window placement and the fact that she used these old shutters instead of proper curtains so odd.
Final Verdict:
Overall, we had a good time at Eco Farmhouse: Ostrich House. But for the price, it was really lacking. I could have gone to a better place for cheaper. Why didn’t I? I fell for the false advertising online. It was shown to be this luxurious, well kept place. Which it just wasn’t.
As for my final verdict on Eco Farmhouse: Ostrich House? I wouldn’t recommend it simply because the price is too high for the experience you’re getting. For that price you could go to a much better and actually luxurious place in Kenya.
Hope you enjoyed my Eco Farmhouse: Ostrich House review! Let me know your thoughts about it in the comments below!
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Wow, Pooja, the bugs alone are enough to drive me out really fast! Heck no. You look so pretty in that well-lit room! How many tattoos do you have? I noticed the playing cards have the Canadian Maple Leaf on them, I love Canada! ❤️
Thanks for sharing your journey. I would not feel comfortable in the bathroom and would have covered with thick curtains.
Thanks and yeah I was quite uncomfortable because of the bathroom too. I ended up using a towel to cover up the area next to the toilet.
Lol the bugs were definitely annoying and unfortunately my sister had to deal with most of them. Thanks! I have three tattoos so far but hope to get a few more tiny ones 😊 Yesss, Canada is so great! We wanted to bring back some souvenirs to remind us of our time there and these cards were on sale lol 🇨🇦
Will you move back to Canada?
I don’t know about move but I want to visit soon. I would love to live there but the living expenses in Canada are just too high due to inflation.
I didn’t know that, Pooja. The cost of living is higher in Las Vegas than outside of the city. A few weeks ago, my sister came to visit and we drove about an hour north of Las Vegas and the gas prices were substantially lower. So stupid! 🤬
That’s awful. So annoying that you’re paying more for the same thing.
Spamming is really no no, and I had something similar happen to me once after a restaurant review (he said I was imagining things on the menu which I literally ordered, ate and didn’t recommend, hence the spamming lol). I think the fact you’ve been honest about the spamming in your review, and if I were you I would mention it and particularly the bathroom literally anywhere else you can leave a review, also the dirtiness because those are big issues. It sounds to me like the owner has an ambition but no clue, sadly. One of my Mum’s friends owns a hotel on island of Malta, lovely lady. She’d never behave like this. I hope she manages to fix it.
I don’t understand why people react like that about constructive criticism. Also denying it was on the menu is so weird lol.
Yeah she handled it horribly. I was so nice about my constructive criticism when I could have been much harsher. I wrote about it in the public review on Airbnb and I think that’s what pissed her off lol. But people deserve to know.
Right? Like dude, chill, it’s not like I can close your business down with one TripAdvisor review lol. I noticed as well he was attacking anyone who didn’t give him 5 stars, definitely not good for business.
Honestly some people don’t understand and they get so defensive, they think they’re perfect and everyone else is flawed lol. I don’t blame you at all for being honest, or wanting to be honest. It says a lot for who you are.
Lol it’s always a red flag when people react like that to negative reviews. You just know the business will shut down eventually. If you’re good at business you know the negative reviews are more important than the positive ones as those help you improve.
I feel like people who do that are so insecure because why are you taking something so personally when it’s not that deep. Like just take it on the chin and grow from it.
Exactly, There’s a way to criticise for sure and I will only be harsh if I need to be harsh, like if something is seriously unsafe (and I’ve dealt with exposed electrical wires and a glass shower screen that fell inwards on me while I was in the shower once, so we’re not exactly talking peeling paint here lol). If you just didn’t like the food or the decor was not to your tastes though? There is a difference between “it wasn’t to my personal tastes” and “it felt like a retirement home”. Treat others how you would like to be treated I say.
Yeah, I think it’s tricky though because people will naturally be defensive about their businesses (especially their own ventures, like yours or mine) and that’s why empathy pays, It is though walking a fine like between preserving the owner’s feelings and being honest with everyone else. I always try to be balanced and empathetic in my reviews for that reason, I ask myself how I would feel if someone criticised KWAT. That usually keeps me in check lol.
Absolutely, in most cases it’s important to be polite and respectful. The shower screen falling on you would have had me pissed though lol.
I’m the same way. I try to be really polite with my constructive criticism especially when it comes to stuff like this. I didn’t even mention a lot of the issues and just pointed out the window thing while also adding lots of positives. I don’t want to ruin her business just help her improve it.
Well…I’m glad I don’t plan to go there! Bugs…ewww! Yeah. This is one of the reasons I like the Midwest! At least the extremely cold winters deal with most of the bugs! Snow and ice may be inconvenient, but at least there aren’t huge bugs! Shudder! Sorry your trip wasn’t all you’d hoped for!
Yeah, the bugs were definitely an issue! I don’t mind bugs that much but there were just too many in the house and that made us very uncomfortable.
Oh man! Those ostriches still look pretty intimidating. Sorry about the bugs, but your photos are beautiful!
Yup they were huge!
Thank you 😊
The place looks nice and peaceful, the green is very relaxing.
I love the fruit trees. I haven’t seen dragon fruit tree in real life.
Do you suggest this place should be visited in rainy season? As the place will look great then (ignoring the mud).
Ostriches looks very similar to a dinosaur. I doubt if Dino ever gone extinct, they just evolve. Look at the leg of those beings. They are huge.
Was your sister able to feed them this time?
How do you eat raw papaya? Is there a way? We have papaya trees, and I feel growing them naturally is very hard. The one you see in market are mostly infected. Usually papaya is very sweet if it’s straight from the tree.
You know in the last video you had shown the bathroom and I felt that why there’s a huge window in the bathroom? And what’s outside? Because you might get unnoticed at the day, but at night it’s obviously noticeable. There should not be any kind of windows in the bathroom. Ventilation works well.
Obviously, you have mixed feelings. When we pay enough, we deserve better services, specially with bedroom and all.
How did you even found that blog? haha
That’s my 14th post, It made it too detailed.
Thanks for the shoutout. I need more such posts for more shout outs.
The reason you haven’t seen dragonfruit trees is because they don’t exist. They grow on cactus!
I think all birds and reptiles are technically dinosaurs? Maybe I’m wrong though, I’m no palaeontologist 😅
Raw papaya can be eaten in so many ways. You can make achar (pickle). You can make curries from it or add it to daal. You can also make dishes like Thai papaya salad. And for something unhealthy, you can make papaya fries. They’re awesome.
Yeah, I found the windows so unnecessary. I prefer vents too and have never seen such windows in a bathroom in my life. Plus, it was worse because the staff used to be around the exact area where the windows were. Like they would randomly show up sometimes and I would be so uncomfortable if I was in the bathroom. I even had to tell my dad and sister not to sit outside when I was in the bathroom lol.
Lol why don’t you have a search button on your site?? I had to Google to find the post 😅
I’ve eaten dragon fruit only once, so I lost curiosity about it after tasting it.
Yes birds, replied are somewhat evolved from dinosaur. Ostrich infact look like one.
Thanks for providing valuable info about papaya.
Windows made no sense. Maybe it was intentional 🤷🏻♂️
Are you sure there were no hidden cameras? This is serious.
Ahh… Infact I’ve added some recent things on my site. Last week you wouldn’t have find a about me page 🤦🏻♂️.
I never took interest to explore it and now I feel I need to upgrade it more.
Thanks for the advice.
I won’t be shy to admit that, you inspired me to make several changes on the site( you and/or your site, let’s say that)😊
Yeah, I always check for hidden cameras so that wasn’t an issue. As far as I know at leat.
I’m glad my site inspired you to make changes to yours. I really like how your site looks too. It’s a fun look.
I am learning more things about how to make it better.
lovely outdoor adventures and the images are beautiful.
Indoors… Not so much so. bugs are creepy. 😁🤭
Thanks for sharing 🤍✨
Thank you so much. The outdoors was lovely but the indoors was severely lacking I’m afraid 😕
😂 in all this… We very well enjoyed your review 😁
my pleasure 🤍
I don’t know if I can deal with a place that has an almost open view of the bathroom. Otherwise, it seems like a place worth checking out at least once.
Yeah, the other stuff was something I could have dealt with but the windows made me extremely uncomfortable. Especially because the way they were located meant everyone could see in if they choose to since there’s a lounge area outside the window.
Seems like a nice getaway. Bugs are a problem, but I am guessing it’s the time of year and the environment. Still, they should sort it. Open bathroom may work in some cultures, but best to keep it private and secluded to encourage comfort and security. God review.. lovely pics. I love nature so it’s appealing. 👍👍
Yeah, it was fun overall but unfortunately it was lacking in some ways. I think the bugs had more to do with how dirty/unkept it was more than the weather and environment. And yeah, some people are fine with open bathrooms but I feel like there should have been curtains for those that aren’t. Thanks so much 😊
Insanitary is a no go. I hope they take this review as something to help them improve, rather than take it personal. You’re a paying customer. Your review of your experience should matter.
Yes, I hope so too. I think this farm could be perfect if they make some changes.
Those ostriches look much bigger than I imagined. I keep my distance from big animals!
They were huge lol, I felt tiny and vulnerable when they were near me.
I like the sound of the lizards (I love lizards) but I don’t like the sound of those spiders (I have a phobia).
The lizards were cute but I didn’t love them pooping everywhere including near our food. I don’t have a phobia of spiders but my sister does and ironically she ended up with the room with all the spiders.
Sounds like you were unintentionally living in nature. It’s a no for me, but I’m sure people like that.
The privacy thing is a bit jarring. I don’t know if they want tourist from everywhere but that needs to be fixed. Next thing you know you see “adult” websites with people showering and doing other things from Ostrich House. How unfortunate and creepy.
Lol yeah, it was a little more nature than we signed up for 😅
Yeah, that’s what freaked me out. And you know AirBnB’s don’t have to follow the same rules as hotels so they can get away with so many creepy things. I wanted to share that since it was a safety risk in my opinion. And her being so weird and defensive was a red flag for me.
I know…like girl…fix it.👀 You at least were kind about it. Others would’ve had her business labeled as something bad.
She’s strange for spamming you too.
Seriously, her reaction was bizarre. Why get so defensive when someone is trying to help you.
Especially something that is a human rights violation in many countries! Like dang!
It’s illegal here too but I think she just doesn’t care lol!
Often in an eco village, people forget to mention about insects. I read about such reviews about a safari lodge in India. It was also advertised as eco village and luxurious. Safety features like at least covering the bathroom window is something they should have take care of.
The ostrich bird looks very moody. 😁
I went in expecting some insects but the amount of insects in the house threw me off. Unfortunately some places do partake in false advertising.
Lol ostriches are definitely mood and unpredictable.
Beautiful photos, Pooja, and thank you for your thorough review. Too bad the cleanliness isn’t up to par.
Thanks so much. Yes, if they made improvements it would be a wonderful place.
You’re welcome, Pooja!
Sorry it wasn’t worth the price! Still, sounds like you had a good time overall and that’s what counts (apart from the nice things you could have purchased with the money you saved 😂)
I almost brought up a CSS issue with this page, but it’s not you it’s WordPress. Viewing it in the reader puts the borders of your images off to the right an inch or so but on your own page it’s fine. Come on, WordPress. Get your ish together. Lol
Lol at least I got two posts and videos out of it. And finally found some raw fruits since I prefer those over ripe ones.
Urgh yeah WP always messes up my images like that on the Reader 😫
Wow, the bathroom curtain really needs to be fixed or replaced. I guess bringing your own curtain is a good advice for people who want to go to this place. Love the fruits and the ostriches. How expensive papaya, mango, and dragon fruits are these days. I mean they have all doubled if not tripled their price in the last one and half years. There used to be a farm around here that offers fruit picking like Asian pears or Fuji apples, but they have stopped that activity. I guess it is because they can sell the fruit to NYC for such a good price that they don’t need to offer fruit picking experience to make extra money any more. Or probably the experience cost so much now that people don’t go anyway.
Yeah, the bathroom was pretty uncomfortable because I feel like it needed proper curtains.
Yes, fruits are so expensive now. It’s so sad.
I think many places have stopped offering fruit picking as it’s no longer worth it for them. It makes more to just sell the fruits.
Tell me about it. The prices are over the roof right now. And another thing I have noticed is that there are no good coupons anymore. I have a friend who’s a coupon expert and even she cannot rely on coupons to save. LOL. Life is changing and let’s hope for the best. I don’t want to be a pessimist. I know that when it will be better and challenges will only make us stronger and resilient–I hope I don’t sound fake by saying this.
Yeah, the world is crazy right now due to this inflation. I get what you’re saying and I too hope things will get better. But inflation is incredibly difficult to control.
I love the pics. I am sorry but the bugs and lizards would be a deal breaker for me. The bathroom window is weird and not trustworthy.
Thanks. I didn’t mind the bugs and lizards too much but the bathroom window was just an instant no for me.
All the pictures are very beautiful, pooja!
The bugs and lizards crawling on the ground are enough to keep me away from that place forever.
You can consider it as “the bad” because these issues are very serious.
Thanks so much. Lol yeah, the bugs weren’t great but the bathroom was the worst part for me 😫
I agree!!
That sounds awful! Great review! I’d rather experience “wild life” in the wild. (If I were young … . which I did). Hang in there. 🙂
Thanks! 🙂
Hi Pooja, your photos are gorgeous, the ostrich experience is priceless, and all that fruit sounds delicious. But “the bad” that you list is really bad. In fact, it’s astounding they don’t do anything about the issues you mention. The dirt and the bathroom privacy issues are awful, but the bugs would keep me away. Spiders? Yikes! I have arachnophobia, so there is no way I could sleep in those beds. I empathize with your sister. Just thinking about it gives me goosebumps. Anyway, it’s definitely an adventure to write about. 🙂 ❤️
Thank you so much. Yes, that was the problem. The good was great but the bad was really bad. And that’s what made me decide not to visit again.
My sister definitely had it the worst with spiders and she’s quite scared of them too. I don’t know how she got the courage to stay in the room after seeing those spiders everywhere 😯
Sometimes we find ourselves in situations where we have to make the best of it. So, I think your sister persevered because that’s where you were staying and nothing was going to change. And I commend her unstoppable courage. 🥰
Yeah, I think that’s absolutely it. She made the best of it as we all did.
This looks like so much fun! I will add “feed ostriches” to my bucket list!
It’s definitely a lot of fun!
A packed post and thorough review, Pooja. I am bird fan, but Ostriches are slightly terrifying to me. They seem unpredictable! There is an ostrich farm in AZ that is a tourist attraction. Hopefully the venue reads your review and makes the necessary changes.
Yeah, ostriches are quite unpredictable and pretty wild. You always have to be extra careful. They read my review since I posted a review on Airbnb but the owner was so odd about it and tried to gaslight me which I found weird.
Yes, one must be careful. Ostriches are very strong too, as you are aware. Well, you can’t control others, but you certainly put a lot of effort into your assessment of the experience.
They’re so strong, even being bitten by them would be so painful. Thanks, I tried to be fair in the review and mention the good and bad honestly.
Great photos. The photos look like you had a great time. Too bad your review says otherwise. Like you said, pictures don’t tell you everything. That picture of the blinds with the black circles looks like a shocked face. Very fitting. Probably how you felt when you realized what could be seen.
Haha yes, I had the same look on my face. Thanks so much.
I guess the bugs, lizards and other insects were there to improve your experience in the wilds of nature 🤣. Feeding the ostriches was cool, but not liking ripe mangoes had me questioning if I should press the unlike button on you 🤣🤣. Love me some juicy ripe mangoes 🥭🥭.
Lol maybe that was it 😅 I just can’t eat ripe mangoes, I hate the texture so I stick with the raw one 😆
I can’t get enough but I hear you.
good review Pooja and sounds like a great time with the amazing dragon fruit minus the spiders one could do without. I hope you don’t have nightmares of Ostriches chasing you and spiders biting you!💞
Thanks! Lol no nightmares so far so fingers crossed 😅
Hahah 😂💕 🤞
Nice report. 🙂
Thanks so much 🙂
Glad you got your raw papayas! 😂
Lol yeah, I got quite a few and still have one left so at least there’s that 😅
Loved seeing the photos of the ostriches. Wow! It’s amazing we share the Earth with them. Really enjoyed this post!
Thanks and yeah they really are magnificant creatures!
Great job with the video and I love seeing all the photos. As for the bug situation, I wouldn’t like that inside either. Inside you want to be able to relax without swatting at bugs or being afraid to sleep because of seeing so many inside. I have never experienced anything like that and I used to go camping when I was younger. And the windows in the bathroom does sound unusual for a public place. Yes I have had windows in the bathroom in my home but never at a resort or such. Nice job Pooja and I’m happy though that you had a chance to get away for a short time.
Thank you so much. Yeah, the bugs were too much for me. And I understand why you have windows in your own home but it was weird here. I don’t mind the windows even here, but I have an issue with the fact that you could see through them.
I don’t blame you for bathrooms being a dealbreaker. I won’t go into a public bathroom without wearing a mask these days, because those things are crawling with germs! Love your trousers btw!
Absolutely, bathrooms are quite unhygienic and it’s best to be safe than sorry. Thank you!
I actually judge a place by how clean their bathroom is. Says a lot about them
Yeah, I do that too. Even if the place itself looks nice, having an unclean bathroom is a dealbreaker.