Sirikoi

Sirikoi is set on a spring-fed marsh inside the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, the UNESCO-listed former cattle ranch that has become one of the most effective rhino sanctuaries in Africa. The lodge is small and family-run: a handful of tents under thatch, two cottages, and Sirikoi House, which can be taken on an exclusive-use basis by a single party.

Much of what reaches the table comes from the lodge's own organic kitchen garden and dairy, and the atmosphere is closer to staying on a well-run Kenyan farm than checking into a hotel. Log fires, deep sofas and a well-stocked library fill the main sitting room, with Mount Kenya visible to the south on clear mornings.

Lewa's draw is its density of black and white rhino, plus Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe and Beisa oryx. Guests can visit conservancy headquarters, meet the tracker dog unit and see the anti-poaching operation at work, which gives the stay a purpose beyond game viewing. Walking, night drives and horseback safaris are all permitted on conservancy land.