Laikipia eco lodge, Kenya
| country: | Kenya |
| location: | Northern Frontier |
| price: | From US $340 per person per night all inclusive. Price is inclusive of all activities except for the visit to the cultural boma ($30) and drinks |
description
The lodge looks out over the vast landscape of Kenya's Northern Frontier District - over unspoiled land where not a single light shines out and only the chorus of the African bush is heard both day and night. A water hole with a viewing platform, 'The Melau', offers a chance to watch animals including elephant, lion, leopard, lesser and greater Kudu and buffalo coming to drink. The resident Masai staff are fine hosts, and look after the lodge and it's visitors' needs with care and attention. Guests usually have lunch beside the beautifully sited swimming pool, which provides a respite from the heat of the day. 
The main lounge and the six spacious sleeping bandas, two of which are linked by a skillfully constructed rope bridge, feature beautifully rustic furniture made by the Masai. Five of the rooms have one double and one single bed, while one banda, the 'honeymoon suite', has a large double bed which can be wheeled to the open platform to enjoy your night under the stars. This makes the lodge suitable for up to 10 pax non-sharing.
The lodge can host a party of up to 17 pax if the guests have no sharing restrictions. The four-poster beds are draped with mosquito nets and feature attractive locally printed fabrics. Each room also has a comfortable sitting area, with sisal wood chairs and a small table.
The rooms have only half walls at the front to keep the rooms cool and to allow an uninterrupted view of the surrounding landscape. Each bedroom has an ensuite bathroom with flush toilet, and basin with hot and cold running water. Open roofed showers are situated just behind each banda giving you wonderful views of the environment.
Activities from the lodge include game drives; nature walks, hiking Ol Maroroi hill, picnic breakfast, bush dinners, sundowners and camel rides along the sand rivers. A visit to the nearby Maasai cultural 'boma' (village) provides a special opportunity for visitors to gain an insight into the history and traditions of the Maasai, and to witness their cultural practices and daily living, including livestock keeping, traditional hunting skills, blood tapping from cows, honey harvesting skills, and traditional dances. Our gift shop at the lodge and cultural boma has a wide variety of traditional artifacts that our hard not to buy.
Camel Safaris: A three day camel safari is possible, with the first night in a fly-camp on the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, then walking or riding by camel to the ranch with the second night at the lodge. The camels are available for use on the third day.
By car: You can drive via Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Borana Ranch or via a new road through Ngare Ndare.
By air: You can fly with Air Kenya/Safari Link to Nanyuki or Lewa; or you can charter a plane with Tropic Air direct to us or Lewa for your transfer (1 and ½ hours from Lewa). Transfer costs US$95 one way.
facilities
The main lounge and the six spacious sleeping bandas, two of which are linked by a skillfully constructed rope bridge, feature beautifully rustic furniture made by the Masai. Five of the rooms have one double and one single bed, while one banda, the 'honeymoon suite', has a large double bed which can be wheeled to the open platform to enjoy your night under the stars. This makes the lodge suitable for up to 10 pax non-sharing. The lodge can host a party of up to 17 pax if the guests have no sharing restrictions. The four-poster beds are draped with mosquito nets and feature attractive locally printed fabrics. Each room also has a comfortable sitting area, with sisal wood chairs and a small table.
The rooms have only half walls at the front to keep the rooms cool and to allow an uninterrupted view of the surrounding landscape. Each bedroom has an ensuite bathroom with flush toilet, and basin with hot and cold running water. Open roofed showers are situated just behind each banda giving you wonderful views of the environment.
Activities from the lodge include game drives; nature walks, hiking Ol Maroroi hill, picnic breakfast, bush dinners, sundowners and camel rides along the sand rivers. A visit to the nearby Maasai cultural 'boma' (village) provides a special opportunity for visitors to gain an insight into the history and traditions of the Maasai, and to witness their cultural practices and daily living, including livestock keeping, traditional hunting skills, blood tapping from cows, honey harvesting skills, and traditional dances. Our gift shop at the lodge and cultural boma has a wide variety of traditional artifacts that our hard not to buy.
Camel Safaris: A three day camel safari is possible, with the first night in a fly-camp on the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, then walking or riding by camel to the ranch with the second night at the lodge. The camels are available for use on the third day.
how to find us
We are 56km north west of Mount Kenya and 36Km west of Isiolo.By car: You can drive via Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Borana Ranch or via a new road through Ngare Ndare.
By air: You can fly with Air Kenya/Safari Link to Nanyuki or Lewa; or you can charter a plane with Tropic Air direct to us or Lewa for your transfer (1 and ½ hours from Lewa). Transfer costs US$95 one way.
award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2006 First Choice Responsible Tourism Awards - the largest awards of their kind in the world, and organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Times, World Travel Market and Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society. Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
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The lodge is a communally owned group ranch. The members have elected a Group Ranch Committee and Chairman to represent over 6,000 people. It is situated on the 16,500 hectare Group Ranch, opened in December 1996 and is currently seen as 'the success story of Northern Kenya.' Although the original construction of the lodge was funded by donors and built with the assistance and support of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, the lodge is now independent.
While traditional land use, a Masai nomadic cattle culture, is maintained the introduction of income from tourism, means that the dependence of the Masai on livestock has been reduced. Profits from the lodge are divided amongst the local community and help to support nearly five hundred households and their schools, cattle dips, water supplies and other group ranch operations. The awareness of the financial value of wildlife has resulted in a corresponding increase in wildlife numbers. Il N'gwesi has its own team of rangers to protect the returning wildlife - herds of up to 400 elephant are often seen, and the sounds of lion and leopard are frequently heard at night. This increase in wildlife in turn increases the eco-tourism potential, and the resultant cycle of success will, if carefully managed, ensure the future of these diligent people.  This holiday is part of the responsibletravel.com and Conservation International Community Based Tourism Programme to support and promote community based tourism ventures that offer significant conservation and development benefits to local communities. To see other community based tourism holidays and find out more about the programme click here. |
Tourism can be good and bad for destinations & local people. We carefully screen every holiday against our criteria for responsible travel. 'Look behind the brochure' to find how each holiday makes a difference (see left). We don't claim to be perfect - there is no global accreditation - but we've lead the way since 2001 and screened 1000's of holidays. We invite every traveller to write a review about their experiences and responsible tourism. This valuable feedback is sent to the people who run the holidays. We keep a very close eye on it and take off holidays that don't live up to our standards. |