When Prince William slipped his mother’s ring on Kate Middleton’s manicured finger, he gave the royal seal of approval to the latest travel trend: the search for authenticity. You can’t keep it much more real than the Rutundu log cabin in Kenya, where he popped the question. Fifteen kilometres from the nearest road, it has no electricity and offers hyenas, leopards and glorious isolation rather than paparazzi.
It is high-profile proof that luxury no longer means six-star bling, butlers and 24-hour room service. Now it’s all about getting back to basics. Remoteness is the ultimate luxury.
The 28-year-old groom-to-be asked Kate to be his wife on the veranda of their cabin, The Sun reported.
The pair then enjoyed a bottle of champagne – kept cool in the outdoor ‘fridge’ – a wooden cupboard, before tucking into a meal prepared by the resort staff.
Before retiring to their four-poster bed, the pair are said to have snuggled happily in front of a roaring fire.
Accessible only by air, horseback, or via a 15km walk from the nearest road, the estate is a favourite hideaway for the Prince, who first visited it two years ago.
Surrounded by elephant, hyena, buffalo and leopard, the isolated spot is also famed for its trout fishing at both Lake Rutundu and Lake Alice.
A source said: ‘Short of being inside the SAS’s base at Hereford, this is the safest place in the world for William.
‘It is the one place he can be himself. And he does not have to be guarded because the wildlife there are his guardians.’
Rutundu Log Cabins are situated on the northern slopes of Mount Kenya, at 10,200 feet, just above the forest line. In total privacy, these log cabins are positioned overlooking Lake Rutundu, surrounded by alpine country, a home for unique bird life and vegetation.