Set in the hills that surround the Lewa Wildlife conservancy, Borana offers a slightly different experience to the lodges on the plain. Set on the sides of a small valley, looking down to a water hole, all of the rooms and the main lodge areas provide stunning views out across the rolling hills. As this is all a private ranch with good game, it offers some of the best walking in Kenya in our view. It is also a great place to head to for horse riding and Borana is certainly one of the better lodges in Laikipia.
This is a perfect retreat for any large group or family and offers utter seclusion in what is, after all, a relatively small wildlife conservancy. The cottages all feature good sized rooms with en-suite bathrooms and have good sized windows through which to gaze in the morning. With the indigenous trees casting shadows on the manicured gardens and the park on your doorstep this is a perfect place from which to explore for a few days.
Lewa Wilderness is probably our pick of the lodges in the Lewa Conservancy as it combines a whole spread of both activities and privacy. Each of the cottages is very spacious and gives you the feeling of total privacy while not feeling cut off from the lodge itself. As an actual home, the communal areas feel welcoming and comfortable with the swimming pool area and bar being particular favourites! The conservancy itself offers a wide spread, catering to pretty much any taste with walks with rhino, horse riding and some truly fantastic safari with the opportunity to view some of Africa’s rarest animals. It is true that the conservancy is a fenced in area, but, in comparison with most of Kenya’s other major safari areas, this region and camp are definitely in the running.