Elewana Kifaru House

These charming thatched cottages – all with well-appointed bedrooms, grandiose four-poster beds and generous en suite bathrooms – offer guests total exclusivity. The cottages are nestled in an oasis of vibrant lawns filled with birdsong and spectacular views of the plains below. The four cottages all have individual bedrooms with a king-sized bed and en suite bathroom with shower, toilet and twin wash basins. One cottage has a beautiful Victorian-style bath and outside shower, which is enclosed by natural reed thatching for privacy, but open to the spectacular African skies.

The family cottage has two bedrooms – one double and one twin – both en suite, making it ideal for a family booking. The rooms have their own entrance and are not interconnecting. Traditional reed thatching and the African architectural style of the cottage give this accommodation an authentic feeling, where guests feel connected to the local culture as they recline at the end of their day. The naturalistic features of this cottage, where plaited reeds adorning the ceilings, exhibits the beauty of African design.

Guests at Kifaru House can enjoy exquisite meals in the elegant dining area, or experience their meal al fresco before the serene plains, and under the majestic African skies. Breakfast in the boma is an exquisite experience with the equatorial sunrise, whilst sundowners – a mainstay at safari retreats – can be enjoyed with a delicious gin and tonic, or Champagne, provided by the in-house bar.

The current fleet of game drive vehicles at Elewana Kifaru House are 4×4 open-sided Land Rovers, they are custom-designed for comfort, optimum game viewing and photography. With open sides, the three rows of seats are equipped with camera stands and charging sockets. Game drives are shared by guests, but exclusive use of a game drive vehicle can be arranged at an extra charge.

There are strict limits on the number of tourists allowed in the Conservancy at one time, which allows guests to enjoy an almost private game viewing experience. Within the protected area the wildlife is abundant and game viewing is outstanding. With one of the biggest rhino populations in Kenya, the Big 5, the rare Grevy’s zebra and plentiful sightings of lion, cheetah and all the plains game set against the magnificent backdrop of snow-capped Mt. Kenya, a game drive from Kifaru House is a truly spectacular experience.

For the more adventurous, exploring the Conservancy’s diversity on foot is also an option. Accompanied by trained Samburu rangers with an exhaustive knowledge of the local flora and fauna, tracks, micro-ecosystems, history and culture of the area, as well as hands-on knowledge of rhino conservation, a bushwalk from Kifaru House is an informative as well as an exhilarating experience.

Another chance to leave the car behind is to visit Ngare Ndare Forest Conservancy for the day. Located south of Lewa guests can experience the rich diversity of this beautiful montane forest at eye-level with the monkeys and dozens of bird species high up on the Canopy Walk. Guests will enjoy a delicious picnic by the river where they can relax and play. There are usually elephants in the forest, so guests will be escorted by a Lewa Guide. There is an extra cost to visit Ngare Ndare Forest in place to support the conservation projects within the conservancy.

For those who like to expend less energy and enjoy a loftier view getting closer to the game, horseback or camel walks are also available. Elewana Kifaru House offers evening horse rides where guests can get up close to the plains game as they graze, indifferent and untroubled by the presence of other four-legged creatures. Although Kifaru horses are well-schooled and completely at home in the bush, riding is for experienced riders only and subject to availability. There is an additional charge and riders will be requested to fill out a questionnaire to ascertain their competency.

Elewana Kifaru House also offers evening camel rides for those without riding skills. Led by experienced Samburu handlers, camel riders can enjoy a scenic walk through the wilderness and experience the gentle, rolling pace of the traditional Samburu transport.

Few places have such dramatic sunrises as Africa. From Kifaru House guests can watch the splendid dawn break and enjoy a hearty breakfast al fresco, in the middle of the plains, surrounded by wildlife. Feel part of the wilderness with the spectacular views, the scents, the colours and the pageant of wildlife all around.

“Sundowners” are a safari tradition – after a day in the wilderness stop and watch the huge red equatorial sun sink below the horizon and savour the moments with a gin and tonic or glass of champagne.

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy borders the Samburu communities of Tassia and Il Ngwesi in the arid lowlands of the north, and many of the Conservancy and Lodge staff are recruited from this area. Elewana Kifaru House offers visits to neighbouring local Samburu manyattas. For an additional fee the Samburu families will be delighted to show you around their traditional homes, built by the women from mud and wattle, and share their way of life with you and sell their traditional handicrafts.

For a small donation to the Lewa Education Programme guests can visit the local schools during term time. They can also have a tour of the Conservancy offices and participate in Conservation work such as the training of the anti-poaching tracker dogs.

Elewana Kifaru House guests can relax by the picturesque heated, infinity swimming pool that looks out over the vast grasslands below teeming with wildlife and the spectacular snow-capped Mount Kenya. Sunbeds and a shaded lounge area make it a perfect place to read and relax during the day.

Elewana is dedicated to sustainability through conservation work, and community support, and ensures that 50-75% of its staff are members of the local community, especially in camps set within community conservancies. This has allowed rural communities to enjoy a steady stream of income, and rely less on livestock and agriculture which provide increasingly uncertain streams of revenue in an age of climate uncertainty and changes in weather patterns.

Continuing on the agricultural vein, Elewana ensures that wherever possible, local produce is sourced at their camps, reducing the length of supply chains, and curtailing the detrimental environmental impact of food exportation which makes up the vast majority of the agricultural industry.

The Land & Life Foundation is the charitable face of the Elewana Collection, which is committed to supporting local people and wildlife within its areas of operation. With subsidisation by Elewana itself for operational costs, 100% of each donation goes directly to the benefit of neighbouring communities, schools, and the ecosystems around Elewana camps.

The Land & Life Foundation have endeavoured to provide tangible benefits to the communities living around Elewana’s protected areas, and believe that it is a responsibility they must hold up as an integral feature of sustainable tourism in East Africa. With the support of donors, the Land & Life Foundation is continually working to improve the infrastructure within rural areas, to improve access to healthcare and education to many disadvantaged communities in Kenya and Tanzania.

The foundation continues to communicate, and work closely with these developing clinics and schools in order to better ascertain the needs of these institutions in real-time as they become more and more established, whether the most effective aid be infrastructure, supplies, or training. In the past 5 years, the foundation has provided healthcare to over 1285 patients, and has trained clinicians from 5 clinics to serve over 40,000 people.

The primary schools supported by Elewana and the Land & Life Foundation have received over $300,000 in donations over the last 5 years, providing the schools with everything from books, desks, classrooms, and kitchens to sports kit and uniforms, drought-relief food provisions and scholarships for 5 or more years.

The Elewana Collection is a bastion of Eco-Friendly tourism in East Africa, having made significant steps towards the protection of the environment on both a local and broader level. Having made considerable efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, Elewana’s lodges are equipped with state-of-the-art power systems, using solar energy in conjunction with power-storage technology to ensure minimal emissions from fuel usage.

Elewana’s Lodges are designed to minimize their environmental impact on the surrounding area, championing the “Ban the Bottle” initiative since 2018. Providing guests with complimentary Elewana branded aluminium bottles, the use of reusable bottles was shown to prevent 160,000 plastic bottles from entering landfill per year. As such, Elewana camps uphold a high recycling standard, ensuring that recycling procedures are followed wherever possible, creating an environmentally conscientious culture. Further, Elewana’s camps were the first tourism providers in East Africa to go to “Was with the Straw” in 2019, now providing biodegradable paper straws at all of its camps.

Elewana has creatively combined its environmental policy with community support, providing opportunities for artisans in Tanzania, sending its recycled glass to the Shanga workshop in Arusha and creating beautiful artistic pieces with the recycled material. Elewana’s initiative has supported disadvantaged Tanzanians, whilst preserving their artistic culture and providing them with opportunities for commerce at Elewana camps.

Elewana’s environmental policies have earned its properties Eco-Ratings from Eco Tourism Kenya, earning 1 bronze, 2 silver, and 6 gold awards across its 9 properties. Its 6 gold properties have received international STEP certification with Sustainable Travel International an organisation accredited by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), whose core mission is to “establish and manage global sustainable standards with the aim of increasing sustainable tourism knowledge and practices among public and private stakeholders.” Elewana’s Tanzania properties are all either SEED or SAPLING certified with Responsible Tourism Tanzania.

The Land & Life Foundation carry out various initiatives within Kenya and Tanzania, such as its ‘Wildlife Warrior Programme’, and educational programme which is focused on training the next generation of conservationists. This education is premised on the cultural exchange of knowledge down the generations, and engages the young students with activities from trivia, poetry, drama, art, and creative writing, to foster a culture of profound love for the environment within these conservationists in the making!

As of 2018, 40 of the best young conservationists were awarded Wildlife Warrior Scholarships for the rest of their primary and secondary education with help from the programme’s donors. The programme aims to increase its scholarship base by a minimum of 10 new scholars each year.

With properties in some of the most biodiverse areas on the continent, Elewana has embraced the responsibility of contributing to the protection of both the habitat in which the wildlife lives, as well as specific vulnerable and endangered wildlife species. Pioneering efforts in “Parks Beyond Parks” initiatives have helped to establish the protection of these ecosystems outside of the fixed boundaries of National Parks and Conservancies. In total this initiative has helped protect land between both Kenya and Tanzania extending to over 1.36 million.