Lewa Downs
The most famous region of Laikipia is undoubtedly the Lewa Conservancy, or ‘Lewa’ as it is known. Like much of Laikipia, Lewa was originally a cattle ranch but one that was later established by the Craig/Douglas family as a black rhino sanctuary. Today, Lewa is Kenya’s greatest conservation success story with the conservancy officially running as a Non-Profit Organisation and a game density second only to the Masai Mara.
Lewa is Big Five country and due to the reserve being fenced (albeit a negative in some peoples minds) Lewa does offer reliably impressive game viewing.
As with many of the Northern reserves, Lewa also hosts a variety of rare species ranging from the Grevy’s zebra to Sitatunga and oryx as well as a great diversity of big game common to East Africa especially the rhino and cheetah. From Lewa the rolling red hills spread north with long ranging vistas as far as the eye can see. There are a number of ranches outside Lewa itself, from Borana in the south to Loisaba, Sabuk and Ol Malo in the north – all of these offer a wide range of safari experience with camels, horse riding, helicopters and normal 4x4’s on offer in all. The accommodation quality here is superb. Lewa: Accommodation choices
Set in the hills that surround the Lewa conservancy, Borana looks down to a waterhole and offers some of the best accommodation in the area. The remainder of the lodges in the area are set on the Lewa plain with Lewa House, Lewa wilderness and Sarara offering superb accommodation and a real emphasis on working with the local community. Lewa, actually located in the conservancy itself is probably our pick of the lodges if you are looking for a game rich experience. Loisaba and the famous Loisaba starbeds are perched on top of the escarpment, with the areas most impressive views and an emphasis on relaxation rather than intense game driving and activities.
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