Ikweta Safari Camp

Ikweta Safari Camp is the perfect place to stay if visiting breathtaking Meru National Park. We loved everything, the luxury tents, the extremely friendly and helpful staff, Susan, the owner, the food, the location - simply everything. Overall a very definite 10 out of 10. We will definitely come back.

Ikweta camp was absolutely stunning ! It s right beside the national park gates so you can get into the park early at 0600 ( we were the only people in the park that morning !). The staff are very welcoming. The food was amazing. The tests - luxury, one of the nicest places I have ever stayed. So peaceful , beautiful pool too. I only wish we were here for longer !

Good food. Great staff. Impeccable service.

Ikweta is a great option for visiting Meru National Park at an affordable price, but still staying in very comfortable accomodations. They are a gated camp that is about 2km from the main Murera Gate into the park, so it only takes about 5-10 minutes to reach the gate from leaving the lodge. The accomodation is in safari tents, which have an ensuite bathroom. The tents are very well furnished, and even have fans for the hot weather! The pool area is lovely with lots of places to sit. The grounds of the lodge are also really nice, filled with plants and trees so it feels very green and spacious. I am vegan and the kitchen was able to accomodate me very well, serving me delicious meals for lunch and dinner. (The chef very kindly even came out a couple times to greet me and to check whether the foo was ok for me, and to suggest meal options! Very thoughtful.) They can also do packed breakfasts and lunches if you want to maximize time in the park. I also really appreciated the sustainability aspect of this lodge. They use solar power extensively. They also grow almost all of the produce and fruit that they serve in the restaurant, and buy the rest from small local suppliers. The owners are a local couple, and I also like supporting a place that isn't a chain or run by non-Kenyan companies, as is the case with lots of the high end lodges. They hire local staff to do the rooms and meal service, and I found all the staff to be polite and very helpful. A couple things to note. The lodge does not have its own safari guides so uses a local company, with whom you make your arrangements and pay separately. My guide was very good, extremely knowledgeable about all the mammals and birds, and also very happy to take our time, rather than rushing from sighting to sighting as can so often be the case with guides even at high end lodges. It was a bit harder though to be flexible with the scheduling, and change up plans from day to day. Also to be aware - if you are an independent traveler not using a tour company for your arrangements, the park entry fee is payable only by credit card, and also requires that you use wifi at the park gate to complete an online form on your phone. The problem is that the wifi at the park gate, for 4 out of my 5 days, was not working well, so each day my entry into the park took at least 30 minutes and sometimes more. It was very stressful, not knowing if I'd be able to get into the park each day. If you are an independent traveler, I'd recommend asking an Ikweta staff manager to help you (my local guide was unable to assist during the park entry process). The camp is situated in very large grounds, and my tent was more towards the road. There is a local community along that road up to the park gate, and from my tent I could hear the sounds of the motorcycles along the main road into the night - not super loud, just background noise, but I'm a light sleeper. For any light sleepers, a tent further back might get a bit less of

It was now my 3rd or 4th time there, and every time it is even more amazing. Location so close to the park, and beautiful environment. Rooms are comfortable, luxurious and well maintained. Everything is clean, quiet and service is excellent. Value for money is over the top!

Ikweta safari camp a gems of a place, set conveniently close to the gates of Meru National Park. The camp is a peaceful haven for visitors and the static guest tents are beautifully finished, cosy and comfortable with en suite bathrooms. Sussan, the owner is an inspirational woman and has invested so much in the philosophy of the camp i.e. in providing affordable luxury. All the staff are exceptional, friendly and cannot do enough to help. The food is delicious, prepared by the lovely chef, Charles. I would definably recommend a stay at Ikweta Safari Camp. Carole and Paul Yearley

We are just leaving camp after a great four-day stay. Susan, if you could contact me directly I would really appreciate it to resolve an issue that arose. It was great to meet you.

Great food, felt so looked after by Susan and the team! Extremely close to the part and beautiful accommodation. Would recommend!

The camp is beautiful and the food fantastic . The only problem we encountered was that the journey back to Nairobi is a nightmare . A combination of roads , high speed bumps and necessity to stop makes it 7 or 8 hours! And then our allocated driver got hopelessly lost in the city for over an hour . If you can afford the internal flight Nairobi to near the camp then sedition that !