Sirikoi is more than a lodge. It is the final project of the man who influenced and changed Kenyan conservation law, and his wife still runs it today.
Before breakfast, the elephants arrive. Mist still in the air, gazelles, reticulated giraffes and buffalo can be seen from the visitors’ deck taking their morning sip from the nearby watering hole. This is not a game reserve. This is wildlife and humanity’s cohabitation in action.
A Lodge Born From Conservation
Sirikoi sits within the 62,000-acre Lewa Wildlife Conservancy Reserve on the Laikipia Plateau in Northern Kenya.
Sirikoi was established by Willie & Sue Roberts in 2007 on this land, with 4 luxury tents, and by 2010, a 2-bedroom Cottage and aprivate 3-bedroom House were added. Their mission is to save the land that was rife with poaching and land grabbing for farming practices
In 2001, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy (a UNESCO World Heritage Site), approached Willie to assist with an issue involving buyers seeking to purchase 7,500 acres surrounded by the already established Conservancy.
Willie Roberts was no stranger to conservation battles long before Sirikoi came to be. In 1991, working in the Maasai Mara, he brokered Kenya’s first community conservancy deal, changing Kenyan law forever. Alongside Lawyer Stephen Mwenzia and Maasai leaders, he led legal efforts that granted conservancies and local Maasai communities the right to withhold tourism earnings from mismanaged local councils. employing rangers and established anti-poaching efforts that would change the region’s economy entirely.
Life at Sirikoi
With experienced and well-versed guides like head guide James Nangonye and visitors’ favourite Ngila. From the local communities, the retreat pays great respect and homage to collaboration and partnership.
A bush breakfast with vegetables and fruit plucked straight from their organic farm gives the visitors a pause between their morning game drives. Wash off the morning savannah dust in a rain-style shower bath in their Victorian standalone tubs, with wide windows offering views of the morning savannah.
They have three options for stays: The house, which sleeps six, with a master ensuite and two ensuite suites, a private pool and deck with a fire pit, all facing the acacia tree-strewn savannah on the horizon. The house has its own private chef and a safari vehicle with a guide and staff. The cottage has two ensuite bedrooms, a living room, a dining room with a fireplace, and a private deck. The four luxury tents, including a luxury family tent, have ensuite bathrooms and private decks. All stays are outfitted with standalone Victorian baths and rain showers.
Each has its own handpicked decor, from handmade wooden sofas to bronze buffalo figurines. The main lounge, where visitors can mingle with staff and other visitors, is curated with heirlooms collected by the family over four generations. A bronze Rhino stands on a handcrafted table, with African paintings by local artists displayed in wooden frames above and beside a stone fireplace set into the white clay wall. The main deck offers perfect views of the waterhole and is ideal for meals and sundowners.
Staff such as Natasha have gained lots of praise from past visitors for her warm, constant nothing is too much ” attitude and presence, making visitors’ stays that much more memorable.
Where Every Stay Counts
Something that stays with visitors after they leave is a sense of authenticity and pride of being part of a great story. With all conservation fees paid by visitors going directly to Lewa, this directive supports its stewardship of the land and its wildlife.
The lodge has also implemented different facilities and structures that benefit the local community and ecosystem. Complete with an organic farm that grows over 80 varieties of vegetables, fruits, and flowers, still maintained by Sue, this off-grid lodge is free of plastics and foil.
Sustainability is at the forefront of this lodge’s ethos. Taking care of the land, the people and the wildlife is their responsibility.
The Elevate Program and glass recycling project are among many programmes that have impacted the neighbouring communities. Empowering the youth with jobs and employable skills that they can use later in life.
The Sirikoi Trust, founded by Sue Roberts in 2024, is all about education and understanding. The trust has a bursary and scholarship program that runs from nursery through to university. This non-profit organisation is all about people, the land, and wildlife. The well-loved Impact Centre is where you find staff like Sheila showcasing local beadwork and other products from the local community and teaching visiting families and couples about community sustainability.
Who Sirikoi is For
From cantering through herds of Grevy’s zebras to spotting rhinos from the air, Sirikoi offers visitors different ways to interact with and immerse themselves in Laikipia’s biodiverse landscape.
Walking through the Ngare Ndare forest canopy along East Africa’s longest canopy bridge, which spans 450 meters (1,475 feet) and is 10 meters (40 feet) above ground, adventure enthusiasts can spot elephants, colobus monkeys, and buffalo. A bird watcher’s paradise, with over 200 bird species calling the forest home, and 490 in Lewa Conservancy. Honeymooners can take flight by helicopter, catching sight of Mount Kenya’s snow-capped peaks and the savannah north of it.
After that, they can even receive Maasai Traditional Wedding Blessings. Families are welcome to visit a local village to gain some cultural understanding of the Maasai community. Sirikoi is a “travellers with substance” choice retreat.
Willie & Sue Roberts spent their lives building the fullest expression of what is, travelling with substance, and making Sirikoi a pillar of conservation, luxury, and community in East Africa.
