Who needs the zoo? At this
Kenyan retreat, guests can
get up close and personal
with a local herd of Rothschild’s
girafes that roam the grounds—140
acres of indigenous forest—and
even pop their heads into the main
dining room during meals. The
estate has served as a sanctuary for
the endangered subspecies since the
mid-1970s, when it was purchased
by conservationist Betty Leslie-
Melville, who established a breeding
program that continues today. Since
then, its 12 stately bedrooms—
one of which is furnished with
the belongings ofOut of Africa
author Karen Blixen—have hosted
thousands of visitors, including
Mick Jagger, Brooke Shields and
Ellen DeGeneres, whose stay (and
accompanying Instagram posts)
made headlines earlier this year.
Rates start at $565 per person per
night, including food and transport
to local excursions, such as the David
Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, where
guests can help care for orphaned
baby elephants.—Megan McCluskeyTHE ON-SITE SAFARI
GIRAFFE MANOR,NAIROBIHARNESSING
HYDROPOWER
IVEAGH GARDEN
HOTEL,DUBLIN
RACING
ON WATER
NORWEGIANBLISS
Although Iveagh
offers plenty of guest
perks—a central
location, views of
lush surroundings—
its greatest feature
lies below the
surface: the new
hotel, housed in a
20th century bank
building, has been
retroitted to source
all of its energy from
an underground river.
Manager John Pardy
says the changes
decreased their
energy usage by
78%, making it one of
the most sustainable
hotels in Europe.
—Samantha Cooney
If this ship’s 984-ft.
go-kart track, the lon-
gest at sea, sounds
like something a kid
might concoct, that’s
because it is: the
idea originally came
via the grandchildren
of Frank del Rio,
CEO and president
of Norwegian Cruise
Line Holdings. But
this $1 billion, 4,000-
guest ship, which
took its inaugural
journey to Alaska in
June, offers attrac-
tions that cater to
adults too, including
an onboard casino
and a 20,000-sq.-ft.
observation lounge.
—Alejandro
de la Garza
THE WORLD’S GREATEST PLACES 2018