Lewa Conservancy

One of the earliest community conservancies in Kenya, Lewa has long stood as a beacon for sustainable and community-driven wildlife tourism.

World-famous for its anti-poaching successes and home to the critically endangered black rhino.

Enquire

What to expect…

Lewa is one of the oldest community conservancies in Kenya and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2013. Famous for its anti-poaching and rhino conservation, this beautiful conservancy on the slopes of Mt Kenya offers the chance to see some of Africa’s most special creatures. High numbers of white and the critically endangered black rhinos living in peace is truly special.

In addition, Lewa has good numbers of the endangered Grevy’s Zebra - a large zebra with thin, narrow stripes and a truly unexpected call (trust me). The conservancy also has good numbers of lions, elephants and giraffes as well as migratory cheetah and occasional wild dogs as well as other iconic wildlife species in Kenya.

Large horn black rhino mum and calf relax on the ground together in Lewa.

Red-billed oxpecker sits on Greevy zebra's back.

When to Visit

Much like elsewhere in Kenya, the rains tend to arrive in April and May making traversing the area difficult if not impossible. Much of the soil is of the black cotton variety so you want to avoid the wetter months where getting stuck is all but certain. Straddling the equator as it is, traditional ‘seasons’ mean very little here and it is at a higher elevation than the Mara (though not so high as Laikipia) and is situated at the base of Mt Kenya making it cooler too.

June through October will be drier and have good game viewing and access but August and September will be busier given the peak tourism season in the Mara and have high-season rates. November and December are excellent (although Christmas time can be busier) as are January through February.

March can also be fantastic but there is a chance that the rains come early so better to go earlier in the month to mitigate this.