Central Kenya Camps & Lodges
The snowcapped peaks of Mount Kenya, Africa’s second highest mountain, provide the centerpiece of the Central Highlands. Blessed with rich, volcanic soil, this is the country’s breadbasket and home to the Kikuyu people. Laikipia, a 3,670 square mile plateau extending northwest from Mount Kenya, is where you will find private conservancies and Samburu tribal lands rich in wildlife. Meru National Park lies to the east of Mount Kenya.
Lewa Wildlife Conservancy
This not-for-profit wildlife conservancy was founded in 1995 and is well-known as the leading model for conservation on private land, providing benefits to local communities and a prime destination for low-impact tourism. Spanning 65,000 acres on the Laikipia Plateau, the conservancy is home to about 10 percent of Kenya’s black rhino population and the single largest population of Grevy’s zebra in the world.
Lewa Wilderness
Laikipia
Lewa Downs has been the Craig family home since 1924 when the Craig grandparents came from England and began raising cattle here. Your hosts are Will and Emma Craig and their team of professional guides. The family home accommodates up to 18 guests in large thatched cottages with en-suite bathrooms and verandas. There is a swimming pool, tennis courts and horse stables. The food is wholesome, ranch style and organically grown. The wildlife experience on Lewa Downs suits guests from all walks of life and all ages. Game viewing on horseback, camel walks, escorted bush walks, farm and craft tours, and cultural visits are offered in addition to day and night game drives in open 4-wheel drive vehicles. 
And for those who want to travel back in time and relive the romance of early African aviation -- Denys Finch-Hatton and Karen Blixen style -- Will Craig will take you for a scenic flight in his 1930’s model open cockpit biplane! Lewa Wilderness is closed in November.
Sirikoi
Laikipia
Sirikoi sits on private land, surrounded by the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, on the northern slopes of Mount Kenya. There are four luxury en-suite tents, Sirikoi Cottage which has two en-suite bedrooms, as well as Sirikoi House which has a three bedrooms. Both the house and the cottage are ideally suited to families or friends travelling together. The living area, infinity pool and verandah overlook extensive lawns, scattered acacia trees and a waterhole frequently visited by a variety of animals. Activities include game drives and walks however guests can also opt to visit the local Maasai, ride horses, go lion tracking or take a scenic helicopter flight. Sirikoi is owned and hosted by Sue and Willie Roberts. Sirikoi is closed in April and November.
Lewa Safari Camp
Laikipia
There are 12 en-suite safari tents, each with a thatched roof and veranda. The location in the Lewa Conservancy provides spectacular views south to Mt. Kenya and north to the arid lowlands. The main guest areas feature a lounge with fireplace, terrace dining and a garden with a swimming pool for those hot afternoons. Breakfasts and lunches are enjoyed around the pool. You can view wildlife from a blind situated at the edge of a waterhole. Activities include day and night game drives, guided bush walks, horseback riding, visits to a nearby archaeological site and orphan rhino sanctuary.
2011 - Best Community Safari Property in Africa – The Safari Awards
2010 & 2011 - Condé Nast Traveller Readers' Travel Awards Top 20
2010 - Top 10 Hideaways for a Royal Honeymoon, The Telegraph
Bronze Certified by the Ecotourism Society of Kenya for conservation practices and improvement projects for local communities.
March 2012 Update: A new pool is being installed and the massage room is being upgraded.
Lewa House
Laikipia
This beautiful bush home sits on top of a hill in the Lewa Conservancy, offering a panoramic view of the Mathews Mountain range and the sacred mountain of the Samburu, Ol Lolokwe. Lewa House is for exclusive use and accommodates up to 12 guests in three cottages, each with a double and twin bedroom. One is a family cottage with a shared shower room. All the cottages have en-suite bathrooms and a private veranda. They are well spaced throughout the gardens. The main building has a lounge and dining area with a fireplace and terrace. There is a swimming pool overlooking the waterhole and a tennis court. Activities include day and night game drives, guided bush walks, horseback riding, visits to a nearby archaeological site and orphan rhino sanctuary.
Ol Malo
Laikipia
Ol Malo is a privately-owned game sanctuary on the banks of the Uaso Nyiro River, overlooked by Mount Kenya. Here on the northern edge of the Laikipia plateau the Franncombe family and their Samburu neighbors have created a home for themselves and a retreat for those who visit. There are four cottages with en-suite bathrooms, electric lighting and private verandahs. Two luxury canvas tents are also available.
Ol Malo House is ideal for exclusive use with a large sitting and dining room, with open fireplaces, encircled by three en-suite double bedrooms with private verandahs. There are three additional cottages build in the same style, rock and olive wood with thatched roofs, with decor inspired by the area’s wild landscape, local flora and the life and culture of the Samburu people. Activities include day and night game drives, guided walks, camel rides across the plains, mountain biking, swimming, horseback riding and cultural visits.
Ol Malo and Ol Malo House are closed in April, May and November.
Loisaba
Laikipia
Loisaba is a 61,000 acre private game conservancy in the heart of Laikipia with the Ewaso Nyiro River on its southern boundary, dramatic escarpments and wildlife plains in the north. Activities at Loisaba include day and night game drives, guided bush and bird walks, horseback riding, camel safaris, mountain biking, quad biking, helicopter excursions, river rafting and fishing (in season), tennis, croquet, swimming and cultural visits.
Loisaba House is a spacious two bedroom, private home built on the edge of the escarpment. The architecture is stunning and most of the furnishings have been designed and made at Loisaba. There is a fully-staffed kitchen, private garden and cliff-top infinity pool.
Loisaba Lodge has seven rooms, each with its own private deck looking out from the top of an escarpment over miles of wilderness to Mt. Kenya in the distance. There is a swimming pool, tennis court and spa facilities.
Loisaba Cottage has three double en-suite bedrooms (2 of which are separate from main house), and one mezzanine bedroom with a detached bathroom, sitting & dining room, fully-staffed kitchen, large private garden and swimming pool. The cottage is set back from the escarpment in beautifully landscaped gardens.
Kiboko Star Beds overlook the rushing waters of the Ewaso Nyiro River. Each bed is designed on a raised, handcrafted wooden platform that is partially covered with a thatched roof. The beds can be wheeled onto the open deck for a night under the stars, or can be left under the shelter of the roof. There are two doubles and one twin platform. Each platform has an en-suite bathroom.
Il Ngwesi Lodge
Laikipia
In 1994 the Il Ngwesi Maasai community set aside 80% of their land for wildlife conservation, to be used for grazing only in drought periods. Since then, there has been a considerable increase the wildlife living and migrating through these lands. The Il Ngwesi Maasai is one of the few communities in Kenya to own and manage an award-winning Ecotourism lodge. The evolution of this successful community-based tourism project was highlighted in the documentary film, Milking the Rhino, which played in theatres before airing on PBS in 2009.
Il Ngwesi is located in Kenya's Laikipia region, next to the Lewa Conservancy. The lodge looks out over the vast landscape of the Northern Frontier District -- over 
unspoiled land where not a single light shines out and only the chorus of African bush is heard both day and night. Each banda is built with an open-to-the-bush design, expertly crafted with local materials. The en-suite rooms have solar-heated outdoor showers. Gourmet meals are prepared and the chef is always happy to prepare traditional cuisine for guests who are interested in sampling them. Visitors can enjoy game drives, guided bush walks and hikes, visits to the rhino sanctuary and bird watching. The opportunities to learn about the Maasai culture and visit the community cannot be missed.
2007 – Global vision award for Best Green hotel initiative by Travel +Leisure
2006 – Bronze rating for sustainable tourism from Ecotourism Kenya & First Choice Responsible Tourism Award for the “Best” in the small hotel category
2003 - “Best Conservation Biodiversity” by the David Sheldrick’s Awards
Ol Pejeta Bush Camp
Laikipia
This six-tented, traditional bush camp sits on the equator, on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River, in the 100,000-acre Ol Pejeta Conservancy (OPC). Since 2007, OPC has been the largest rhino sanctuary in East Africa, and home to 50 rescued chimpanzees at the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, originally started by Jane Goodall. This owner-managed camp is ideal for those who are interested in a first-hand experience of modern wildlife conservation. You can meet researchers and participate in monitoring elephant, lion or rhino, take part in training walks with the tracker bloodhounds, learn about conservation agriculture or Boran and Ankole cattle pastoral care and integration with wildlife, or visit a local school or clinic. There is a four-night package featuring interactive conservations activities as well as day and night game drives, walks, and sleeping out in a hide. This is also an ideal base for climbing Mount Kenya and there is a seven-night package which includes two nights at camp and five on the mountain.
2008 - Top 15 Safari Experiences in the World in Harper’s Bazaar
The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille
Laikipia
The 14,500 acre Ol Lentille Conservancy is located 45 miles north of Mount Kenya and offers four luxurious, fully staffed houses which are available individually or together on an exclusive use basis. The houses are situated for privacy and have unique courtyards, decks gardens. Some have plunge pools and all bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms. The Chief’s House in African contemporary style has three bedrooms and sleeps 6 as doubles or twins. The Sultan’s House in Swahili style has one or two bedrooms and sleeps up to four as a double or double plus twin. The Eyrie in African retro style has one bedroom. The Colonel’s House in campaign style has two bedrooms and sleeps four as doubles or twins. The property has a library, spa and swimming pool and wireless internet access.
The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille is an innovative conservation tourism partnership between the Maasai community, donors and private investors. Guests are invited to learn more about the program when they visit. Activities include day and night game drives, guided walks, rock-climbing, horseback riding, camel riding, mountain biking, quad-biking, a bush skills course and fly camping.
Lemarti’s Camp
Northern Laikipia
The camp is located on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River, nestled in an oasis beneath a grove of palms and centenary fig trees; it was built and is run by local Samburu guide, Loyapan Lemarti and his Kenyan-based fashion designer wife, Anna Trzebinski. There are five enormous tents with open air en-suite bathrooms which are exquisitely furnished with interiors designed by Anna. Family rooms consist of two tents that have a shared bathroom in between with open walkways between the tents and bathroom.
The experience at Lemarti’s Camp is all about living in step with the local community. Wake at dawn and walk out from camp to discover secrets of nocturnal animals, and maybe visit a local village where the morning sunlight spills onto smoky
Samburu huts and corralled camels. On the way back to camp, you may chance upon some hunter gatherers harvesting honey, or see a herd of elephants coming down to the river. Later in the day, you might be invited to a Samburu ceremony, or relax by the river and let the warriors to teach you their traditional games. After a sundowner, when warriors traditionally sing around the fire, climb high onto the rocks to watch the moon rise. Later, dinner in camp is a three course affair, after which the sounds of the African night will lull you to sleep.
September, 2011 Update: The new shop features goodies from Anna Trzebinki's fashion collection, beaded items made by Lemarti's family and friends, cultural artifacts from West Africa and stylish Moroccan gifts.
Elsa’s Kopje
Meru National Park
Elsa's Kopje is named after Elsa the lioness, made famous by George and Joy Adamson's biographical book and film Born Free. One of the most elegant lodges in Africa, Elsa’s Kopje blends into the rocky crags of the kopje (small hill) just above the site of George Adamson’s original campsite. Elsa’s Kopje is currently the only fully operational lodge in Meru National Park and has a special license to conduct night game drives, walking safaris and take guests fishing. Other activities include excursions to the Tana River, day trip to Adamson’s Camp in Kora, and cultural visits.
There are eight en-suite cottages with private deck or sitting room and some have outdoor baths. Most rooms can fit an extra bed to accommodate children under the age of 16. There is an open bar, lounge and dining room with an exceptionally
inviting infinity pool overlooking the Meru plains. Elsa’s honeymoon suite is a large three-tiered cottage with a sitting room, bedroom, bathroom and private deck. Elsa’s private house sits away from the main lodge and has two en-suite bedrooms, a large sitting/dining room, private gardens and swimming pool.
2011 - Silver Certified by the Ecotourism Society of Kenya for conservation practices and improvement projects for local communities.
2009 – Named “Best Safari Camp in East Africa by The Good Safari Guide
2008 - Rated “Best Development” by CNBC International Property Awards
2007 - Included in “101 Best Hotels” by Tatler Travel Guide
2005 – Included in “10 of the World’s Coolest Pools” by The Daily Telegraph
2003 – Recipient of Africa’s 1st Bronze Eco-rating Certificate by the Ecotourism Society of Kenya
Solio Lodge
Mount Kenya
Nestled in the valley between the dramatic slopes of Mount Kenya and the rolling peaks of the Aberdare Mountains, Solio Lodge opened in 2010. The Lodge is located on the Solio Reserve and is home to a diverse population of wildlife, including 74 black rhino and 155 white rhino and some of the best leopard viewing in Kenya. There are four luxurious cottages, each with a private lounge area warmed by a corner fireplace, bedroom, bathroom with bath and shower, and deck. An additional two-bedroom cottage is ideal for families. Activities at Solio include horseback riding, walking, game drives, and fishing trips to Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Mountains. Solio Lodge is closed in November.
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