THE ULTIMATE RE-WILDING EXPERIENCE

El Karama Lodge is an intimate, owner-operated, award-winning eight cottage lodge and safari adventure experience located on a private wildlife conservancy in the foothills of Mount Kenya.

Built by one of Africa's most gifted contemporary wildlife sculptors Murray Grant and his wife Sophie, El Karama Lodge is unique, authentic and focussed on immersive wildlife and conservation safari experiences. Known for its broad roster of activities, exceptional wildlife diversity and the warm and hospitable team of Kenyans who have been trained up over many years to host you, this is an unforgettable safari destination!

Trusted Specialists in Sustainable Family Travel, Adventure and Experiential Wildlife Safaris. Offering tailor-made experiences for families and small private groups who want to immerse in the natural world, connecting meaningfully with local cultures and ancient landscapes through remote, authentic and exclusive experiences. Activities include guided walking, fly-camping, horse riding, hand-line fishing for catfish, game drives, night drives, farm experiences, heli- safaris and conservation activities.

All our adventures contribute directly to private or community owned wildlife conservancies in Kenya.

"This was so much more than holiday, it was a once in a lifetime experience that changed us..."

Your Stay

El Karama offers a home-grown African safari destination with high levels of privacy and tailor-made adventure for small groups, couples and families. El Karama Wildlife Conservancy is located in the foothills of Mount Kenya, in the heart of one of Kenya's most beautiful wildlife areas: the Laikipia Region. With 15,000 acres of private land and views of over 200,000 acres, El Karama is one of Laikipia's most magical habitats.

Offering a range of accommodation options giving our guests the opportunity to completely immerse themselves in nature, lead by passionate and experienced guides and local Kenyan hosts.

Nilotica Private House - Family Unit

The Hobbit House -Family Unit

The River Cottages - Couples or a Small Family

The Bandas (three) - Couples or Singles

Food and Wellness

Food is our passion and with a beautiful organic garden on site, an airy barn style Bush Kitchen to visit and even our very own cook book, our guests will not go hungry here! With fresh organic fruit and vegetables, meat and milk all from the land, we are at your disposal when it comes to hearty, healthy fare. Any special dietary needs our guests may require including Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian meals are all available here.

The Lodge team hosts Wellness Retreats all year round with various practitioners from around the world. We also have a small Bush Spa, where our team can offer relaxing massage and rejuvenating body treatments using organic essential oils made in our region. Why not check in to the spa while the children are in Bush School and reset your mind and body on safari. We also have a small tented Bush Gym with 2 exercise bikes, full kettle bell and weights sets and yoga mats and blocks for self practice. Our new running track of 800 m is located inside our fence line and offers active guests the chance to test their fitness at our altitude.

Should guests wish to invite a licensed Pilates or Yoga Instructor from the local area - this is possible but we need some advance warning to make it happen.

Our pool is chemical free, copper based and fresh water so perfect for cold plunging in the early mornings before the sun comes out if that is your thing!

About Us

This lodge is family owned by Murray and Sophie Grant who live on the property with their children and some animals.

A family story, this lodge was created in 2005 as a tool for conservation and has evolved gently over time to be one of Kenya's flagship sustainable safari operations. Driven by core values and a deep passion for El Karama, the Grant's are committed to wildlife.

The conservancy began as a family-owned cattle ranch established after independence by Murray's father, it is now in it's second generation of stewardship and is now known as Kenya's first privately-owned legally protected wildlife conservancy.

A dynamic environment that speaks of commitment to purpose and true stewardship, the Lodge is an extension of this much bigger picture journey and the guests are part of this. All conservation fees are invested into El Karama Wildlife Conservancy.

Guests staying in our Lodge are hosted by a dedicated team of Kenyans, many of whom grew up here and some who built the lodge with the Grant family during the early years. This fun, energetic and attentive team will look after you like family. Supported by the Lodge Manager who is a floating host checking in at regular intervals, we have found that this combination provides just enough attention without being too much on your private safari!

Each guest group will have their own Guide, Waiter,Cook and Steward who will remain the same for the duration of your stay. This creates a beautiful sense of continuity and care making this lodge feel more like a home than a safari lodge.

Our hope is that during the time you spend with us, you will connect on a deeper level with this wild way of life, sharing knowledge and adventure and leaving with new treasure trove of memories to cherish!

Impact

This small, impact-led business represents the very best of sustainable tourism in Kenya. An award-winning experience recognised by the Government of Kenya and the Kenya Tourism Board, Eco Tourism Kenya and the Safari Awards for our commitment to environmental responsibility and safari adventures for families. We love to share the work we do inside with guests when they visit. Curated community visits, mentoring and collaborations are all part of our offering here at El Karama Lodge as is sensitivity towards resource use and positive impact.

The lodge is curated as a platform for change. Through a strict local procurement scheme, the show casing of Green Technology, employment, training and personal development strategies we are trying through small business to create opportunities for those who wish to improve their lives.

The Lodge funds collaborative school visits, tree planting exercises, internship and mentoring opportunities through profits alone.

For more information on our core values, vision and outreach contact: Sophie@elkaramalodge.com