A family run lodge passed down through generations, Lewa Wilderness is a warm and rustic lodge with a friendly ambience and a wealth of activities. Showing a distinct passion for wildlife and conservation, this property run by the Craig family is a charming choice for a wildlife rich stay.
Awarded: Bronze
Location
Located on the edge of Lewa Conservancy, one of Kenya’s most private game sanctuaries, and near the base of Mount Kenya, the lodge overlooks the Western Marania Valley from a steep valley side.
Rooms
There are nine unique stone cottages at the lodge. Three large garden cottages feature two bedrooms, a lounge area and fireplace, perfect for families or couples travelling together. Six hillside cottages sit below the main gardens, some with bathtubs and one with two bedrooms, a large outdoor deck and a plunge pool. Each is spacious with a rustic feel compromising polished stone floors, chunky wooden furniture and rough stone walls. Woven carpets, which adorn the floors, are made onsite and complement soft armchairs and sofas.
Communal Areas
In the main house, guests can take afternoon tea on the veranda overlooking the lawns. From here, enjoy a game of billiards of peruse the many books in the library. The lounge area, in a separate building, features comfy sofas and chairs, eccentric artefacts and a self-service bar for instant refreshment. The dining room provides wonderful views of the hillside where guests can enjoy game viewing over fresh food plucked from the lodge’s organic garden. Most of the beautiful furniture at the lodge is made in a local workshop and can be bought if anything takes your fancy. For afternoon lazing, the infinity pool or gardens offers the perfect places to unwind and spot wildlife.
Activities
There are a huge range of activities on offer at Lewa Wilderness. Night and day drives are an essential part of any stay and for a more natural safari experience, witness the plains game on horseback via the nearby stables. Visits to the Il Ngwesi Maasai community, two hours north of the lodge, are a superb trip for an insight into local culture. To cruise across the plains from on high, guests can take a ride in Will Craig’s retro-style bi-plane, one of only two in Kenya, at an extra cost. The lodge itself has tennis courts, ping pong tables and a gym allowing you to work out with excellent views.
Guests can also take a ‘Walking Wild Experience’ to discover the wilds of Lewa and the neighbouring communities on foot. This fly-camp experience allows for a more intimate exploration of the Lewa Conservancy wildlife, where camels carry your camp and dinner is enjoyed under the stars, cooked my Maasai guides.
Fully inclusive
When to go
Find out when is best to visit
- Excellent
- Good
- Poor
DRY SEASON
Migratory birds will also be present, offering great bird watching opportunities. A brief drier interlude before the more intense long rains arrive in late March.
After the ‘short rains’ wildlife tends to be less concentrated, and the vegetation will be thicker – making game viewing sightings trickier. On the other hand, the colours of the park are a lot more impressive after the rains, and the large volume of insets draw in migratory birds who will be in their full breeding colours.
Its location so close to the equator means that Laikipia has very consistent temperatures throughout the year, while the high altitude (1,748 to 2,033m or 5,735 to 6,670ft) moderate these to a surprisingly cool average midday high of 25°C/77°F throughout the year. The mornings can be quite chilly, so be sure to bring a fleece.
There are two wet seasons in Kenya. In Laikipia the first known as the long rains take place between April and May, the second wet season is known as the short rains which also tend to be a little less intense, these take place between October and November.
DRY SEASON
Migratory birds will also be present, offering great bird watching opportunities. A brief drier interlude before the more intense long rains arrive in late March.
After the ‘short rains’ wildlife tends to be less concentrated, and the vegetation will be thicker – making game viewing sightings trickier. On the other hand, the colours of the park are a lot more impressive after the rains, and the large volume of insets draw in migratory birds who will be in their full breeding colours.
Its location so close to the equator means that Laikipia has very consistent temperatures throughout the year, while the high altitude (1,748 to 2,033m or 5,735 to 6,670ft) moderate these to a surprisingly cool average midday high of 25°C/77°F throughout the year. The mornings can be quite chilly, so be sure to bring a fleece.
There are two wet seasons in Kenya. In Laikipia the first known as the long rains take place between April and May, the second wet season is known as the short rains which also tend to be a little less intense, these take place between October and November.
WET SEASON
The exact start and end of the rains are always a little uncertain, but generally, this period is the wettest time of the year. This wet season is also often characterised by overcast skies and consecutive days of rain. As a consequence of the rainfall roads can be hard to navigate and wildlife a little harder to spot. On the plus side rates are at their cheapest and visitor numbers to the park are incredibly low, offering a more private safari experience for those who don’t mind taking their chances. Many lodges do however close during this period; please contact for more details.
Its location so close to the equator means that Laikipia has very consistent temperatures throughout the year, while the high altitude (1,748 to 2,033m or 5,735 to 6,670ft) moderate these to a surprisingly cool average midday high of 25°C/77°F throughout the year. The mornings can be quite chilly, so be sure to bring a fleece.
There are two wet seasons in Kenya. In Laikipia the first known as the long rains take place between April and May, the second wet season is known as the short rains which also tend to be a little less intense, these take place between October and November.
WET SEASON
The exact start and end of the rains are always a little uncertain, but generally, this period is the wettest time of the year. This wet season is also often characterised by overcast skies and consecutive days of rain. As a consequence of the rainfall roads can be hard to navigate and wildlife a little harder to spot. On the plus side rates are at their cheapest and visitor numbers to the park are incredibly low, offering a more private safari experience for those who don’t mind taking their chances. Many lodges do however close during this period; please contact for more details.
Its location so close to the equator means that Laikipia has very consistent temperatures throughout the year, while the high altitude (1,748 to 2,033m or 5,735 to 6,670ft) moderate these to a surprisingly cool average midday high of 25°C/77°F throughout the year. The mornings can be quite chilly, so be sure to bring a fleece.
There are two wet seasons in Kenya. In Laikipia the first known as the long rains take place between April and May, the second wet season is known as the short rains which also tend to be a little less intense, these take place between October and November.
WET SEASON
The exact start and end of the rains are always a little uncertain, but generally, this period is the wettest time of the year. This wet season is also often characterised by overcast skies and consecutive days of rain. As a consequence of the rainfall roads can be hard to navigate and wildlife a little harder to spot. On the plus side rates are at their cheapest and visitor numbers to the park are incredibly low, offering a more private safari experience for those who don’t mind taking their chances. Many lodges do however close during this period; please contact for more details.
Its location so close to the equator means that Laikipia has very consistent temperatures throughout the year, while the high altitude (1,748 to 2,033m or 5,735 to 6,670ft) moderate these to a surprisingly cool average midday high of 25°C/77°F throughout the year. The mornings can be quite chilly, so be sure to bring a fleece.
There are two wet seasons in Kenya. In Laikipia the first known as the long rains take place between April and May, the second wet season is known as the short rains which also tend to be a little less intense, these take place between October and November.
DRY SEASON
A more stable and predictable time of the year, usually with clear skies. Also, one of the cooler periods, which makes midday temperatures a little more pleasant. The rains earlier in the year should also have cleared a lot of dust in the sky, making the long distant views outstanding.
As the land begins to dry up the wildlife will become more concentrated around remaining water sources, making it that bit easier to spot!
Its location so close to the equator means that Laikipia has very consistent temperatures throughout the year, while the high altitude (1,748 to 2,033m or 5,735 to 6,670ft) moderate these to a surprisingly cool average midday high of 25°C/77°F throughout the year. The mornings can be quite chilly, so be sure to bring a fleece.
There are two wet seasons in Kenya. In Laikipia the first known as the long rains take place between April and May, the second wet season is known as the short rains which also tend to be a little less intense, these take place between October and November.
DRY SEASON
A more stable and predictable time of the year, usually with clear skies. Also, one of the cooler periods, which makes midday temperatures a little more pleasant. The rains earlier in the year should also have cleared a lot of dust in the sky, making the long distant views outstanding.
As the land begins to dry up the wildlife will become more concentrated around remaining water sources, making it that bit easier to spot!
Its location so close to the equator means that Laikipia has very consistent temperatures throughout the year, while the high altitude (1,748 to 2,033m or 5,735 to 6,670ft) moderate these to a surprisingly cool average midday high of 25°C/77°F throughout the year. The mornings can be quite chilly, so be sure to bring a fleece.
There are two wet seasons in Kenya. In Laikipia the first known as the long rains take place between April and May, the second wet season is known as the short rains which also tend to be a little less intense, these take place between October and November.
DRY SEASON
A more stable and predictable time of the year, usually with clear skies. Temperatures will be on the rise until the ‘short rains’ arrive in October.
As the land continues to dry the wildlife will become more concentrated around remaining water sources, significantly improving the odds of good sightings. Vegetation will also be much thinner towards the end of the dry season, which will again improve the odds of having some great sightings!
Its location so close to the equator means that Laikipia has very consistent temperatures throughout the year, while the high altitude (1,748 to 2,033m or 5,735 to 6,670ft) moderate these to a surprisingly cool average midday high of 25°C/77°F throughout the year. The mornings can be quite chilly, so be sure to bring a fleece.
There are two wet seasons in Kenya. In Laikipia the first known as the long rains take place between April and May, the second wet season is known as the short rains which also tend to be a little less intense, these take place between October and November.
DRY SEASON
A more stable and predictable time of the year, usually with clear skies. Temperatures will be on the rise until the ‘short rains’ arrive in October.
As the land continues to dry the wildlife will become more concentrated around remaining water sources, significantly improving the odds of good sightings. Vegetation will also be much thinner towards the end of the dry season, which will again improve the odds of having some great sightings!
Its location so close to the equator means that Laikipia has very consistent temperatures throughout the year, while the high altitude (1,748 to 2,033m or 5,735 to 6,670ft) moderate these to a surprisingly cool average midday high of 25°C/77°F throughout the year. The mornings can be quite chilly, so be sure to bring a fleece.
There are two wet seasons in Kenya. In Laikipia the first known as the long rains take place between April and May, the second wet season is known as the short rains which also tend to be a little less intense, these take place between October and November.
DRY SEASON
A more stable and predictable time of the year, usually with clear skies. Temperatures will be on the rise until the ‘short rains’ arrive in October.
As the land continues to dry the wildlife will become more concentrated around remaining water sources, significantly improving the odds of good sightings. Vegetation will also be much thinner towards the end of the dry season, which will again improve the odds of having some great sightings!
Its location so close to the equator means that Laikipia has very consistent temperatures throughout the year, while the high altitude (1,748 to 2,033m or 5,735 to 6,670ft) moderate these to a surprisingly cool average midday high of 25°C/77°F throughout the year. The mornings can be quite chilly, so be sure to bring a fleece.
There are two wet seasons in Kenya. In Laikipia the first known as the long rains take place between April and May, the second wet season is known as the short rains which also tend to be a little less intense, these take place between October and November.
WET SEASON
A rather unpredictable time of the year with heavy showers or thunderstorms, but usually with sunshine in between. The vegetation will become thicker – making game viewing sightings trickier. Great visibility offering spectacular views of Mt Kenya, during those clearer periods.
Migratory birds will start arriving, offering potentially great bird watching opportunities.
Its location so close to the equator means that Laikipia has very consistent temperatures throughout the year, while the high altitude (1,748 to 2,033m or 5,735 to 6,670ft) moderate these to a surprisingly cool average midday high of 25°C/77°F throughout the year. The mornings can be quite chilly, so be sure to bring a fleece.
There are two wet seasons in Kenya. In Laikipia the first known as the long rains take place between April and May, the second wet season is known as the short rains which also tend to be a little less intense, these take place between October and November.
DRY SEASON
Migratory birds will also be present, offering great bird watching opportunities. A brief drier interlude before the more intense long rains arrive in late March.
After the ‘short rains’ wildlife tends to be less concentrated, and the vegetation will be thicker – making game viewing sightings trickier. On the other hand, the colours of the park are a lot more impressive after the rains, and the large volume of insets draw in migratory birds who will be in their full breeding colours.
After the ‘short rains’ wildlife tends to be less concentrated, and the vegetation will be thicker – making game viewing sightings trickier. On the other hand, the colours of the park are a lot more impressive after the rains, and the large volume of insets draw in migratory birds who will be in their full breeding colours.
Its location so close to the equator means that Laikipia has very consistent temperatures throughout the year, while the high altitude (1,748 to 2,033m or 5,735 to 6,670ft) moderate these to a surprisingly cool average midday high of 25°C/77°F throughout the year. The mornings can be quite chilly, so be sure to bring a fleece.
There are two wet seasons in Kenya. In Laikipia the first known as the long rains take place between April and May, the second wet season is known as the short rains which also tend to be a little less intense, these take place between October and November.
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What People Say
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The personalised service provided was far beyond my expectations. A three week trip visiting four countries in Africa, multiple game reserves, wineries and much, much more was flawless. While a close encounter with a leopard and her cubs…
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We got in touch after hearing about Hide & Seek from a friend. Have to say hats off to Jamie, he was so patient throughout, even through our indecisiveness! Ultimately we ended up with the most incredible holiday of our lives. Thank you again, we will be back!!
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Thank you for arranging our Safari holiday in Kenya and Tanzania for us. It was to celebrate our 40th. Wedding anniversary which was on July 1st. 2018, and through your arrangements, we have had a holiday that we will never forget...
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Thanks so much for a truly unforgettable once in a life time holiday. Hopefully we will be in touch again soon!
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Spot on in terms of itinerary . We not disappointed by any of the suggestions and had the best holiday ever! Thank you!
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Jamie was very helpful throughout the booking process and recommended the perfect holiday. There was nothing we would change having now been out to Tanzania. I would highly recommend Hide & Seek to friends and relatives.
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Jamie was excellent. Once I described what we wanted I knew he would come up with the business. ..and he did!!! 5 stars
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We spoke to numerous travel agents over the period we looked at booking our honeymoon and only hide and seek gave me the confidence I was looking for. Really pleased with our decision.
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Hide and seek dealt with our last minute travel plans extremely well. Obviously, our accommodations shifted as availability diminished but ultimately they came up with a vacation that we will never forget.
