From hiking the lush indigenous Ngare Ndare forest to a camel trek and what to see on a walking safari, here Tom expands upon what makes Lewa so special.

What makes Lewa such a unique conservancy to visit?

Lewa is such a unique conservancy being home to the Northern special five and protector of three endangered species - elephants, black and white Rhinos and Grevy's zebra. The area has the largest single population of Grevy’s living today. Also being a corridor between the arid north and much wetter Mt Kenya ecosystem is vital for the survival of animals from both sides. More importantly the impact of the benefits from tourism to the neighbouring communities is very evident.

What activities are on offer for guests visiting the conservancy?

Lewa has many choices of activities. Over and above game drives, there is horse riding and camel treks, walking safaris and the opportunity visit the Northern Maasai cultural village.  Guests can book a hiking trip to the Ngare Ndare forest, a lush indigenous forest at the foothills of Mt. Kenya. Visitors can walk below the canopy of 200 year old trees, full of bird and animal life, watch elephants by the waterhole and swim the cool blue pools at the base of stunning waterfalls. 

Tell us a little about the walking safaris and what guests might see

There is no better way into the African wild than walking. When out of the vehicle you get to hear the sounds and smell little aromatic plants that you miss when in a vehicle. You learn how to ID animal tracks, their droppings and how to deduce more information from them. Above all, it offers a bit of exercise to work out your body.

There is a hide at Lewa, what wildlife might visitor’s view from there

From the hide at Lewa, there is the opportunity to see elephants, rhinos, giraffe, buffalo plus almost all the antelope family found in Lewa.

Tell us one of your most memorable moments with guests on safari in Lewa

There are so many moments to choose from. One of them was a female cheetah that had killed an Impala very close to where she had three tiny cubs. The carcass attracted all the scavengers, from vultures, a hyena and three jackals. The cheetah had a difficult time protecting the little ones. They couldn’t walk so eventually she realised the only hope she had was my vehicle. She grabbed them one by one and hid them underneath my vehicle. The scavengers concentrated on the kill. We had to stay there for over three hours. The mother kept a short distance from us. When everyone else left she came, albeit looking at us with shy eyes and grabbed the little ones and took them to a different location and all the little ones survived. Although she was hungry, you could see she was relieved.

What one activity do you think guests should not miss when visiting Lewa

Walking. See the African wild the way it was meant to be.