The Lodge

Location: Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya
Number of Cottages: 7

Lewa House overlooks the valleys and hills of the vast Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, with the Mathews Range rising on the horizon. The small camp consists of a main building with a cozy lounge and dining area, a central swimming pool and thatched bar, three original two-bedroom cottages, which have been recently renovated, and four new cottages. Each cottage has an en suite bathroom and a private veranda where guests can sit under the night skies and marvel at the stars. Comfortable sofas, fresh flowers and unique local art enhance the warm and inviting atmosphere at Lewa House.The main building and lounge overlook the plains below, where extraordinary numbers of wildlife roam. The pool and bar overlook a nearby watering hole that attracts animals for close-up observation. Outstanding meals are served in the main dining area, which has a fireplace that invites guests to relax in the cool of the evening and share stories from the day’s adventures.

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Facilities & Amenities

• En suite bathroom with shower (some tubs)
• 220v charging outlets in room
• In-room safe
• Central pool
• Massage treatments (extra cost)
• Wi-Fi in main area
• Laundry included
• Local drinks included (house alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks)

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Wildlife Viewing & Activities

Lewa Conservancy offers a firsthand experience of groundbreaking wildlife conservation work. A pacesetter for bringing back endangered species, this private refuge has become the leading role model for sustainable conservation in East Africa. It has played an instrumental role in returning black and white rhinoceros from the brink of extinction and is also a sanctuary for Grevy's zebra and sitatunga, a rare aquatic antelope. Lewa’s mixed habitats include open grasslands and gentle hills, mature acacia forest and papyrus swamp, harboring a wide range of wildlife. The Big Five -- lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo -- thrive here alongside cheetah, wildebeest, hartebeest, giraffe, hippo, hyena, colobus monkey and wild dog. Lewa is home to more than 400 bird species, including Somali ostrich, kori bustard and lilac-breasted roller. On day and night game drives, bush walks, and horseback and camel rides against the backdrop of snowcapped Mt. Kenya, learn about Lewa’s mission to act as a catalyst for conservation across Africa.

The conservancies of the Laikipia District have varying concentrations and species of wildlife, and the below chart helps to illustrate major wildlife sightings often experienced in the area. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is a rhino sanctuary, and this and other reserves in Laikipia feature unique subspecies, such as reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, Somali ostrich, gerenuk, and Jackson’s hartebeest and a number of other mammals, birds and reptiles. Exact sightings will depend on seasonality and wildlife movements.

Climate

Conservation

With the precipitous decline of black rhinos across Africa in the 1970s, government wildlife agencies and conservation organizations increasingly turned to private landowners, non-profit organizations and indigenous communities to protect the few remaining animals. In Kenya, the number of black rhinos dropped from an estimated 20,000 to fewer than 300 animals, and the only way to prevent their complete extinction was to create high security sanctuaries. In 1983, David and Delia Craig set aside 5,000 acres of their ranch as a rhino sanctuary, and the rest is history, as they recruited extensive support to help track, capture and relocate every remaining wild rhino in northern Kenya for breeding and protection. The program was so successful that eventually the entire ranch, encompassing 65,000 acres of diverse wildlife habitat, became the non-profit Lewa Wildlife Conservancy in 1995.Today, Kenya’s premier wildlife refuge and rehabilitation center employs more than 300 people and works with local communities in innovative approaches to conservation.

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