Il N'gwesi Lodge

Il Ngwesi Lodge is sited on a rocky outcrop on the northeastern edge of The Il Ngwesi Group Ranch. The Reserve is north-west of Mount Kenya and covers an area of 16,500 hectares. The Il Ngwesi Group Ranch is far from any towns and on the edge of Kenya's Laikipia Plateau. Constructed entirely out of local materials, the award winning Il Ngwesi Lodge is close to the Ngare Ndare river in Laikipia District in Kenya, with breathtaking views towards Samburu as far as the eye can see. Owned and run by the Masai community, Il Ngwesi offers something truly special. Visitors to the lodge have a full wildlife and cultural experience, enjoying hospitality more akin to that offered to a valued family member.

Accommodation comprises of six bandas built around the hillside. Each is different and built around the trees and contours of the hill. The bandas are all spacious and have wooden floors, hand-carved beds covered in Masai fabrics and panoramic views. The main house (Il Laikipiak Hall) at the front of the site offers spectacular views to the north and east as well as down to the water hole while the swimming pool area overlooks the valley and provides an excellent spot to relax in during the day.

Activities from Il N'gwesi include game drives, nature walks and time spent in local Masai villages. Superb wildlife viewing from the lodge and its rooms are combined with bush drives, sundowners, bush breakfasts by the Ngare Ndare River, visits to the Mukogodo Forest and camping out overnight. If you just want to relax at the lodge, a swimming pool and an in-house beauty/massage therapist are the perfect complement to time spent watching the waterhole from the main house or hide. They can provide meals at different times to suit children and bedtimes and offer babysitting for those who wish to stay in the communal areas after their children have gone to bed. Visitors can also walk accompanied to the rhino sanctuary, visit a local Masai Cultural Boma to learn about traditional hunting techniques and honey collecting, and enjoy local music and dancing.