Lewa Wilderness
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Lewa Wildlife Conservancy Lewa Downs, 60300 Kenya
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#1 of 9 Specialty lodging in Isiolo District
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Situated near the base of Mt Kenya, Lewa Wilderness is one of Kenya's oldest and most private safari ventures. The Craig family has passed down from one generation to the next a distinct passion for wildlife, conservation and tourism. The lodge is just nine exclusive rooms: six cottages tucked into the hillside overlooking Lewa' s Eastern Marania Valley, plus three garden cottages set amidst the beautiful green lawns. Activities on offer include game drives, guided walks, scenic flights, horseback riding, camel riding and much more.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Free internet
Pool
Free breakfast
Tennis court
Babysitting
Children Activities (Kid / Family Friendly)
Airport transportation
Internet
Infinity pool
Pool with view
Outdoor pool
Bar / lounge
Concierge
Non-smoking hotel
Laundry service
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Room features
Fireplace
Room service
Sofa
Room types
Non-smoking rooms
Suites
Family rooms
Smoking rooms available
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Hidden Gem
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Lewa Wildlife Conservancy Lewa Downs, 60300 Kenya
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Rental CarsSee all Isiolo District rental cars
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My wife and I were very tired of the Covid restrictions when I got an email in mid-August from our Africa travel agent, Chris Liebenberg of Piper & Heath travel, telling us that Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda were open for American tourists. So, I had Chris put together about a 3 week trip to Kenya for us which we took in late September/early October, 2020. Lewa Wilderness Lodge was the second camp that Chris sent us to. There were even more rhinos at Lewa than the first camp (Ol Pajeta Bush Camp) that we visited. I can’t say enough good things about Lewa Wilderness Lodge. When we arrived we found that we were the only guests there. They gave us our choice of rooms. All were the height of luxury in the African bush. We picked a “room” (more like a suite) which was closest to the dining room and also closest to where we left for our game drives. Our room was really a stone cottage with 2 wings off a central sitting room with couch, chairs, table, and a fireplace. The room always had a generous supply of soft drinks and ice. Each wing had a bedroom and separate bathroom. Every evening after dinner we returned to our room to find a fire in the fireplace. The grounds were beautifully landscaped and all the public rooms tastefully decorated. The lodge and grounds were situated on the side of a hill overlooking a valley and across to another hill rising from the valley where we could often see wildlife. We ended up eating in a variety of locations. While breakfast was generally served in the dining room which had a great view across the valley and lunch was generally served outside on a deck under an umbrella, also overlooking the valley, they tended to surprise us with dinner. The dinner location ranged from the dining room to an intimate location with a table for two in one of the public rooms with a fire in the fireplace as well as a couple of other great locations. The food and wine were all outstanding and the service impeccable. In addition to the wonderful accommodations the game viewing was also wonderful. Daniel, our guide, was one of the best we have ever encountered in all our trips to Africa. Not only could he find wildlife for us to view, he was very knowledgeable and able to identify and give us information on everything we saw. In addition to the large number of rhinos we saw a large number of elephants, cape buffalo, giraffe, zebras (2 species), monkeys, baboons, eland, impala, and birds of various descriptions. We also saw a number of lions, a couple of hippos, hyaenas, oryx, and a single leopard. Lewa takes protection of the rhino population very seriously. They have a significant ranger staff which patrols the area to deter poaching. The area is also fenced to keep good relations with the surrounding farmers by deterring the wildlife from moving out of the reserve and destroying crops. They have staff whose sole job is to maintain the fence. With the pandemic still raging I will note that the staff were all very mindful of the safety protocols. Everyone wore masks and they are tested regularly. My wife and I made it from the US to Kenya, toured for 3 weeks, and returned home without coming down with the virus. We will definitely return to Lewa Wilderness Lodge at some point in the future.…
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Date of stay: September 2020
Rooms
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Service
Room Tip: All the rooms we saw were great.
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1 Helpful vote
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This is the best place to stay if your visiting the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. The rooms are spacious, comfortable and unique. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and very helpful. Many of them have worked at Lewa for 10-20 years which shows they are dedicated and are doing something right to stick around. In particular, the manager, Car-moosh, is a great host and our driver, Mongi, was excellent and very entertaining - ask for him! The conservancy is setup in a way to maximize your ability to see most of the wildlife. We saw 4 of the "Big 5" with the elusive leopard the only one we missed. While the setup also felt a little controlled (e.g., the driver stayed on the designated paths for the most part) it was still enjoyable and a good way to see a lot of you only have a short time. The safari cars are also comfortable and the only downside was most drives were only a couple hours - in fairness, you probably didn't need as much as other safari drives since the wildlife seemed easier to find. Finally, Lewa had a lot of alternative activities if you don't want to just drive around in the safari car. They're the only property with horses and it's definitely worth taking them out. Other activities include a hike (with an armed guide), a bi-plane ride (yes, it's expensive) and visits to the rangers and nearby waterfalls. The only activity I wouldn't recommend is the night drive as you won't see too much unless your going to see specific animals. Overall we enjoyed our stay immensely and would recommend it! …
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Date of stay: October 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
3 Helpful votes
Helpful
This was a very different kind of camp! The topography was beautiful, our ‘home' was not a tent but a lovely, roomy cottage, complete with fireplace and patio. There was a pool and tennis courts available to us also. Of course, for us, it is all about the animal viewing. This area had animals that were new to us, like the reticulated giraffe, the Grevy's zebra, the gerenuk, and the Somali Ostrich. They also have oryx which are beautiful, but we had previously seen them in the Kalahari in Botswana. We were happy to see them again! And of course, there were the rhinos, black and white! So many! Unbelievable! The manager at Lewa Wilderness was Karmishu. He was excellent, always around, always paying attention and asking if everything was okay. The food service staff and the bartender were all attentive and helpful and very accommodating to our needs. Ken, Jackson, Esther, Dante, Mishak were all wonderful. We decided to have a small dinner in our cottage every evening and the staff made that happen. Very much appreciated! We were driven to this camp, a fairly long drive, by a young man named Josphat (spelling?). He was also efficient and very friendly and informative. We enjoyed our ride with him. Our guide, Johnson, seemed capable enough, but was too much into his phone to be considered a great guide. We think he was probably knowledgeable, but we failed to recognize that for his overuse of his phone. While this camp facility was wonderful, we felt it was too big of a camp for us. We prefer smaller facilities and do not need pools and tennis courts while on safari. That is just us!…
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Date of stay: September 2020Trip type: Traveled as a couple
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Our stay was arranged by Africa Travel Centre of Boulder, Colorado and they couldn't have done a better job. We were 4 couples and none of the places we stayed accommodated more than 16 people at one time. It made for a very special trip. The rooms, accommodations, meals, common areas, guides and staff at Lewa Wilderness exceeded our expectations in every way. We were made to feel at home and we wanted for nothing. We had options for activities (safaris, camel rides, walks in the bush, etc.) and every evening we met for cocktails in the well-appointed lounge, which had an outdoor terrace that overlooked a gorge below and an adjacent hill where we'd often see giraffes and elephants grazing. Meals were family style with other guests and a few members of the staff, including an articulate and interesting Maasai warrior (or 2). The photos of the rooms speak for themselves. But the landscape and wildlife! Many, many elephants of all ages and sizes, cheetahs, leopards, lions, black and white rhinos, zebras, wildebeests, so many birds. It goes on and on. Our guides seemingly knew everything, and particularly the animals in the Conservancy. Lewa Wilderness and Lewa Conservancy do it right. They hire and engage the local community through education and health care and in return, they work together to conserve Lewa's wildlife. Part of our fee for staying there went to the Lewa Conservancy, a very importrtant part of paying for the impressive security the Conservancy has. All in all a spectacular stay.…
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Date of stay: February 2020
Rooms
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Sleep Quality
Room Tip: Room 10 was large; 2 bedrooms/2 baths, large patio, hot tub/pool. Great view.
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Helpful
What an incredible place. Lewa Wilderness is in the heart of the Lewa Conservancy which actively protects 3% of the world's black rhino population along with many other critically endangered species. The lodge itself is beautifully kept with an incredibly kind staff that is eager to take you on driving safari, walking safari, horseback riding, camelback riding, etc. The rooms are beautiful as is the lodge, pool, and grounds in general. The food is outstanding, on par with what I might hope for from a high-end restaurant in San Francisco or other top cities in the US. I could go on and on but you'll just have to try it for yourself.
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Date of stay: March 2020
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LOCATION
KenyaEastern ProvinceIsiolo District
NUMBER OF ROOMS
9
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Claim Your Listing Frequently Asked Questions about Lewa Wilderness
What are some of the property amenities at Lewa Wilderness?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and a lounge.
What food & drink options are available at Lewa Wilderness?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast and a lounge during their stay.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Lewa Wilderness?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.
Does Lewa Wilderness have an airport shuttle?
Yes, Lewa Wilderness offers an airport shuttle for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Is Lewa Wilderness accessible?
Yes, it offers wheelchair access. For specific inquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.