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Elewana elsas kopje

Elsa’s Kopje

Unashamedly romantic and beautifully styled lodge
MeruKenya· 11 Rooms · $$

In the rugged and remote Meru National Park

The lodge is renowned for its links with George Adamson, and the tales of orphan lions in his novel ‘Born Free’

Luxurious & stylish, Elsa’s Kopje is regarded as one of the best lodges in Kenya, incredibly luxurious in a fabulous game reserve. Elsa's Kopje, beautifully styled, incredibly luxurious and romantic, is found in Meru- an important national reserve. The vast expanse of Meru National Park, boasts 870km of authentic African landscape. The rugged and remote Meru National Park was rescued from oblivion thanks to Elsa’s Kopje, an environmental award-winning, boutique lodge. Sculpted into Mughwango Hill, above the site of George Adamson’s original camp where he raised and released orphan lions, long before conservation became fashionable.

The lodge has six charming stone and thatched guest cottages. Each cottage is crafted around the rocks, with a large bedroom, open sitting room, veranda and spacious bathroom. The lodge also has three additional larger honeymoon suites and a private house with two bedrooms, separate dining, lounge and private pool facilities. Wherever you are around the camp, you will experience great views over the vast savannah plains below. Elsa’s Kopje is renowned for its delicious cuisine, using great local fresh produce.

The lodge offers day and pre-dinner game drives in the park which has enormous diversity of habitat and wildlife, game drives will take you through forests, past giant baobab trees, through clear spring fed streams lined with palms. This is lion and elephant country, but also Meru has many rare species including caracal, the beautiful Lesser Kudu, aardwolf, and over 400 species of birds. The guides will endeavour to catch up with the over 60 black and white rhino in the huge (84km2) Rhino sanctuary. The area is so large that finding the rhino can still be a game driving challenge. Other activities include guided walks, river fishing, spa treatments and cultural visits.

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When to go to Kenya

Find out the best time to visit Kenya with our month by month guide.

  • Best
  • Good
  • Mixed
  • Jan
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec

January

January is a great time for wildlife viewing. The landscapes are lush and green after the 'short rains' and newborn animals can been seen. It is hot, but brief afternoon or evening showers cool things down, without compromising your safari. Over on the coast the sea is clear, making it ideal for diving and snorkelling, and the days are warm and bright.

February

February is an ideal time to visit Kenya, and great for game viewing. The landscapes are green and thriving thanks to the short rains, and newborn animals will be hopping around the plains. There maybe a few afternoon showers which are welcome in the heat, and don't impact on wildlife viewing. Water clarify is excellent at the moment, which is good news for watersports enthusiasts. And if you want to spot a whale shark, now is the time to try.

March

Still a good option for wildlife viewing and diving, although with the 'long rains' just around the corner, expect wetter and hotter weather.

April

April brings the start of the 'long rains' which means game reserves and national parks become muddy and harder to drive around. Over on the coast it's hot and wet, so it isn't the best time of year to travel. Some camps and lodges close during this period.

May

The 'long rains' continue into May, making park tracks difficult to navigate in the mud, and the coast very warm and wet. There will be less accommodation choice at this time as several lodges and camps during this period.

June

June is a beautiful time of year to visit Kenya, with the rains receding to just light showers, and the long dry season not far ahead. The high grasses can sometimes make it more of a challenge to spot game, but the landscapes are lush and some animals may begin arriving early for the migration. At altitude nights can be cool, but elsewhere the temperature is pleasant.

July

July marks the beginning of the great migration into the Masai Mara, and with warm and generally dry weather, this is a great time of year to visit. Days are sunny, skies are blue and there isn't too much dust around, so it's a great time for photography.

August

The migration is now in full swing in the Masai Mara, with lots of river crossing action, so if you want to see those massive herds of wildebeest and zebra, now is the time to come. Game viewing in general is excellent and it's one of the most popular times of year to visit, so some of the main parks do become crowded. Temperatures are warm and dry.

September

Game viewing continues to be excellent, and the weather is generally dry so this is another ideal month to visit Kenya's parks. The bush is less dense and as animals gather around waterholes and rivers it makes wildlife spotting much easier.

October

October is a great time if you want to avoid the crowds and don't mind the temperature slowly starting to rise. There may be a few short showers, but game viewing remains excellent with the end of the migration, and it's a good time to holiday anywhere in Kenya.

November

November heralds the start of the 'short rains' and with hotter temperatures some camps are closed. The Mara however is still open, and despite sometimes stormy skies, game viewing is still good. Fewer crowds and lower prices make this an attractive month to visit. Over on the coast water clarify is good for snorkelling and diving.

December

The 'short rains' are bringing the landscapes back to life, and as the plains start to become green again, wildlife viewing remains good, and it's a great time for birding. Some camps are closed (mainly in the north of Kenya) but many others remain open. The showers tend to fall in the afternoons and don't impact greatly on a safari. Take advantage of reduced visitor numbers and lower prices.

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