The Lewa Downs Conservancy - Kenya Travel Guide

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Lewa Downs is a private game sanctuary in the Northern district of Kenya. This is an area of open plains, long, waving yellow-gray grasses and gently rolling hills, rising blue in the distance. The Craig family, who have owned this area of Africa since the 1920s, have converted the original cattle ranch into a world famous private game ranch. They are especially well known for the successful breeding of White and Black Rhino, and they have the largest herd of Grevvy's Zebra in East Africa.

The Lewa Downs Conservancy has been assisting the nearby Masai Group ranches to develop community-based tourism. By building several small, simple guest lodges, the local people have been able to promote their game rich areas to tourists; generating a considerable income that benefits the tribes as a whole. Schools and medical clinics have been the main focus of this development.

In an effort to raise extra capital for the development of these group projects, as well as the continued support for the rhino-breeding programme, Lewa Downs organized a Charity marathon race through the game ranch.As the advertising stated, "The only marathon run inside a game park!"

My fiancé and a friend trained for months for this race and this August it was finally time to head up to Lewa for the Marathon on the 27th August 2000. Leaving the coast on the 21st, we enjoyed a leisurely drive up to Nairobi, exploring the Tsavo East National Park on the way.

We had the good luck to meet up with a young male elephant here, one of the orphans raised by Daphne Sheldrick and then released to the wild. This young fellow was incredibly inquisitive and hungry! Putting his trunk into the car, he explored faces, arms and legs before finding the source of that delicious smell. With a quick tug our lunch bag of bananas disappeared! Quite nerve-wracking at the time but certainly a novelty! I've never been groped by an elephant before! An early morning visit to crocodile camp will introduce you to him yourselves!

After Nairobi, it was up to the 8,000-foot altitude of the Aberdare Mountains for the altitude training required for the marathon. At 6,000 feet, Lewa was a challenging run before adding in the hills and the chance of running into a rhino!

The Aberdares were wet and cold, but very beautiful, with the moorland heather spreading out over the peaks and valleys of this rich mountain range. The Aberdares is an excellent trout fishing area and we seemed to spend a lot more time fishing than running, but as I was allowed to eat the catch, I couldn't complain!

Finally we arrived at Lewa the night before the run. Pitching our tent on the side of a hill we enjoyed a stunning, classic African sunset; deep reds and pinks spread across the sky, with a flat-topped acacia tree silhouetted black before us.

Next morning was up early, with a 6:00am banana breakfast, gallons of energy drink and a quick warm up walk to the 7:00am start. As soon as the runners were off, all the ladies pilled into our vehicles and went off on a game drive through the park on the way to first vantage spot at 20 km. With four rhino, elephant, eland, buffalo, warthog, zebra, giraffe and numerous birds all spotted on the way, we only just arrived in time to wave before the runners were off around the corner and the rest of their run.

Game driving back to the finish line, we found still more wildlife, and paid a quick visit to the glorious little cottages that are available for visitors at the ranch's homestead. With wooden floors, a huge four-poster bed, open fireplaces and large comfortable sofas, each cottage was a little piece of paradise in the bush.

For the runners, four to five hours after starting, the finish line was a very welcome sight! Recovery was quick however and the evening was spent trading "Tall stories" about the game animals encountered on the run!

It was time to head home the following day after a wonderful week exploring some of the wildest areas of Kenya. The Marathon is an annual event now, and I know where I will be next August! Back at Lewa Downs, and this time I'm booking early to stay at the cottages!

Questions? If you want more information about this area you can email the author or check out our Africa Insiders page.