2 Best Hotels in Laikipia Plateau, Kenya

Situated on a rocky outcrop in the Il Ngwesi Group Ranch, a community conservation and livestock region north of the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, this intimate lodge prides itself on its successful efforts to integrate community development and sustainable environmental management. The comfortably furnished open-walled bandas with open-air showers are made of local materials and built on a slope—their fronts rest on wooden stilts—thus giving uninterrupted views of the surrounding wilderness. Make sure you take the opportunity to sit out at the main lodge and watch the waterhole below or cool off in the horizon pool, which gently flows down into the bush below; water is gravity-piped from a nearby natural spring. You'll see plenty of game including lions, leopards, cheetahs, hyenas, the elusive wild dog, and large herds of elephants and buffalo, plus the plains game. The local Maasai community helped build and continues to run the camp through a communal group, and you can learn about hunting, gathering honey, animal trapping with indigenous poisons, or fashioning beadwork. You won't want to miss the dancing of the warriors and maidens—it's the genuine article. Il Ngwesi Camp is a shining example of how a safari lodge can reduce poverty and strengthen partnerships between the tourist trade and local communities.

This expansive 120-acre farm is set in the foothills of Mt Kenya; pad out of your four-poster bed to your cottage's wooden veranda to take in the beauty of the ever-green Lolldaigas. There are five cottages, and the decor in the Party House (the main living area) is bohemian maximalism; an Indian throw pillow here and an Afghani ceramic bowl there, it's all inspired by the up to 100 countries owner Elizabeth Loker and her late husband Clinton Lucy had traveled to. Opened in 2012, the couple built the property from scratch---including bringing in water and electricity---and have since transformed the once arid land into a thriving farm. As it's an owner-run camp, should you so wish, Elizabeth will gladly join you at meal time and regale you with lively tales from her adventures. Whether you're a seasoned rider or a beginner, get paired with a suitable horse from the stables and gallop through the property. Only a half-hour drive from the bustling Nanyuki town, you can explore the restaurants there, or venture a little farther to Ngare Ndare forest to walk the 40-m (131-foot) high canopy and swim under its waterfalls.