Rivers of Story ~Kenya ~ 7 Nights / 8 Days
Among the Acacias there is space to listen….
This intimate writing retreat unfolds beneath the wide skies of Kenya, where acacia-dotted plains stretch toward distant mountains and the rhythms of the wild invite you to slow down, sharpen your attention, and let the landscape do what it has always done best: tell stories.
We begin in Nairobi at Karen Gables, a peaceful garden retreat in the leafy enclave of Karen—a gentle place to land, gather, and begin. From there, we journey north to Sosian Lodge, an intimate old ranch house set within 24,000 acres of private wilderness.
For five nights, Sosian becomes both our home and our muse. Our writing sessions move with us into the landscape: morning prompts over breakfast in the bush, a fireside session beside the river with the option to sleep beneath the stars, and a morning devoted to birds, observation, and words from Sosian’s treehouse overlooking the acacia-fringed dam.
Between sessions, we head deeper into the wild—on game drives, bush walks, horseback rides, and excursions across Sosian’s vast private land. There is time, too, to simply be still: to watch elephants gather at the water, listen to the extraordinary chorus of birdlife, or find a quiet corner beneath an acacia with your notebook.
Back at the old ranch house, evenings unfold beside the log fire and around Sosian’s communal table, where wonderful food, generous hospitality, and the stories of the day are shared.
This is not a safari with a writing workshop attached. The safari is the workshop. The landscape becomes our writing room, wildlife our invitation to observe more closely, and the rhythms of the bush a way of slowing down enough to notice what might otherwise pass us by.
The Experience
2 nights at Karen Gables — a secluded garden retreat in Nairobi’s leafy Karen neighborhood
5 nights at Sosian Lodge, Laikipia — an intimate ranch house surrounded by 24,000 acres of private wilderness
Writing prompts over breakfast in the bush
A fireside writing session beside the river, with the option to camp beneath the stars
Birdwatching and writing from the treehouse overlooking Sosian’s acacia-fringed dam
Sundowners on Baboon Rock, as the last light stretches across the Laikipia wilderness
Wildlife encounters by vehicle and on foot across Sosian’s private conservancy
Horseback riding through the bush for those who wish to experience the landscape from the saddle
River walks, fishing, sundowners, and evenings around the fire
Thoughtfully curated meals and beautiful spaces designed for conversation, connection, and quiet
Kenya | Among the Acacias at Sosian
Laikipia Plateau | A Rivers of Story Writing Retreat
The Retreat
Day by Day
Day 1 — Nairobi: Arrival & Exhale
Welcome to Kenya.
Upon arrival in Nairobi, we make our way to Karen Gables, a peaceful garden retreat tucked into the leafy neighborhood of Karen. With its lush grounds, inviting verandas, and residential atmosphere, it offers a soft landing after the long journey to East Africa.
Today is intentionally unscheduled. Settle into your room, wander the gardens, take a swim, read, nap, or simply allow yourself to arrive.
There is nowhere you need to be. The journey begins by slowing down.
Day 2 — Karen: Where the Story Begins
After breakfast, our Rivers of Story retreat officially begins with a visit to the Karen Blixen Museum, the former home of the writer whose life in Kenya inspired Out of Africa.
We wander through the house and grounds where Blixen lived and wrote, considering the complicated relationship between writer and place—and the ways landscape, memory, and experience become story.
We return to Karen Gables for lunch together, followed by a free afternoon to experience Nairobi at your own pace. Browse the shops and galleries of Karen, visit the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, explore more of the city, or simply retreat to the gardens with a book and notebook.
That evening, we come together at Karen Gables for our opening group dinner—our first chance to gather around the table, meet one another properly, and look ahead to the days of writing and wilderness to come.
Tomorrow, we leave the city behind for the savannah of Laikipia.
Day 3 — Arrival at Sosian: Into the Wild
We leave Nairobi behind and travel north toward the wide-open landscapes of Laikipia, where ranchland, wilderness, and wildlife meet beneath an enormous African sky.
Along the way, we pause at the Equator, marking our crossing from the Southern into the Northern Hemisphere—a fitting threshold as we journey deeper into Kenya.
From here, we continue north to Sosian Lodge, an old ranch house at the heart of a vast private conservancy. Settle into your cottage, wander the gardens, or simply sit with the strange and wonderful feeling of having arrived somewhere very far from ordinary life.
As evening falls, we gather for our first game drive, followed by sundowners overlooking the landscape and dinner around Sosian’s communal table.
The retreat continues with a simple invitation: pay attention.
Day 4 — Breakfast in the Bush: The Landscape as Muse
We wake early and head into the bush as the landscape comes alive—elephants moving through the acacias, giraffe appearing between the trees, birds calling across the plains.
Rather than returning to the lodge, breakfast is waiting for us in the wild.
Over coffee and breakfast beneath the acacias, with the Ewaso River as our gentle neighbor, we open our notebooks for our first writing session. With no walls around us and the morning stretching in every direction, we begin with prompts inspired by place, observation, and the stories landscapes hold.
The afternoon is deliberately spacious: write, swim, read, nap, or simply watch the comings and goings around the lodge.
Later, we head out again for a game drive before returning to the old ranch house for drinks by the log fire and dinner together.
Day 5 — The Treehouse: Learning to Look
This morning is devoted to the art of noticing.
We make our way to Sosian’s treehouse overlooking the Acacia Dam, where we settle in with binoculars, notebooks, for a bird-watching session.
Here, writing and observation become inseparable. We listen for calls, watch movement across the water, and consider how much of a story can be found simply by staying still long enough to see it.
After lunch, the afternoon is yours for independent writing and rest.
As the heat softens, in the early afternoon we gather for tea and a review of the work of the first two days, before we head back into the conservancy for an evening game drive, returning to Sosian for dinner around the communal table.
Day 6 — Following the River: Beneath the African Sky
Today we follow the landscape toward the river.
The morning is yours to experience Sosian at your own pace. Try your hand at fishing, explore the conservancy by mountain bike, head out on horseback, join a game drive, or simply stay behind at the lodge to read, write, swim, and rest. There is no agenda beyond following your curiosity.
Later in the afternoon, we make our way into the bush for an intimate fireside writing session. As the light begins to soften and the fire crackles beside us, our prompts turn toward memory, instinct, and the stories we carry with us.
As darkness settles over Laikipia, our writing session gives way to a bush dinner beneath the stars—a long table set in the wilderness, surrounded by lantern light, firelight, and the sounds of the African night.
Those who want to take the experience one step further can camp out in the bush, trading the comforts of the lodge for canvas, firelight, and a sky crowded with stars. For everyone else, Sosian’s old ranch house awaits, with its deep verandas, log fire, and familiar comforts.
Day 7 — Among the Acacias: A Story Takes Shape
By now, Sosian has begun to feel familiar—the morning bird calls, the dusty tracks, the silhouettes of acacias, the rhythm of leaving on safari and returning home again.
Our final full day allows room for choice. Head out on another game drive, take a guided bush walk, spend the morning writing, or simply let yourself be still.
Before lunch we gather for our final workshop, bringing together fragments, observations, memories, and ideas collected throughout the week. The goal isn't necessarily to leave with something finished, but with something begun.
In the late afternoon, we set out across the conservancy for one of Sosian’s most memorable rituals: sundowners on Baboon Rock.
We climb to our perch as the light begins to change, drinks in hand, watching the landscape turn gold beneath us. It is a moment for conversation, reflection, and perhaps a few lines scribbled into a notebook before darkness falls.
Day 8 — Departure: What We Carry Home
One final early morning in the bush.
Coffee. Birdsong.
After breakfast, we say goodbye to Sosian and begin our journey back toward Nairobi.
We leave with dusty shoes and fuller notebooks—but also with something harder to pack away: a renewed attention to the world, and to the stories waiting within it.
This Retreat Is For You If…
You believe travel and storytelling are inseparable
You crave the kind of inspiration that comes from wild places, not pressure
You want to experience Kenya beyond the traditional safari—from breakfasts in the bush to fireside writing beneath the acacias
You value intimacy, beauty, and days with room to wander
You are curious about the rhythms of the wild and what happens when you slow down enough to notice
You are ready to listen—to the landscape, to your work, and to yourself
Meet Your Writing Instructor:
Lisa Fugard
Lisa Fugard was born in South Africa and came to the United States in 1980. After a career in theater in New York, London, and South Africa, she turned to writing. Her short stories have been published in Story, Outside, and numerous literary magazines, and her travel writing, essays, and book reviews have appeared in The New York Times.
Her first novel, Skinner’s Drift, a compelling story of family secrets set in rural South Africa, was named a Notable Book of 2006 by the New York Times, a finalist for the Los Angeles Times’ Art Seidenbaum Award for First Fiction, and runner-up for the 2007 Dayton Literary Peace Prize.
She lives in Southern California, where she runs weekly workshops in Encinitas and is currently at work on her second novel.
What’s Included
Accommodation
2 nights at Karen Gables, Nairobi — an intimate, character-filled retreat in the leafy Karen neighborhood, surrounded by gardens and offering a peaceful beginning to our journey
5 nights at Sosian Lodge — a historic ranch house set within a vast private conservancy in the heart of Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau
Beautiful ensuite cottages surrounded by gardens and wilderness, with access to the lodge’s pool, verandas, and inviting communal spaces
Meals & Dining
Daily breakfast throughout the retreat
Welcome lunch and dinner in Nairobi
Daily breakfasts, lunches, and dinners at Sosian
Bush breakfast surrounded by the landscape and wildlife of Laikipia
Bush dinner beneath the stars, with lantern light, firelight, and the sounds of the African night
Sundowners at Baboon Rock
Thoughtful meals featuring fresh, seasonal ingredients and local flavors
Guided Writing Sessions
Daily writing instruction and workshops with award-winning author Lisa Fugard
Writing prompts woven into the landscape, from breakfast in the bush to quiet afternoons at the lodge
An intimate fireside writing session in the bush, exploring memory, instinct, place, and the stories we carry
Opportunities for personalized feedback, conversation, and independent creative exploration
Curated Excursions & Experiences
Private visit to the Karen Blixen Museum, exploring the former home and gardens of the author of Out of Africa
Private game drives across Sosian’s expansive conservancy
Horseback riding through the Laikipia wilderness
Mountain biking and guided walks
Fishing and time spent exploring the river
Birdwatching from the treehouse overlooking the acacia-fringed dam
Sundowners at Baboon Rock as the sun sets over Laikipia
Optional overnight bush camping experience beneath the stars
Time intentionally left unscheduled to read, write, swim, rest, or follow your curiosity
Lodge Comforts & Amenities
Comfortable ensuite rooms and cottages throughout the retreat
Swimming pools, gardens, deep verandas, and inviting communal spaces
Sosian’s historic ranch house and log fire for relaxed evenings
Quiet corners for writing, reading, and reflection
Local Experts & Safari Team
Experienced Sosian guides and trackers offering an intimate understanding of the conservancy, its wildlife, and landscape
Professional lodge team and hosts throughout the stay
Guided activities tailored to the interests and pace of the group
Transfers & Logistics
Airport arrival transfer to Karen Gables
Transportation for our Day 2 visit to the Karen Blixen Museum
Private transportation from Nairobi to Sosian, including a celebratory stop as we cross the Equator
All conservancy fees and scheduled safari activities
Private group transportation throughout the retreat
Return transfer from Sosian to Nairobi at the conclusion of the retreat
What’s Not Included
International flights to and from Kenya
Internal flights within Kenya
Meals and tours not specified in the itinerary, including village visits, camp extras, and lunch and dinner on Day 1 in Nairobi
Massages and spa treatments
Gratuities for hotel, lodge, guide, and safari staff
Premium alcoholic beverages
Retreat Investment
| Room Type | Price (Per Person) | Notes | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Writer Sharing | $10,000 | 4 Spots | |
| Private Room | $11,750 | 4 Spots |
Payment Schedule -$3500 non-refundable deposit due within 7 days of booking. 2nd Payment of $3500 due ___ Balances due___
Contact Us
For questions or to reserve your spot, please contact us:
thecuratedpassenger@gmail.com
+ 1 323.608.8553.
We’re happy to help with cabin selection, itinerary details, or any special requests.