4 Days Laikipia & Lewa Conservancy Fly-In Conservation Safari

Overview

Highlights

• ✦Walking safaris with Samburu warrior trackers
• ✦Horseback safari among zebra, giraffe and rhino
• ✦On-foot rhino tracking with the anti-poaching team
• ✦Visit Lewa anti-poaching headquarters
• ✦Mount Kenya filling the southern horizon
• ✦Cross the equator on the conservancy
• ✦Small luxury lodges with personal service
• ✦Direct contribution to wildlife conservation

Day-by-day itinerary

1. 1

   Wilson Airport → Lewa Conservancy

   Nairobi → Lewa

   Scheduled flight from Wilson Airport in Nairobi to Lewa airstrip — about 50 minutes with breathtaking views of Mount Kenya. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is one of the most successful private conservancies in Africa, the original sanctuary for the endangered Grevy's zebra and a stronghold for both black and white rhino. Your Lewa guide collects you in an open 4x4 and the safari begins. Check in at your luxury Lewa lodge — Sirikoi, Lewa Safari Camp or Lewa House — and a riverside lunch. Afternoon game drive with rhino-tracking on foot accompanied by an armed ranger and a Lewa scientist. Sundowners on a hilltop with Mount Kenya filling the southern horizon. Dinner around the fire and overnight at the lodge.

   Meals: L, D · Stay: Sirikoi, Lewa Safari Camp or Lewa House

2. 2

   Lewa — Walking and horseback safari

   Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

   A full Lewa day combining the conservancy's signature activities: a guided bush walk at first light with a Samburu warrior tracker, learning to read tracks, scat and bird calls; horseback safari across the open plains (suitable for intermediate riders), where you can ride within meters of zebra, giraffe and even rhino who do not perceive horses as a threat; and an afternoon visit to the Lewa anti-poaching headquarters and rhino monitoring centre, where you meet the rangers and the tracker dogs. Sundowners on the conservancy boundary overlooking the Northern Frontier. Bush dinner under the stars in a private clearing — the lodge sets up the entire dining setup in the wilderness.

   Meals: B, L, D · Stay: Same as Day 1

3. 3

   Lewa — Full day game drives and conservation

   Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

   A full Mara day at your own pace. Choose between a sunrise hot-air balloon safari (additional, recommended) ending with champagne breakfast cooked on the savanna, a guided bush walk with an armed Maasai ranger to track wildlife on foot, or a private vehicle full-day game drive with picnic lunch in the bush. Most guests do all three across two days. The luxury camps along the Mara River have access to private conservancies adjoining the reserve where vehicle numbers are strictly controlled — you might have a leopard sighting entirely to yourselves. Sundowners on a private kopje, candlelit dinner in a bush clearing under the stars, and overnight at your luxury tented camp.

   Meals: B, L, D · Stay: Same as Day 1

4. 4

   Lewa → Wilson Airport

   Lewa → Nairobi

   Final morning game drive on Lewa, with one last chance to see the conservancy's lions, leopards and rhino. Breakfast at the lodge and transfer to Lewa airstrip for the flight back to Wilson Airport in Nairobi. Connect to your international flight or to your hotel for an extension. Lewa is one of the few places in Africa where guests can walk and ride safely among the Big Five — a different, more intimate safari experience than the vehicle-based parks.

   Meals: B · Stay: N/A (departure)

What to bring

• • Lightweight neutral-color clothing (khaki, olive, beige)
• • Warm fleece for cool early morning game drives
• • Sun hat and sunglasses with UV protection
• • High-SPF sunscreen and lip balm
• • Insect repellent (DEET)
• • Comfortable walking shoes and sandals
• • Swimsuit for lodge pools
• • Binoculars (8x42 ideal for safari)
• • Camera with telephoto lens (200mm or longer)
• • Spare batteries, memory cards, power bank
• • Refillable water bottle
• • Small daypack
• • Anti-malarial prophylaxis (consult your doctor)
• • Copies of passport and travel insurance
• • Riding boots and helmet (or use lodge equipment)
• • Long trousers for walking and riding
• • Strict 15kg luggage limit on bush flights

Frequently asked questions