Lewa Wilderness

Life on safari is intertwined with wildlife movements which means early mornings and late afternoons. When you arrive at camp, your hosts will talk you through the normal daily routine on safari, what to expect while you’re riding as well as the other activities at the lodge.

As the sun starts to rise, sit on your cottage verandah with your morning tea or coffee. Mornings are magical as you get ready for your day of adventure, listening to the sound of the river, and watching giraffe and zebra grazing in the valley below. Every morning you can choose between a variety of excursions: game drives, bush walks or horseback riding. If you opt for a horse safari, you’re in for a treat! Your expert guides take you deep into the wilderness to places only accessible by horseback. Allow your horse to take you confidently alongside the plains game including rhino, zebra, impala, and giraffe for unforgettable wildlife encounters. Each ride is as thrilling as the last, heading out in a different direction each day to discover new terrain. For experienced riders, this open country offers some thrilling trails for long canters and even the odd gallop!

Just when you are starting to feel ready for a more substantial breakfast, you might turn a corner and find a beautiful breakfast spread set up under the shade of an acacia tree. There is something quite magical about hopping off your horse and enjoying a sumptuous breakfast with it tethered nearby. Non-riders will arrive at the same special spot by open game vehicle or on foot, so no one gets left out.

After a delicious bush breakfast, options include a camel ride to enjoy the scenery from a great vantage point, a game drive to watch animals drinking at the river, or a stroll down to the farm to see where much of the delicious food comes from. For those wanting a more relaxed pace, lying by the infinity pool with a good book is hard to beat! There is plenty of time to just relax and take in the ambience of this incredible lodge.

A late lunch is serviced in the open-sided dining room. It’s a sumptuous buffet including plenty of fresh vegetables from the community garden. The hillside opposite provides fantastic game viewing opportunities and often you’ll have the chance of an “armchair safari” right from the dining table.  Enjoy an afternoon at leisure. Dive into some of the historical books in the living room, have a nap in the sun or just take in the endless views!

Before the afternoon’s adventure, enjoy afternoon tea on the verandah of the Craigs’ family home. This afternoon you can head out again on horseback, or swap your saddle for the rumble of a game drive vehicle instead. For those seeking adventure, you can also hop into the vintage bi-plane for a completely different safari experience!

As the light starts to change, enjoy sundowner drinks and the stunning vistas that Lewa provides before heading back to the lodge for pre-dinner drinks around a cosy fire in the sitting room. After dinner, sit out on the deck and marvel at the millions of bright stars twinkling in the clear African skies and reflect on a fabulous day in the bush. Then head to your room, falling asleep to the sound of the bush and dreaming of the day to come.

There’s nothing quite like experiencing the vast beauty of the African bush from horseback. During the day, the 30+ horses and ponies that call Lewa Wilderness home, enjoy grazing alongside these plains game. They become quite accustomed to each other’s presence allowing for some truly magical, up-close encounters!  Being on the horseback allows you to go where no car can take you. Ride through some of the most stunning, untouched landscapes with only the sound of your horse’s rhythmic hoofbeats and the brush of the grass on their legs. Walk in stride with giraffe, zebra, eland and more, becoming part of their herd. Canter across the golden plains and ride down into the valleys to an even more remote part of the bush where you might see elephants browsing in the tall acacia trees, rhinos wallowing in the mud holes or even a lion basking in the sunshine.

Many of the horses are quite comfortable carrying beginners, allowing even first-time riders to experience the African bush in the most authentic way.  Rides with beginners are short and more sedate, but no one will forget their first time in the saddle in Africa. There is also the opportunity for advanced riders to journey out on more challenging trails or to camp with the horses under the stary night skies.

If you opt for a fly camping experience, you’ll head out on a long afternoon ride. Arriving at a secluded spot where your tents will be set up and the horses will be comfortably tied to the picket line nearby.  Riders are welcomed by nice hot showers and crisp, cold beers. The team of Maasai guides will cook you a delicious meal and ensure you’re mosquito net tents are set in just the right spot for a perfect view of the stars. (Extra cost)

A team of fully-qualified driver guides are on hand for vehicle safaris across the conservancy. The specially adapted open vehicles allow for excellent game viewing.  At Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, a maximum of just 3 vehicles are allowed at a wildlife sighting to ensure exclusive and authentic wildlife encounters. The game drives are not limited to daylight hours. In this private conservancy, you get to explore at night using spotlight and the full moon when it obliges. Here, Big 5 viewings are quite common and guests are almost guaranteed to see the endangered black and white rhinos. In these special safari vehicles, you can often get closer to the big cats than on horseback – a sighting that will always get the heart racing!

Experience the thrill of walking amongst some of the wildest, untouched landscapes, in the silent morning mist, following the fresh tracks of a leopard. Venture on into the remote valleys, hills and plains of the Lewa Wilderness Conservatory and its neighbouring ranches. On foot you’ll learn the secrets of tracking wildlife, uses of different plants and have time to chat with your Masai guide about the local culture, stories and legends. The Maasai guides will use their lifetime of experience and expansive knowledge of the bush and its wildlife to guide you to the most beautiful vantage points and the best animal encounters. It is their deep understanding of the environment and the behaviour of the animals that provide the greatest experiences as well as keeps visitors safe.

From the beginnings of Lewa Wilderness in 1972, flying over the remarkable landscapes of northern and central Kenya has been a part of the family tradition. Opt for an early morning wake-up call and take to the clouds, departing on a private plane from the secluded lodge airstrip. Soar high above the snowy peaks of Mount Kenya, weave through gorges and dip down along the tree tops keeping a keen eye on the ground. Herds of elephants and other wildlife frequent the nearby Ewaso N’gero river. For an even more authentic African experience, wrap up in a sheepskin aviator jacket and head out on one of Lewa’s open-cockpit biplanes! Feel the wind in your hair, hear the roar of the engine and marvel at the breathtaking views as herds of buffalo and antelope gallop across the plains below. A once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Family-owned and operated, Lewa Wilderness always puts family time first! Your stay can be tailored for your family, with flexible meal times, private vehicles and experienced guides. Enjoy a wide range of activities for kids of all ages. Pony rides, camel rides, Maasai games, cave exploring and crab fishing in the freshwater springs are among some of the safari activities offered on-site.

Some additional off-site activities include the nearby Ngare Ndare forest and waterfalls. The ecosystem here is quite different from Lewa. Explore on the treetop canopy walk or enjoy a picnic and a swim at the spectacular waterfalls. Il Ngwesi, an authentic Maasai village, is another off-site option where guests can spend the day with the native people and explore their local culture and traditions. There is also the option to meet and visit with the children of Rehema Destitute Home, a home for orphaned children of nearby villages. 

There is also the opportunity to opt for a fly camp experience – be it for one night or more. Spend the day walking or horse riding and exploring the Kenyan bush whilst camels carry your luggage and camping gear to your destination for an unforgettable night in the bush. As you walk or ride from camp to camp, keep your eyes peeled, you are in Big 5 territory. Viewing these animals on horseback or foot is a truly exhilarating and memorable experience. Each night your camp will be set up in a different location and you will arrive in time to settle in for a famous African sunset. The tents are dome-shaped with mosquito nets and fly sheets, bucket showers with water heated from the fire and “long drop” loos in separate tents nearby. Each tent is outfitted with bedrolls, down pillows, sheets and blankets. Before turning in for the night, enjoy an authentic Kenyan camp dinner under the star-studded night skies and campfire stories with your Maasai guides.