Lewa Wilderness | Lewa Conservancy
Lewa Wilderness is one of Kenya’s oldest private safari experiences. For fifty years guests have been coming to this remarkable region to be part of an adventure like no other. Those five decades have seen that passion passed down through the Craig family who proudly continue to run Lewa Wilderness today.
Guests can relax by the fire in the cozy sitting room and share meals around a long banquet table in the open-air dining room. Natural springs, home-raised livestock, and a 5-acre organic garden are transformed by skilled chefs into incredible, healthy and delicious food.
There are nine comfortable thatched cottages with spacious ensuite bathrooms, fireplaces in the sitting areas and verandas.
Activities to take part in while staying at Lewa Wilderness include game drives, game walks, camel safaris, horseback riding, and day visits to the Ngare Ndare forest. Scenic flights are also available with Air Wilderness!
There is a very good chance of seeing all of the “Big Five” and Lewa is one of the only game parks where visitors are almost guaranteed to see the endangered black and white rhinos.
360 Degree tour
Lewa Wilderness Rooms & Main House
This Garden Room is set back a little bit from the hillside and hidden away in the trees, offering views over the top and onto the valley beyond. With a small upstairs, it is perfect for couples or for friends and siblings who wish to share.
The Hillside Cottages take advantage of the stunning northerly views from Lewa. Each room is quite different in its layout and sleeping configuration and takes advantage of the uneven hill side to form unusual shapes which load them with character. Every room has en suite facilities and its own private sitting area, bar and veranda.
The Garden Cottages at Lewa Wilderness are nearest the main areas and are built in pairs with private en suite facilities and a shared veranda and sitting room. The layout of these rooms is ideal for a family or those who do not want to walk too far as they are nearer the main facilities. The rooms are flanked and fronted by well kept lawns which give families that extra outdoor space to use. These Garden rooms were built to cater for families or friends travelling together and remain very close to the heart of everything that happens here.
This Hillside Cottage is the furthest away from the main areas, and is complete with its own private veranda and plunge pool. It has a shared living room with two ensuite bedrooms, one of which is a small twin. Bright and airy, this cottage is great for those who wish to be a little more remote.
Property Facilities
24-hour Security, Bar, Battery Charging Facilities, Communal Dining, Eco Friendly, Gym (nearby), Internet Access (Complimentary), Laundry Service (Available), Laundry Service (Complimentary), Library, Malaria Free, Meal on Request, Mobile Connectivity, Pool, Private Vehicle Available, Secure Parking
Room Facilities
Balcony / Deck, En-Suite, Fireplace, Hair Dryer, Internet Access (Complimentary), Laundry Facilities, Lounge Area, Mini Bar, Mosquito Nets, Pure Cotton Linen, Safe, Shower, Verandah
A team of fully-qualified driver guides are on hand for vehicle safaris across the conservancy. The specially adapted open vehicles allow for excellent viewing but it is the richness of the game that our guests talk about. All the main safari predators, the rare Grevy zebra and of course the threatened rhino, both black and white, can be viewed in abundance. A particular favourite and well recognised aspect of the area near the lodge are the good elephant numbers. The game drives are on your terms using our experience and are not limited to daylight hours. We often explore the conservancy by night using spotlight and the full moon when it obliges. Lewa offers a very good opportunity to see the Big 5.
One of the most popular ways to explore the conservancy is in a more traditional fashion – on foot. Lewa Wilderness’ expert Masai walking guides, who have lived here all their lives, explore Lewa with guests to really get up close to many of our wild neighbours. Out walking almost nothing is a barrier and ground is covered very easily making the safari experience so much more real. Guests either walk in the early morning or early evening before dark. For the more in depth walking we suggest a few nights on Walking Wild.
With over thirty horses in our stables Lewa Wilderness is well equipped to explore our wilderness. With everything from ponies up, they are able to cater for a wide range of experience levels and have become very accustomed to accommodating groups of mixed ability. They offer extensive exploration on horseback and it is one of the very popular ways to investigate and safari through the open lands to the east of the lodge. For experienced riders full morning or full day rides can be arranged, or spend the night out with the horses and our fly camp!
Air Wilderness is able to offer scenic flights straight from the lodge in our cessna 206 which takes up to 4 passengers. Fly to RETETI Elephant Orphanage for their morning feed, or cruise low level along the Ewaso Ng'iro River and stop for a sundowner in a remote location. Air Wilderness can also be chartered privately to take you wherever you need to go across Kenya. Unfortunately our WACO Biplane is still unavailable due to us redoing the licences.
For something a little out of the ordinary, why not ride a camel! Guests can opt for a short ride in the bush, or for those seeking further adventure Walking Wild is our camel safari operation. This involves a longer camel trek (2 nights minimum) where guests walk across the African plains while the camels and Maasai guides transport the camp.
Visit our 'Shamba' ( Farm ) where we grow all the fresh fruit and vegetables for the lodge.
We have also started offering a 'Farm to Fork' dining experience for lunch in the farm, under one of the many mango trees - which is hugely recommended.
Drive, walk or horse ride to your exclusive campsite for the night and spend the evening around the campfire. Our fly camp is simple but extremely comfortable, with hot bucket showers and cosy tents, there is a mosquito dome option for those who want to sleep under the stars. This experience ensures adventure in comfort.
There is a fully equipped gym at the lodge.
Lewa Wilderness provides employment and training to local people through Lewa Crafts Furniture and Kifuma Weaving project. All of the beautiful furniture in the lodge is designed and created in our workshop, fashioned out of salvaged acacia wood and crafted into unique designs. The carpet weaving uses natural wool, spun and woven by hand into beautiful rugs for sale in our gift shop. Guests are welcome to visit both projects and see the craftsmanship at first hand.
The nearby Ngare Ndare Forest offers a different ecosystem to explore, with a treetop canopy walk and spectacular waterfalls where you can swim and enjoy a picnic lunch.
For those guests interested in the local traditional culture, there is an authentic Maasai village where guests can spend the day enjoying a unique experience interacting with amazing people.
Lewa Wilderness supports an HIV/AIDS orphanage, clinic and senior school, Pepo la Tumaini, in the nearby town of Isiolo. Guests are welcome to visit the school and meet the children. Learn more at www.tumainitrust.org
Your Stay
3 Nights
Full Board Plus - Dinner, Bed, Breakfast, Lunch and Activities
Your Rooms
Fast Facts
Lodge
Spoken Languages: English, Swahili
No. Rooms: 12
Special Interests: Adventure, Big 5, Birding, Flora, Hiking, History & Culture, Leisure, Nature, Relaxation, Star Gazing, Wildlife
Little Governors' Camp | Masai Mara National Reserve
The award-winning Little Governors’ Camp is intimate in character, with just 17 luxury ensuite tents dotted around a large watering hole that teems with both birds and wildlife. The camp is approached by a boat ride across the Mara River, then an escorted walk through the riverine forest. Vehicles are left on the far river bank, and the camp is therefore quiet and undisturbed. The guest tents at Little Governors’ have wooden decks with large verandahs for guests to enjoy the constant game activity that takes place around the camp’s watering hole. Guests may need to make way for elephants which often visit the camp.
The guest tents at Little Governors' are all tucked into the forest overlooking a waterhole frequented by a myriad of animals. Each one is spacious with an en-suite bathroom, with polished wooden decks and large verandas to enable guests to relax and enjoy the panorama of animals visiting the watering hole in front.
Breakfast and lunch are served in the open air, and the resident family of warthogs frequently wander amongst the tables. Since all Governors' properties are unfenced and in the heart of the Reserve, elephants may also stroll past. In the evening a warming log fire burns in front of the Bar Tent, and dinner is served in the nearby Dining Tent.
Tent 17 or the Honeymoon suite is located at the edge of the camp with wonderful wide views over the waterhole and plains. It has a wild and private feeling. The tent is spacious with an en-suite bathroom, polished wooden deck with large veranda to enable guests to relax and enjoy the panorama of animals visiting the watering hole in front.
Breakfast and lunch are served in the open air, and the resident family of warthogs frequently wander amongst the tables. Since all Governors' properties are unfenced and in the heart of the Reserve, elephants may also stroll past. In the evening a warming log fire burns in front of the Bar Tent, and dinner is served in the nearby Dining Tent.
Property Facilities
24-hour Security, Bar, Battery Charging Facilities, Eco Friendly, Internet Access (Complimentary), Kiddies Club, Laundry Service (Complimentary), Malaria Free, Mobile Connectivity, Private Vehicle Available, Restaurant, Spa
Room Facilities
Dressing Gowns, Electrical Outlets, Laundry Service (Available), Laundry Service (Complimentary), Safe, Shower, Verandah
Services
Airport Shuttle (Available), Credit Card, Room Service
Governors’ Camp Collection properties combine the best locations in the Masai Mara with the best-designed vehicles and exceptionally highly trained and experienced guides to give our clients un-matched game-viewing and photographic opportunities in the world’s prime wildlife area.
Little Governors' Camp is located in the Mara Triangle and guests have the option of game drives in either the Masai Mara Game Reserve or in the Mara Triangle. We offer up to three game drives per full day on safari.
Our driver-guides have an un-paralleled knowledge of the reserve combined with a deep understanding and respect for the importance of this wilderness area, its flora and its fauna.
Game drives are included in the accommodation rate.
For those looking for an adventure of a different kind, we suggest a magical hot air balloon safari over the Masai Mara.
The adventure begins just before dawn. Departure is from a launch site just 15 minutes drive away. Guests assemble at the launch site for a briefing as the flames from the hot air balloon burners light the darkness as the crews inflate their craft. As the dawn breaks, the hot air balloon fills and then rises. Suspended in a basket beneath the rainbow-coloured canopy, you’re off for a wildlife viewing adventure with an entirely different perspective.
What amazes most first-time balloonists is the absolute stillness – the silence as you float above the plains, the forest and the rivers of the Masai Mara.
After about an hour or so, your balloon safari finishes with a flourish. In the time-honoured tradition of balloon flights the world over, toast your return to earth with sparkling wine and enjoy a delicious breakfast that is set up and served at a very special spot. The experience ends with a game drive back to your camp.
There is an extra cost for a hot air balloon safari and the price depends on the time of year.
For a very unique experience, enjoy the excitement of a bush dinner in the wild.
You will arrive at a special secluded location on the banks of the Mara river. A welcoming drink awaits by the warming campfire, followed by a delicious meal prepared by our Bush chefs, served under the stars, with the soft lights of safari lanterns and accompanied by the sounds of the African night and the grunting Mara river hippos.
Bush breakfasts and bush lunches are also available. Please try to book bush meals in advance. Costs: bush breakfasts and lunches USD $75 per person, bush dinners USD $92 per person
The Masai people of East Africa are a striking image, synonymous with safari. A proud people with many traditional practices still very much alive in their culture. Visit a local Masai village and learn about who they are in their own words.
Entry to the Maasai village is currently USD $40 per person and is paid directly to the community.
Visits to our responsible tourism projects can be organised from camp. Mara Rianda Primary School and Mara Rianda Medical Centre are two inspirational projects supported by Governors’ Camps.
There is no extra charge for this activity but donations to any of the projects are welcome.
Since the beginning of the 20th Century the cheetah population has fallen dramatically from 100'000 individuals to 7'500 individuals with human activity a major cause. It is therefore important to understand the cheetah-human interface, which is one of the key works of the Mara-Meru Cheetah Project, led by Dr. Elena Chelyseva.
Our Governors' Guides play a critical role in the data collection for Dr. Elena and her team, reporting through sightings and behaviour observations of cheetah spotted. Dr Elena enjoys sharing her expertise on the cheetahs in the area with our guests through talks or by accompanying guests game drives.
Please let us know if you would like to pre-book a talk or a guided game drive with Elena when booking your safari. There is a minimum donation requirement of USD $500 for a presentation in camp.
Governors’ hosts a wildlife photographer in the Mara who is available to be booked by our guests for accompanied photo safaris and in-depth tutorials on all elements of photography, including editing. Do let us know if you would like to guarantee a full day with them capturing the very best of this incredible wildlife reserve. Please note that guests will need to secure an exclusive use vehicle at a daily rate, on top of the photographer's daily fee.
Governors' also has 3 'photo safari' vehicles. Listening to the specific needs and recommendations of the photographers we've hosted over the years, we've modified three Landrover vehicles to include same level seating throughout, cut-out side panels in the middle row to get those much desired low angle shots, high roofs, fully folding windscreens and wide side panelling to offer the perfect place for resting a beanbag and long lens. The cars are available on an exclusive use basis and can be requested for and reserved while making your Governors' booking. They are available at all our camps in the Masai Mara.
Please see https://www.governorscamp.com/travel-planning/resident-photographers/ for full details and costs.
After your late afternoon game drive, end the day with a 'sundowner' at our very special spot on the banks of the Mara River. Our team will have set up a traditional 'safari bar' ahead of your arrival. Sundowners are included in the nightly rate but premium drinks are extra.
Sundowners are included in the nightly rate but premium drinks are extra.
Your Stay
3 Nights
Full Board Plus - Dinner, Bed, Breakfast, Lunch and Activities
Your Rooms
Fast Facts
5 Star
Safari Lodge
Spoken Languages: English, French, Swahili
No. Rooms: 17
Special Interests: Adventure, Big 5, Birding, Flora, Leisure, Nature, Relaxation, Star Gazing, Wildlife, Wine