East Africa’s leading luxury safari accommodation provider, the Elewana Collection, has announced the latest addition to its wide-ranging portfolio - Kifaru House in Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.

Previously, Kifaru House was only available for group bookings on an exclusive basis, however from April 1 visitors are now able to book rooms on an individual basis in line with the other Elewana properties.

Aptly named, Kifaru House, which takes its name from the Swahili word for rhino, is beautifully located on a majestic escarpment with impressive views of the surrounding Lewa / Borana Wildlife Conservancy, home to East Africa’s healthiest rhino population totalling 66 black and 62 white rhinos.

Retaining a feeling of exclusivity, Elewana Kifaru House is made up of five individual spacious bandas (private huts) complete with opulent four-poster beds and generous ensuite bathrooms. Each banda offers spectacular views of the plains below. The first banda has two bedrooms, one double and one twin, each ensuite, making it ideal for a family stay. Of the four further accommodations, each with one bedroom, there is one with a beautiful Victorian style bath and an outdoor shower, surrounded by thatch for privacy but open at the top to enjoy the sky above, perfect for honeymooners.

Guests can convene in the homely main house and relax with a fully-stocked bar and two large fireplaces, or enjoy sundowners and dinner under the stars on the large comfortably furnished terrace. Built mainly from materials sourced locally, great care has been taken to reflect the style, character and lifestyle of the Kenyan highlands.

Activities include day and night game drives, bush walks, cultural tours to a local village and archaeological site. There is also a heated swimming pool which affords breathtaking views of the surrounding plains, teeming with wildlife and reaching out to Mount Kenya.

Elewana Kifaru House has been built to have a minimal environmental impact and conservation and preserving the environment is a top priority. Solar panels are used to generate electricity and heat water, whilst waste water is recycled to irrigate the landscape including a lovingly tendered organic kitchen garden.

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is heralded as one of the beacons of wildlife conservation, not only in East Africa but globally. Through the protection and management of species, the initiation and support of community conservation and development programmes, and the education of neighbouring areas in the value of wildlife, Lewa has reversed a critical decline in rhino in the region, as well as many other endangered species. For families living on its boundaries, Lewa offers improved livelihoods with its adult education and women’s micro-credit programmes, community-managed water projects, and access to health care at its four health clinics. For thousands of children in local schools, Lewa has opened the doors to a future with more choices than the generations before them.

Guests at Elewana Kifaru House are welcome to visit the beating heart of the Conservancy, the state-of-the-art Joint Operations Centre, and meet the tracker dog team that provides anti-poaching support across Northern Kenya.

James Haigh, director of sales and marketing for the Elewana Collection, said: “We are delighted to have been selected by the critically important Lewa / Borana Wildlife Conservancy to manage Kifaru House in addition to the Elewana Lewa Safari Camp. These two properties are fully owned by the Conservancy and all profits and conservancy fees generated by the camps are re-invested directly into their conservation and community efforts. We are proud to have forged such a strong working relationship the Conservancy and to be able to contribute to their wonderful work.”

With an unsurpassed footprint of properties across East Africa, the Elewana Collection now comprises 16 award-winning luxurious camps, lodges and boutique beach hotels in Tanzania, Zanzibar and Kenya, each of which has been carefully selected for its unique accommodation and iconic location to provide unparalleled African wildlife-viewing and beach holiday opportunities, with an emphasis on style, comfort and conservation.

Meaning harmony or understanding in Kiswahili, Elewana embodies the balance between people, wildlife and environment that are expected by today’s sophisticated travellers.

Rooms at Elewana Kifaru House start at $615 per person per night sharing a twin/double accommodation, including full board, soft drinks, beer, house wines and selected spirits, safari activities including day and night game drives, guided bush walks, airstrip transfers, laundry and all statutory taxes. - TradeArabia News Service