Lewa House

Located at the very heart of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, the house is set on top of a hill with extensive views over gentle rolling hills with Mount Kenya to the south and the rugged Mathews Range and the sacred mountain of Ol Olokwe to the north. There are seven rooms overall and your stay is in one of recently added cottages which have been built with sustainable, ecological principles in mind whilst still being exceptionally comfortable and spacious, with wonderful views across the surrounding landscape. Power and hot water at Lewa House is provided by the sun and water comes directly from a spring that emerges on Lewa at the base of the Ngare Ndare forest, fed by the snows of Mt Kenya. The heart of Lewa House is a large elegant building with an open fireplace at one end where guests can relax during the day and mingle with a drink before dinner, and at the other is a large family dining table where the evening meals are served, hosted by Calum and Sophie Macfarlane. Beautiful shaded gardens surround the house and breakfast or lunch is often served on the lawn. The house also has a large swimming pool which overlooks a waterhole providing some of the best game viewing on Lewa!

These Gaudi-esque style buildings are an innovative form of architecture. Their organic shape allows them to blend into the landscape and their curved walls create a comfortable atmosphere inside. In the bathrooms the indoor showers have a luxurious feel, while the outdoor baths let you lie under the African sky — immersed in hot water — and lose track of time. Each earth pod features an en-suite bathroom, indoor shower, outdoor bath in three rooms, local, organic handmade toiletries, private veranda, free Laundry service, mosquito nets and in room safe.

Daily game drives in comfortable open sided vehicles — and skilled guides — will get you in amongst the wildlife to get those all-important shots. The four-wheel drive cars do what they are meant to and getting off the beaten track to see that cheetah kill is part of the experience of witnessing nature in tooth and claw. Keeping quiet and still when close to wildlife will give you the best experience and fleece blankets will keep you warm on chilly mornings.

You don’t have to be an expert but go for a horse-ride if you want to imagine life as a zebra out on the plains. Our horses have been trained to allow inexperienced riders to get on the hoof. An experienced guide will lead the ride and deepen the experience of your encounters. Being on horseback means that wildlife doesn’t recognize you as human and you’ll travel through the plains as if wearing an invisible cloak. Gear up with goggles and a leather jacket and take to the skies in a yellow bi-plane. Jump into a helicopter from the lawn and go fishing up the mountain. The bi-plane will give you an unforgettable aerial experience. This flight will take you over the inaccessible cliffs and valleys of Lewa.

Being on foot brings you on intimate terms with this ancient land. From a few hours to a full day, immerse yourself in the wilderness with a walking safari that opens up the more inaccessible valleys to the north and allows you to feel your true place in the landscape. Experience the sights, smells and sounds of the African bush and be introduced to bushcraft that enables people to live here. You might even enjoy a game of mbau on an ancient board carved into rock.

Lewa House supports the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and their wildlife conservation and local community development programs. As part of Lewa’s conservation efforts LWC have invested extensively in the local community through several innovative programs ranging from micro-credit schemes to medical clinics and schools. Through these projects as well as recruiting from the local community the conservancy has gained their support and people living in the area now view wildlife as an asset and help protect it. As local communities have come to see the benefits of wildlife, Lewa has helped initiate and promote community driven conservation programs in surrounding communities, one of these is the Il Ngwesi Group Ranch which neighbors Lewa.