IL NGWESI LODGE
Il Ngwesi is owned and managed by the Il Ngwesi Group Ranch. Situated to the east of the Mukogodo escarpment at an elevation of 4,000 feet above sea level, the lodge allows you to experience a true paradise in the rugged African bush. To the North, you can see the majestic Mathews Range and the legendary flat topped rock of Lolokwe where little has changed for centuries. To the south are game conservancies Lewa Downs and Borana who have joined forces in the commitment to wildlife conservation.

This lodge is the first of its kind, fully serviced and owned by local Africans. With its construction and success, the Il Ngwesi Group Ranch, has established that wildlife and local communities can co-exist for the benefit of each other. Much of the income from the lodge is used for community projects. Il Ngwesi's culture center was established to demonstrate the customs of the Ndorobo tribe, the original hunters and gatherers. Here you can watch the Ndorobo using skills such as Bee keeping and learning about traditional medicines taken from indigenous plants.

TASSIA LODGE
Tassia Lodge looks out over the Northern Frontier District towards Samburu, Shaba and the sacred Lolokwe Mountain. Tassia sprawls gently over a rocky bluff, which protrudes from the Mukogodo escarpment and overlooks a valley in which grow many Loimugi trees, a favourite food for the Elephant that visit the area.

The interiors have been carefully and tastefully decorated. Although simple, Tassia offers every comfort, including large double beds, plunge pools, roman couches and even a two-storey folly.

Accommodation at the lodge comprises five double bedrooms and one twin room, all with ensuite bathrooms. There is also a kid's bunkhouse with three double bunk beds and a shower room. Tassia is designed to be booked on an exclusive-use basis. A comfortable sitting and dining area overlooks a stunning swimming pool, which is built into rocks with extraordinary shaped fig trees adorning the cliff edge. The lodge also has an attractive and well-appointed kitchen.

Lewa Safari Camp
An unforgettable combination of spectacular scenery, hospitality, privacy and abundant wildlife...Lewa Tented Camp's twelve luxury double tents are discreetly sited and comfortable, with twin beds and ensuite bathrooms.

The camp's excellent chefs produce delicious, freshly cooked home fare, with emphasis on locally available ingredients. Adjoining the dining area is a warm and cosy lounge, and in the evening guests sit around a campfire under the stars.

Some activities and excursions available on the conservancy are: day and night game drives, on which guests are accompanied by experienced guides;guided walks, especially bird watching; horse riding; camel safaris;
visits to an ancient acheulian archaeological site; visits to Lewa's unique game blinds; excursions to a Maasai cultural boma on Il Ngwesi, the neighbouring community wildlife scheme that Lewa has helped to establish; educational lectures on the history, development and day to day operation of the conservancy; flights to Rutundu, a beautiful montane tarn on Mount Kenya offering superb trout fishing and where a beautifully rustic lodge provides accommodation for up to ten

Shompole Camp - Great Rift Valley, Kenya
Situated on the side of the Nguruman escarpment, overlooking the stunning expanse of the Great Rift Valley, the camp is positioned ideally to make the most of both an incredible view and the cool breeze. Constructed using naturally-occurring white quartz stone, pale thatch and other materials, and using water as a prime feature, each tented room provides a very spacious, shady oasis in this green desert environment. With privacy, comfort and relaxation in mind, each room consists of a cool-pool and informal sitting areas, a bathroom with a view and a specially-designed tent which includes vast windows and a high canopied roof.
A unique and artistically appointed camp, using natural materials, smooth white walls and water to create a fresh and unusual approach to the bush experience. 6 tented rooms: 4 doubles, 2 twins. All rooms en-suite with private cool-pool and lounge. Extra beds can be added. The main lounge and dining area consists of a high thatch roof overlooking Mount Shompole and the Rift Valley. Various levels accommodate seating areas and a lofted recess high in the roof provides an additional quiet area. Should guests wish to take meals by their tent, the main pool or in the bush, special arrangement can be made to provide for their individual needs.

SARARA ECOTOURISM LODGE
The lodge is situated on Namunyak Conservation Area. Namunyak is a vast Samburu community wilderness area, administered by the Namunyak Wildlife Conservation Trust in close conjunction with the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. The conservation area is an un-spoilt wilderness with few roads. The trust therefore emphasizes on walking excursions with local Samburu game scouts as guides. Riding camels are provided at no extra charge to carry equipment for fly camps and picnics. During the heat of the day, the camp has a free form swimming pool as well as a nearby natural rock water slide - offering great fun for all the family.
The conservation area is host to many elephant during the dry season. The nearby Sarara wells provide the only permanent water for many miles. There are numerous buffalo, which however prefer the forested hillsides during the drier periods, venturing down into the low country in the wet season. Lion and cheetah are resident at all times but are easily seen. The Leopard is very common too.
Wild dog has also been seen in a group of 30. Other animals are Grevy's Zebra, reticulated Giraffe, Gerenuk, Dikdik, Black-Rhino and a host of other wildlife. The camp is run by Acacia Trails, and work in hand with the Samburu community. The Sarara area therefore maintains a low impact on the environment, and provides quality tourism. The local community is also assisted to earn a living.

KOIJA STARBEDS
AWF worked with two neighboring pastoral Maasai communities to establish the Starbeds camp. Rooms at this exceptional lodge are half covered platforms that rise from the banks of the Ewaso Ngiro River in Northern Kenya. On these platforms sit large rolling beds - or Starbeds. Starbeds feature the breathtaking beauty of the Kenyan night sky - an ideal way to take in the wonder of the heavens.

The success of Starbeds has proven beneficial to both the community and wildlife, creating new jobs for local Maasai, provided scholarships for secondary education and providing an important source of income for these communities.
This unique lodge overlooks the Ewaso Ngiro River. In the distance Mount Kenya rises out of a vast African plain that has remained unchanged since the dawn of time. Gaze at wild herds of elephant, giraffe, zebra and a host of Africa's spectacular wildlife from the luxury of the Koija Starbeds.
Local Maasai provide all services for the camp attired in their colorful traditional dress. Their naturally friendly demeanor and knowledge of the bush are a highlight of the Starbed experience. During the day there are many activities to choose from and by night, marvel at the magnificence of the African sky from the comfort of a Starbed.
For booking and more information, please visit

Laikipa Eco-Lodges
The eco-lodges of Laikipia are situated adjacent to the Ngare Ndare River on the edge of the Mukogodo Hills and further along on the northern end of the Mukogodo Forest, where both boast commanding panoramic views across Northern Kenya.

A third eco-lodge is in the process of being constructed on Kijabe Group Ranch and will be completed by 2004.
The Eco-lodges are constructed with materials from the local area and each comprises six individual `bandas' (cottages), which all have adjoining showers. They are thatched, open plan and on high supports to fully ensure both fantastic views and privacy. Groups of up to 40 can easily be accommodated.
Each eco-lodge has two large sitting areas and a strikingly designed swimming pool that appears to overflow into the wilderness below.Water comes from a spring and then is gravity fed to the lodge. Water heating and electricity are powered by solar systems.

With Rift Valley Adventures, visitors to the eco-lodges are spoilt with a variety of things to do, please our activity page for a full list. In addition to visiting the Cultural Boma, there is the option of exploring the area by foot, or by camel, following the Ngare Ndare River with local guides, which offers a special opportunity to get close to the wildlife.
Another very popular attraction is the hand reared orphan black rhino, Omni and his two white rhino friends. Omni is the first black rhino to come back to the area in 30 years and with his two keepers is now a daily sight for visitors