Kifaru House is located in the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, which is one of the best wildlife destinations in Kenya and part of an UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Lewa is one of the most respected privately-managed conservancies in Africa and home to around 100 black rhinos and 100 white rhinos. The reserve also has the largest single population of the endangered and beautiful Grevy's zebra and around 200 endangered reticulated giraffe. Read all about the Lewa Conservancy below.

This small and intimate property is situated atop a hill with spectacular views towards Mount Kenya in the south and the arid lowlands to the north. The main house and cottages are surrounded by lovely fever trees, vibrant lawns, and floral gardens that attract abundant bird life. A vegetable garden supplies the camp with home-grown produce.

Activities offered include include game drives to see the abundant and diverse wildlife, guided walks to see rhinos and other wildlife, horse riding, camel riding, and visits to the Lewa Headquarters to learn more about the reserve's operation and see their anti-poaching team and sniffer dogs.

Additional activities outside the conservancy include day trips to the Ngare Ndare Forest, where one can hike, try the canopy walk, and swim in clear-water springs. Cultural visits to a local community and school are also on offer.  

The property offers just five charming guest cottages with elegant four-poster beds, antique-style furniture, and spacious en-suite bathrooms. One of the cottages has two-bedrooms and is designed especially for families. Children of any age are welcome and children's activities and menus are available.

About Laikipia

Laikipia is a middle-altitude plateau that lies northwest from the central Highlands of Kenya and covers over 3 700 square miles (9 500 sq kms). The region is a transitional zone between the lush and mountainous highlands of Mount Kenya and the Aberdare Mountains to the southeast, the Rift Valley to the south and west, and the arid, semi-desert Samburu region to the north. The plateau ranges in elevation from 5 600-8 300 feet (1 700-2 550 meters).

The Laikipia region has historically been used by humans for cattle ranching going back to the colonial era and there is still ranching in Laikipia. There are no national parks or reserves in Laikipia; instead, there is an assortment of private conservancies and group-ranches which together protect land and wildlife even to a higher degree than Kenya's national parks and offer some of the best wildlife experiences in the country.

The private and community-managed conservancies in Laikipia mostly operate as dual-use properties, with eco-tourism, research, and conservation co-existing with livestock ranching. Some of the original colonial ranches in Laikipia now operate as safari lodges, while still maintaining their ranching operations. In addition to traditional safari drives to look for wildlife, these ranches usually offer guests an opportunity to experience ranching activities and horseback riding.

Wildlife in Laikipia is diverse and abundant, particularly within the refuges, including Lewa, Ol Pejeta, and Borana. Animals that can be seen include healthy populations of plains species like black rhino, white rhino, elephant, reticulated giraffe, Grevy's zebra, plains zebra, buffalo, Grant's gazelle, Thomson's gazelle, Jackson's hartebeest, and others.

Laikipia's predators include cheetah, lion, leopard, African wild dog, black-backed jackal, and other small species.

The Laikipia Wildlife Foundation (LWF), a non-profit organization formed in 1992, oversees the region as a whole. Membership in LWF includes all private ranches and conservancies in Laikipia, as well as the community groups representing the diverse local tribes such as the Maasai, Kikuyu, Samburu, and Pokot.

The three main wildlife conservancies in Laikipia are Lewa, Borana and Ol Pejeta. All are located in central or southern Laikipia and each offers a superb safari experience and excellent accommodation. Visitors are able to see the diverse wildlife and learn about the conservation initiatives at each of the reserves

Northern Laikipia is remote and wild and the land becomes more arid. The ranches in the north offer a diversity of activities, from camel riding, mountain biking, hot-air balloon rides, rafting on the Ewaso Ng'iro River, walking safaris, and nature drives. Wildlife in the north is more sparse, but the experience of being in this wilderness is special. Ranches in the north include Loisaba, Mugie, Ol Lentil, Ol Malo, and others.

About Lewa

The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, which covers 96 square miles (250 sq kms), is a non-profit wildlife conservation refuge originally formed in 1983 as the Ngare Sergoi Rhino Sanctuary. The sanctuary was established to save the last of northern Kenya's critically endangered black rhinos. Ngare Sergoi became the Lewa Wildlife Sanctuary in 1995.

Before it became a protected sanctuary, the land was a cattle ranch, but today Lewa is one of Laikipia's finest reserves. The conservancy is completely fenced and very well managed. Lewa's mission is to work closely with the surrounding communities to ensure that they, as well as the wildlife, benefit from its conservation efforts. Lewa is a member of the Northern Ranglelands Trust, which includes local communities as its partners.

Lewa, together with the Borana Conservancy, which lies directly to the west, protect around 14% of Kenya's rhino population and 11% of its remaining Grevy's zebras. The combined reserves are one of only three reserves which have a stable and increasing black rhino population.

Lewa is primarily grassland with interspersed hills, scrub bush, and wooded valleys, providing excellent habitat for its healthy populations of both black and white rhino. Lewa is also home to around 350 Grevy's zebra, the largest single population of this species in the world. The Lewa swamp boasts a localized population of sitatunga antelope, originally relocated from the Saiwa swampland during the 1980's.

In addition to the endangered species protected at Lewa, the general game viewing is excellent, with all of Africa's Big Five found here. Elephants are found in good numbers, as well as reticulated giraffe, buffalo, blue wildebeest, Beisa oryx, eland, impala, Grant's gazelle, and gerenuk.

Lewa also boasts a host of predators including lion, leopard, cheetah, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal, and sometimes African wild dog. Hippos are found in the Lewa swamp.