Il Ngwesi

Il Ngwesi is a six-banda lodge on a community-owned rhino conservancy in Laikipia, northern Kenya. The lodge is owned and run entirely by the Il Ngwesi Maasai community, and is the only community-owned rhino sanctuary in Kenya, set on a rocky escarpment across 16,500 hectares of group ranch land bordering Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.

The open-fronted bandas, thatched and built largely from timber salvaged from elephant-damaged trees, sit on private decks above a waterhole; two have star beds that roll onto the deck for sleeping under open sky. Each has an open-air shower and furniture made by local craftspeople. A natural rock pool cut into the cliffside looks straight down onto the elephants when they wander through camp.

Game drives and guided walks through the conservancy are a highlight here. Elephant, Grevy's zebra and reticulated giraffe are regulars, with guided visits to the rhino sanctuary and a chance of spotting wild dog. Camel safaris cross the savannah beyond the ranch, and evenings often end at the local boma, learning beadwork or watching Maasai dance around a fire. Every shilling spent here funds the conservancy.