I'm in the midst of planning a Kenya itinerary for late September 2007. Originally we were planning to go to Amboseli (in addition to the Mara & Lake Nakuru), but based on further research and reading this board, we're starting to think that our time would be better spent in the north. I know that Samburu is a national park and Lewa is private and that this accounts for differences in lodging, crowds, rules, etc. -- but I'm curious about whether Samburu and Lewa are similar in terms of the wildlife you can see there. If we spent 2 nights in Lewa (hopefully at Il Ngwesi), would it be advisable to add 1 night in Samburu? or might we see the same types of animals in both places? would it be better to stay 3 nights in one spot? I'd appreciate any advice you can give me, especially if you've been to both areas. Thanks!

That's a tough choice. In a nutshell, Samburu is a more "condensed" experience. The wildlife concentrates right along the river that time of year -- but so do the tourist vehicles. You will basically see the same animals. The northern specialties such as gerenuk, beisa oryx, Grevy's zebra, greater kudu and reticulated giraffe can be seen in both places. I think Samburu is better for cheetah and especially for leopard. Jackson's hartebeest, a very rare antelope, is found at Lewa but not at Samburu. At Samburu, you might be able to see all those animals mentioned above in just two days, whereas it might take you the full three days at Lewa.

I forgot to say that I would opt for three nights at Lewa, especially given that you will get your fill of masses of animals at Maasai Mara. The rare northern animal species are the reason to go to Samburu. In a three night stay, you will probably see all of them at Lewa, and it's just a better wilderness experience.

oh, one more thing. You are practically guaranteed of seeing rhinos at Lewa. There are none at Samburu.

I've gone to both. Samburu for 2 nights. Lewa for 3 nights. I saw a greater abundance of wildlife in Samburu, but no rhino there.

Lewa offers night drives (not sure about Samburu but I did not do one.) Lewa also has a nice hide where I saw a sitatunga and great birds. You can go horseback riding at Lewa which I did not do. You can do a walking safari at Lewa, if you let them know in advance, which was a good experience.

I did camel safaris at each. The Samburu one was a novelty and fun. The Lewa one lasted all morning and we saw a good bit of game on the camel.

Lewa is a rhino sanctuary for black and white rhino and you will likely see plenty of them. I did.

Other animals, based on my limited stays:

Lions--some resting and some on a kill in Samburu, none in Lewa

Leopard--in a tree in Samburu and nightly at the lodge where they baited for leopard; on a night drive in Lewa.

Elephants--more in Samburu, but quite a few in Lewa

Oryx--More at a distance in Lewa

Grevy Zebra--better views in Lewa, quite a few in Samburu

Reticulated Giraffe--saw them in both places

Gerenuk--nice views in Samburu, none spotted in Lewa

Somali Ostrich--a great show in Lewa, don't recall Samburu

Hyena--night drive at Lewa

Lewa was more secluded with far fewer people and the accommodations and food were more upscale compared to Samburu Lodge. However the food and lodging were fine at Samburu Lodge and there were lots of vervets around camp making it an enjoyable stay. Samburu Lodge is more budget minded than some of the other Samburu locations, such as Larsen's.

I would stay 3 nights in Lewa Downs. The standard stay for Samburu is 2 nights. Next time I go there I will stay more than two.

I hope you have 4 nights in the Mara in September. Four Mara nights could be a factor in your Lewa vs. Samburu 2 nights vs. 3 nights decision. And I'll stay at Elephant Camp, where you track elephants.

Lynn,
Was your camel safari done from Samburu Lodge? Was it just a short ride near the lodge?

Il Ngwesi and Lewa are separate entities. Lewa helped establish Il Ngwesi and continues to support it - I think as a "good cause" and a complement to the experience at Lewa, but they are separate. Two nights at Il Ngwesi and one in Samburu could be impractical. Are you flying or driving?

Lewa/Il Ngwesi will be much more expensive than Samburu if that is a consideration (with Lewa or Il Ngwesi fot 3 days you are probably looking at $1200 + per person including transport, minimum, unless you have enough people to book the whole lodge at Il Ngwesi). However, Lewa has the edge conservation-wise and plowing profits back in. I wouldn't expect the wildlife at Il Ngwesi to be comparable with Samburu or Lewa. The Masaai live there. The experience would be very different - you should research it more to see if it appeals.

More practical would be two nights at Il Ngwesi and one at Lewa. Or two nights at Samburu and one at Shaba. Or three nights at any of course.

Thank you so much for the replies! We're not sure yet about flying vs. driving -- that's one of many things we're trying to decide. I especially appreciate the comments about Lewa vs. Il Ngwesi and the differences in the wildlife between all these places. I know Il Ngwesi is run by the Masaai (which is part of the appeal for us) but perhaps it would be a letdown in terms of wildlife? I think Lewa Safari Camp would be too expensive for us, so maybe Samburu is our best bet. Anyway, lots to think about and I appreciate the advice.

We stayed 2 nights at Lewa camp this past June. Was a great expereience seeing 3 cheetah brothers hunt on two succesive days, lots of reticulated giraffe, tons of water buck and similar, close (and I mean close) views of rhino, etc. We even petted a baby black rhino!

Lewa Camp was more than adequate. Good food, good service and nice tents. We had a walk in the afternoon and were picked up for a sundowner on top of a hill and then a night drive where we saw a cherval cat!

I haven't been to Lewa, but just so you know, there would be no advantage in driving to Lewa/Il Ngwesi with your own private vehicle since unlike a national park or reserve, Lewa has restrictions on what vehicles are allowed to conduct game drives on the conservancy. Logistically, it would make more sense to fly there.

Oh and price wise, I believe Lewa Safari Camp and Il Ngwesi are about the same.

The 2 quotes I've received so far show Lewa Safari Camp to be more expensive than Il Ngwesi -- not sure why. They also mentioned that if we arrived in our own vehicle, our driver would drop us at Lewa Safari Camp for a transfer to Il Ngwesi and then we'd use their vehicles for game drives. So you're right, flying might be the better option.

My quotes were from last year and they were nearly identical, but it's very possible this has changed. How much is the difference, just curious?

Hi Patty -- I think it was about $50 to $75 more, per person per night, to stay at Lewa (although maybe that price difference might vary depending on the operator?). Which might not sound like a lot in the safari world, but since we're planning a 3-week trip we're having to think hard about ways to save some $$. We finally worked out the Tanzania portion of our itinerary and thought we knew where we wanted to go in Kenya -- but the more I read this board and my guidebooks, the more confused I get! Too many interesting places, too little time...

"the more I read this board and my guidebooks, the more confused I get! Too many interesting places, too little time..."

I <b>completely</b> agree with that and sadly it dosn't get any easier with return trips Thanks for letting me know the cost difference.