Lewa Conservancy
Lewa Conservancy
The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is a famous wildlife sanctuary in Kenya. It is situated in northern Kenya. This Conservancy was established in 1995. This sanctuary includes the Ngare Ndare Forest. It spreads across 62,000 acres (250 km2).
The Northern Rangelands Trust has formed the Conservancy. This is a unique partnership entered by a number of communities. This step was taken for the preservation of wildlife. Lewa runs its own education program so that students can study there. This was a cattle ranch earlier and after that it was converted into a well-protected black rhino sanctuary. Today it is the headquarters for a non-profit wildlife Conservancy. Over the years, it has got a worldwide reputation for promoting the benefits of conservation beyond African borders.
The Animals:
The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy serves as a refuge for endangered species. The Conservancy hosts an immense range of diversity including:-
Black rhino
Cheetah
Sitatunga (Antelope)
Grevy’s Zebra
Hyena
Lion
Elephant
African buffalo
African Wild Dog
Birds: Bird life on the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is prolific, from the impressive Ostrich to the soaring Falcons to the humble sunbirds you will see some of the most hidden gems on you safari at the top of the trees. Some of the 350 bird species include:
Grebe Southern Pochard Crake
Pelican Secretary Bird Moorhen
Cormorant Vulture Coot
Darter Eagle Jacana
Herons Hawk Crane
Egret Harrier Bustard
Bittern Goshawk Stilt
Madagascar Squacco Buzzard Avocet
Hamerkop Kite Thicknee
Stork Osprey Courser
Ibis Eurasian Hobby Plover
Spoonbill Falcon Stint
Flamingo Kestrel Sandpiper
Garganey Quail Gull
Red billed Teal Francolin Sandgrouse
Hotentot Teal Spur fowl Dove
Common Teal Guinea fowl Pigeon
Eurasian Wigeon Rail Bishop
Widowbird Waxbill Whydah
Attractions and Activities:
Day & Night Game Drives: Wildlife variety and densities on Lewa make any drive an adventure. The list is long and the experience memorable. All drives are done by local experienced guides in open four-wheel drive vehicles.
Bird Watching: For the keen bird watcher, the sight and sound of the close to 350 bird species is an absolute delight. Do bring along your bird book and you will enjoy marking the birds off your list.
Bush Walks: Viewing wildlife on foot, accompanied by our local armed guides, provides an up close and personal interaction with the wildlife and flora and fauna available. This experience is one of the areas that make Lewa a truly unique safari destination.
Massage & Beauty Treatments: After a long and exciting day of viewing wildlife, enjoy a relaxing massage in the hands of our experienced masseuse whilst listening to the sound of Africa’s wildlife.
Lion Tracking: Accompany one of their lion trackers to collect data on the resident lion population. You will get to see the King of the Jungle in his entire splendor.
Game viewing from the Blinds: Sit quietly in one of the wildlife blinds and watch elephant, impala, waterbuck and many other come to drink water in the nearby marsh.
Sundowners: The best way to watch the African sun go down in the horizon is with a cocktail in your hand!
Bush Meals: Drive, walk or ride to a secluded area in the wild. The mouth-watering local dishes, the roaring bonfire for chilly evenings and enchanting Maasai dancers are recipe for a memorable meal.
Educational Tours on the History and Day-to-Day Operations of the Conservancy: Whether it’s a visit to the pre-historic archeological site, a local school, water project or feeding a baby rhino there are plenty of activities that will peak your interest for a behind the scenes look at the conservancy operations.
Other activities include:
Horse and Camel Riding
Visits to the Maasai Cultural Village
Visit to Lake Rutundu on Mt. Kenya for a fly-fishing excursion
Day trips to the adjoining Ngare Ndare Forest to look for the elusive Columbus monkey population and to learn about the indigenous flora and its local uses
Wilderness Trails hosts and flies the only open cockpit biplane in East Africa which will take you around the conservation areas of northern Kenya. It is a truly magical experience and very much returns you to the "Out of Africa" era.
Getting There:
By Air: The simplest way of reaching Lewa is by flying direct from Nairobi (Wilson Airport) with SafariLink or Air Kenya. There are daily scheduled flights to the Conservancy.
By Road: You can also get to Lewa by road. It is a 4 hours drive from Nairobi, heading out through the Thika road
