“Lewa Safari Camp.. the unexpected experience”
The accommodations at Lewa Safari Camp are lovely, spacious and well appointed semi-permanent tents with a very comfortable king sized bed, more than adequate storage space, a huge dressing area, double sinks and a wonderful hot water shower. A huge bonus was the added shelf in the dressing area with an outlet for electronics. The shelf was large enough for my bags of toiletries as well as for charging camera batteries and my iPad! After lunch, I particularly enjoyed relaxing on the veranda where reading a book was so peaceful that each afternoon included a short nap. Guests should be aware they share Tent 9 with a beautiful Grey-headed woodpecker who lives in one of the support posts. This cheeky bird seems to enjoy shocking his tent mates by flying at rocket speed from the post hole and then casually perching on a tree branch within feet of the veranda. This bird was too fast to photograph but non-the-less remains a delightful memory!
At Lewa, the common lounge area feels just like being in a friend’s warm and comfortable living room. Several cozy areas allow families to gather or those of us traveling independently, an opportunity to meet and discuss the day’s adventures with other guests. Note that my husband and I particularly enjoyed conversing with Treacle!
Throughout our stay at Lewa Safari Camp, service was attentive and very friendly. Unfortunately my journal (with names) has gone missing but I clearly remember lovely Patience, Jim (James?) who poured the perfect glass of wine and that Festus was a fabulous guide!. In addition, our Askari diligently protected us as we walked to and from the tent, jumped and yelled “snake” when appropriate and always smiled when he did not understand my not-so-clear English. Hosts Izzy and Murray entertained, accommodated and pampered their guests as if they were the most important members of royalty. They both work so hard, are on-call 24/7, appear to have the energy of teenagers and it is clear, they truly care about their guests, the camp and Lewa Conservancy.
On arrival, I did notice that there were numerous guests with young children. Initially I thought that due to the accommodation of families, Lewa would be a disappointment for those of us in our late 60's and early 70's. After several days, it was clear that Izzy and Murray have that situation under control! Families with young children dined early, when possible away from adult tables, and with their own driver/guides, we rarely even saw their vehicles. Although I prefer an adults-only environment, Lewa is such a wonderful conservancy, I can not wait to return.
Fortunately Festus, our ranger and the local guide all insisted I learn to say Ngare Ndare! What a magnificent destination and memorable excursion. In my opinion, everyone that stays at Lewa Safari Camp should take a day to visit the forest and climb to the waterfalls. Thanks to a the helping hands (literally) of the local guide and the ranger, I climbed the steep hill, followed their path through the rocks and crossed the water numerous times without falling. They were with me every step of the way!
Of all the guides on this two-week trip to Kenya, Festus was clearly my favorite. He is intelligent, kind, sensitive, calm and someone my husband and I looked forward to seeing each day. Hopefully Festus will be at Lewa as guide for my future clients!
Room Tip: Take the excursion to the waterfall!
See more room tips
This review is the subjective opinion of a TripAdvisor member and not of TripAdvisor LLC