On to Lewa Downs

A white rhino at Lewa Downs

Our drive from Meru to Lewa was interesting for the opportunity to see some local colour and rural Kenya.  We drove west, climbing 3000ft over the Nyambeni hills, passing schools, markets and farms then through Meru town and on to Lewa Downs arriving for a delicious lunch back in the bush. Lewa is nestled on a northern shoulder of Mt. Kenya and was originally a cattle ranch.  It was a pioneer in becoming a privately owned wildlife conservancy dedicated originally to protecting and breeding the endangered black rhino but expanding its reach to persuading its neighbours to conservation practices and building up the local communities of Samburu and Maasai people to a stake in the lucrative tourism sector.  We saw plenty of both white and black rhino plus the endangered Grevy zebra, elephant, buffalo, leopard and lots of the plains game. 

Black faced vervet monkey shows us the way!

Wilderness Trails, our lodge for the two nights is a comfortable and homely sanctuary in the ranch with fabulous views over a deep valley with a stream running through.  One can simply sit at the swimming pool with a pair of binoculars and a cold beer at your elbow and watch the animals coming through the valley to drink from the stream and graze in the shade of the towering yellow barked fever trees.  

One of the genets at Wilderness Trails

  

At dinner we were entertained by a couple of genet cats which were trying to catch a mouse bird that was roosting in the roof thatch.  The bird table is always populated with red billed hornbills, white browed sparrow weavers, fire finches and many other species of bright and dull coloured birds, a bird watchers dream!  Our two nights here were punctuated with walks to the veggie garden, horse back riding, camel riding and game drives, all in the shadow of Mt. Kenya and all in the beautiful setting that is Lewa Downs.

Red billed hornbill on the bird table.