Il Ngwesi Lodge and Safari

Monday saw us leave Kandara to go to Il Ngwesi an eco lodge supported by VSO volunteers http://ilngwesi.com/ this is run by and for the local community providing valuable funds and training tourism and hospitality as well as an outlet for the beadwork programme. Refer to the website for more detail on the activities of the community and also the wonderful accommodation at the lodge.

After a week of rural Kenya and meeting the real people, seeing the lifestyles, warmth and culture outside the tourist bubble, we now had 3 day of safari’s, etc.

We travelled north and stopped at Nanyuki and the Il Ngwesi office to meet Sally, Annelieke and Henry the 3 volunteers who are working there. After a lunch with them we then headed for the Gate to Lewa National Park. We are met by Kisio who remembered me from my visit in May and we caught up on news as we drove in the 4 x 4 across the National Park. Along the way we saw, among others, the following:

Black Faced Monkey - How did they think of that name?

It is a 2 hour drive across the National Park and we saw only 3 other vehicles (such a contrast to the Masai Mara where you can sometimes be chasing herds of Matatus – especially at Wilderbeast migration time). It is this remoteness that appealed to me so much last time I visited and what I looked forward to sharing with my parents this time. Il Ngwesi is outside the National Park in the Conservation Area which is home to elephants, giraffes, impala, zebra, etc. as well as the Masai community who herd their goats and cows alongside the wildlife (this is the difference with the National Park where the herding and living is not allowed).

We had 2 dawn safaris with breakfast in the bush on one of them, a sunset bush drive with drinks on the ridge as the sun set and a visit to a Masai village (the 3 of us were the only guests so it was an extremely intimate experience). Between trips we relaxed at the lodge and enjoyed the great food and the view of the huge expanse of wilderness with at night no lights as far as the eye could see – how often do you get that – the stars were unbelievable with no light pollution. A further selection of photos below should give an insight into the joys of this place.

DAWN SAFARI