Inside Elewana’s East Africa Safaris, From SkySafari To The New Serengeti Explorer

Spanning some 58,000 acres of green-gold wilderness along the gateway to Kenya’s Northern Frontier, the Loisaba Conservancy embodies a visionary working model of integrated conservation. Located on the Laikipia Plateau—a sun-scoured, nearly 3,700-square-mile tableland stretching from the foothills of Mount Kenya west to the Great Rift Valley–its mission is to protect and enhance wildlife and habitat while supporting sustainable livestock production and improving the lives of neighboring communities through employment.

SkySafari’s fleet of executive-class Cessna Caravans sidesteps the inherent variability of scheduled bush flights, which generally make multiple stops to drop off safari-goers at different camps—meaning one straggling passenger or stormy airstrip can derail an arrival by hours. Guests enjoy a single check-in and check-out for the entire journey, along with immediate boarding on the airstrip and a generous luggage allowance of 20kg (44 pounds) versus 15kg (33 pounds) for scheduled flights. With legroom galore and custom interiors featuring bespoke leather seating and hardwood accents, they offer up to eight passengers (or nine for exclusive buyouts) seamless direct transfers between some of the world’s wildest landscapes by light aircraft—a storied safari mainstay as intrinsic to East Africa as Maasai shukas and shimmering-gold savannas. Paired with Elewana’s singular properties, the result is a standard-setting safari adventure.

While the camp’s spacious alfresco dining area, separate bar and lounge, and show-stopping infinity pool provide plenty of places to kick back and revel in sweeping vistas that extend all the way to the snow-capped mountain in distant silhouette, an array of exhilarating activities await.

Drive, Walk, Dream

Set off in a custom-designed Land Rover safari vehicle in search of the “Northern Five”—Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe, Somali ostrich, gerenuk (a long-necked antelope known as the “giraffe gazelle”), and Beisa oryx—which number among the conservancy’s more than 350 bird and 60 mammal species. If you’re lucky, you might encounter one of the 21 black rhinos translocated to Loisaba in 2024 as part of the Kenya Rhino Range Expansion project.

Walking safaris led by expert Samburu guides give guests a novel perspective on life in the bush, as elephants and lions cede the stage to a dynamic world at ankle height. A potential sighting of a leopard tortoise, whose shell strewn with gold-black rosettes resembles its namesake’s incomparable coat, or a rhino beetle–one of the world’s largest insects, built like an armored tank in miniature—prove that wonder manifests at any scale.

For an immersive glimpse of science-led conservation in action, you can join the field team as they track lions and collect camera-trap data to analyze leopard behavior, or visit the four friendly bloodhounds—poised to sniff out trouble the moment duty calls—at the conservancy’s anti-poaching unit. With more than 20 horses stabled on the grounds, experienced riders can even opt for a horseback safari and sidle up to towers of giraffe or dazzles of zebra, closing a distance no vehicle can.

Bush breakfasts—another safari highlight—nod to Elewana’s culinary ethos across its 17 properties: menus brimming with homegrown ingredients that narrate each lodge’s specific landscape and culture, melding Cape Malay and East African influences with local spices and specialties. Dishes like scrambled eggs with mushrooms and spicy pepper relish, fruit kebabs, and pastries drizzled with dark Laikipia honey feature produce from the camp’s organic garden, while ruby-red prickly-pear juice is made from the invasive cacti species—part of ongoing efforts to remove it from the conservancy.

Into the Mara

Both SkySafari Kenya itineraries depart Loisaba to culminate in the legendary Maasai Mara, home to one of Africa’s highest densities of big cats­—especially lions. From 5,000 feet, each flight redraws the map, as Laikipia’s tawny hills give way to the iconic reserve’s oceanic grasslands. Sand River Masai Mara, built on the waterway’s banks in the Mara’s quieter southeastern corner, makes for an atmospheric home base here: its 16 tents and common areas take their aesthetic cues from the permanent tented camps of nearly a century ago, with lushly patterned rugs, copper standing tubs, and campaign-style furniture.

Elewana’s Newest Frontier

For travelers seeking the same spirit of adventure and discovery as a SkySafari, but at a more accessible price point, Elewana has introduced Serengeti Explorer — the first property under its new Explorer by Elewana sub-brand. The fledgling collection of upscale lodges—Ngorongoro Explorer will open next year on rim of its namesake crater, with a lodge in Tarangire National Park to follow—targets a wider audience with an inspired range of on-site experiences to complement game drives and other traditional safari pursuits.

Presiding over an astonishing landscape from its remarkably private perch high in the south-central Serengeti’s Nyaboro Hills, the sleekly modern resort, which opened last year, rose from the site of the former Serengeti Sopa Lodge. Elewana took pains to preserve the original 74-room footprint, reusing existing materials in the overhaul to limit disruption to the surrounding habitat—even incorporating lighting that shines only down or inward to avoid disturbing its wild neighbors.

The setting’s innate majesty dazzles. The edge of the 115-foot infinity pool—the property’s centerpiece–dissolves into the verdant plains below, while the staggering view rolls unbroken into the distance. There, whistling thorn and umbrella acacias shrink to moss-hued specks, and snow-white clouds, staggered in near-symmetry, appear to float just inches above the ground.

Guests can soak in the extraordinary scenery from the 68 rooms and six suites–measuring a generous 495 and 1300 square feet, respectively—all with balconies that frame the untamed wilderness below. The decor prioritizes natural texture over polish, with custom furnishings incorporating hand-hewn tiles, raffia rugs, and neutral shades for a contemporary yet cozy riff on safari style. Only the suites are air-conditioned; standing fans, a safari stalwart, cool the others. Common spaces—restaurants included—eschew walls in favor of open air, keeping the seemingly infinite plains and their residents squarely in view.

A Full Plate, A Full Itinerary

Serengeti Explorer’s impressive range of dining options are designed to tell the story of East African cuisine, with staff sharing the origins of certain Swahili dishes. Breakfast at Acacia, the lodge’s main restaurant, spotlights Tanzanian specialties like mandazi–a cardamom-spiced dough deep-fried to order–while buffet selections include veggie-packed smoothies, homemade energy bars, and artisan breads. Kisimani, the breezy poolside lunch destination, serves up starters like pea arancini with whipped feta and sticky African pork ribs with chili mayonnaise, followed by mains including baked tahini and dukkha chicken salad, brioche-bunned burgers, and tandoori chicken pizza from the clay oven.

In the evening, Agama Terrace Bar entices guests for pre-dinner drinks and nightcaps with spectacular views, soignée ambience, and signature cocktails. Dinner at Boma, a lantern-lit outdoor dining space steps from the lodge, takes guests on a culinary journey through Maasai culture. Fire-roasted meats served with kachumbari (tomato, onion, and chili salad), ugali (a stiff cornmeal porridge and East African staple), and other savory fare intrigue diners, while live drumming serves as the soundtrack for the sensorial feast. For a decidedly different gastronomic experience, Divai Wine Cellar pairs vintages from its extensive selection of African wines with a refined five-course dinner, as hundreds of hand-hewn masks lining one wall stand sentry.

On-site activities spoil guests for choice. The lodge’s purpose-built photographic hide, the first of its kind in Serengeti National Park, brings you an eye’s glance away from the wildlife drawn to the permanent watering hole. Accessed from the lodge by an underground tunnel and outfitted with comfy swivel chairs, it’s also an atmospheric spot for a cold gin & tonic at sunset.

Both avid and aspiring shutterbugs can refine their technique at the photo studio with tips from the lodge photographer, and rent camera equipment if they’re looking to up their game. Birding tours and stargazing sessions introduce guests to feathered friends and faraway constellations, while the Reva Wellness Centre combines nurture and nature to revitalize and rejuvenate. Offering an array of indulgent skincare and body treatments as well as massage therapies—including a four-hands massage that earns rave reviews—the wellbeing sanctuary also features a private yoga terrace for sunrise sessions steeped in Serengeti splendor.

For all its amenities and worthwhile diversions, ultimately Serengeti Explorer’s real draw lies beyond its confines: the plains themselves, and the incomparable treasure hunt they present. A new remote access road built by the Tanzania National Parks Authority that leads to the lodge—branching miles from the main tourist tracks—enables game drives far from the madding crowds, and opportunities for indelible encounters with the panoply of resident wildlife. First, perhaps an early-morning bush breakfast on the banks of nearby Lake Magadi, the sun scattering the surface as a flamboyance of flamingos preens its rosy plumage steps away. Then, two golden lion brothers, standing still as statues on the roadside before collapsing mane-to-mane into the tall grass for a snooze. Later, a 30-strong parade of elephants, swinging snacks of wild morning glories from their trunks as they amble across savannas cast in copper at last light. On safari, the sole certainty is that you never know what’s coming next.

This article was originally published on Forbes.com