Sirikoi Lodge | Lewa Conservancy One Of Kenya’s Best Safari Lodges

I can’t fault the location of Sirikoi, which overlooks a waterhole fed from a natural spring. I look to the rolling hills and the distant backdrop of Mount Kenya, scanning the endless plains of the surrounding Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, the Unesco World Heritage Site where Sirikoi is situated. Despite the heat of the day, our tented suite feels cool in the shade of the acacia trees all around camp, while a large swimming pool offers more opportunities to cool off. I can’t wait to take a dip.

As I’m sitting on the verandah of our tented suite, admiring the African grasslands before me, I notice my partner strolling across the manicured lawn with another couple, deep in conversation. Before I know it, we’ve been invited to their cottage for a sundowner drink. I decide to freshen up first; padding towards the bathroom, across the carpeted room with its inviting double bed and cosy fireplace, I once again admire the view the room has of the plains. While I adore the free-standing Victorian bath with its stunning views towards Mount Kenya, I opt for a quick shower. Soon, we wander across to Sirikoi Cottage, where our new friends are staying. It has a high-ceilinged thatched roof and the same ambiance of a colonial homestay that echoes throughout Sirikoi. They give us a tour, showing us the cottage’s two bedrooms, each with a sitting area, fireplace and en-suite bathroom, which is very similar to ours. We walk through the central lounge and dining area to the outside deck and sit down with glasses of sparkling wine. Our hosts point out Sirikoi House a little further along, which is even larger – perfect for families. We’re busy toasting each other and our new friendship when a solitary black rhino wanders past us, en route to the waterhole. We’re instantly silenced, awestruck by the privilege of seeing this rare, endangered creature in its natural environment. We decide to do tomorrow’s morning game drive together, so we can share more wildlife encounters.

Dining at Sirikoi is a gourmet affair. I love the range and quality of dishes, which boast fresh and organic ingredients from the lodge’s flourishing fruit, vegetable and flower garden. During a tour of it I was delighted to learn all about Sirikoi’s commitment to conservation, the community and the environment – they recycle, use solar energy, source water from a crystal clear mountain spring and support six local schools. Other than that, my favourite thing about the lodge is the oasis feel it has about it. The lawns are lush and green, and dotted with shady trees full of naughty monkeys. A highlight was seeing a rhino wander up from the waterhole, right onto the grass!

• Exclusive family-run safari camp that’s an idyllic oasis in dry northern Kenya. It has four luxury tented suites, a cottage and a house plus adult and child swimming pools.
• Private concession, private vehicles and flexible schedules.
• Game drives, night drives, horse riding (additional cost), camel riding (additional cost), bush meals, bush sundowners, biplane trips (additional cost), helicopter excursions (additional cost), fly camping, quad and buggy biking, Ngare Ndare Forest visit (additional cost), spa treatments (additional cost) and cultural visits.
• Children welcome. Children’s pool and activities offered.

• Not only do African safari lodge prices shift with the seasons, they also change based on your length of stay, room type, travel party composition, special offers, if your trip involves stays at sister lodges – and for more reasons besides.
• It’s worth noting that depending on your itinerary, your lodge cost will make up about 75–85% of your total safari trip cost.
• Our safaris are tailor-made to match your personal safari dream, we’d be delighted if you’d allow us to create a bespoke proposal for you.  Simply enquire now – our quotes are complimentary and obligation-free.
• However, to help you get an idea of safari lodge prices we’ve created three safari-lodge categories with various price ranges, to find out more click here.