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Il Ngwesi Lodge

Safari and Wildlife Lodge
Laikipia, Kenya

Owned and run by the local Laikipiak Maasai community, Il Ngwesi is a beautiful eco-lodge but also a community empowerment and wildlife conservation project.

It stands out for its commitment to the local community, with 6,000 local stakeholders having supported the lodge for more than two decades.

This thatched lodge, with its six cottages, perches on the side of a bush-dotted hill looking out over the conservancy landscape. The reserve, which was once heavily overgrazed, is now brimming with wildlife once more. Look out for wild dogs, leopards and lions, as well as elephants, hyenas, jackals, reticulated giraffes and Grevy’s zebras.

Why we like Il Ngwesi Lodge

Many places claim authenticity, but few are as authentically Maasai as Il Ngwesi. The team of 18 permanent staff all grew up close to the lodge and the board is made up of passionate Maasai locals. These strong local roots give the lodge a welcoming, relaxed atmosphere.

Facilities

Each of the locally constructed thatched rooms is slightly different, but each one protrudes out from the hillside, supported by wooden stilts. They are rustic and simple, but beautifully open and comfortable. Some of them have roll-out sleepout beds, whilst others look out towards a busy waterhole.

The main area is similar in style, with a solid stone base and high thatch roof. There is also a swimming pool – perfect for relaxing in between game drives.

Activities

Bush drives
Full-day game drives to the Lewa Conservancy
On-foot rhino tracking in the white rhino sanctuary
Sundowners
Bush breakfasts by the Ngare Ndare River
Visits to the Mukogodo Forest
Fly camping

Where to stay in Kenya

Our team has handpicked this collection of properties to give you luxury options in styles to suit any journey.

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House in the Wild

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Tucked away in Naretoi on a 1,000-acre private estate within the Enonkishu Conservancy, House in the Wild sits on the banks of the Mara River.

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Lewa Safari Camp

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Sprawling over the rolling plains north of Mount Kenya, Lewa Safari Camp is charming and homely with an excellent reputation.

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El Karama

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El Karama – meaning ‘treasured possession’ in Swahili – is a small, family-run lodge with a reputation for great, home-produced food and impeccable sustainable travel credentials. Murray and Sophie live on-site with their two young children…

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Angama Mara

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Inspired by the Swahili word for ‘suspended in mid-air’, Angama Mara is set high on the Oloololo Escarpment, hanging from the edge of the Rift Valley.

View from deck at Angama Mara, Masai Mara

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Kenya

Il Ngwesi Lodge

Safari and Wildlife Lodge
£££££

Owned and run by the local Laikipiak Maasai community, Il Ngwesi is a beautiful eco-lodge but also a community empowerment and wildlife conservation project. It stands out for its commitment to the local community, with 6,000…

View Property

Kenya

Alex Walker’s Serian

Safari and Wildlife Lodge
£££££

Situated in the award-winning Mara North Conservancy, Alex Walker’s Serian has a prime location overlooking the Mara River and Oloololo Escarpment.

Double guest room interior, Alex Walker's Serian, Mara North Conservancy, Kenya

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Destination: Kenya
Travel Expert: Chris

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