Elsa’s Kopje is sculpted into Mughwango Hill in Meru National Park, Kenya. Unashamedly romantic and beautifully styled. It is named after Elsa the lioness, from George and Joy Adamson’s biographical book and film, Born Free. Elsa’s Kopje overlooks George’s original camp where he raised and released orphan lions. Long before conservation became fashionable
There is a fertile spring to the east of the hill and guests can watch vast herds of elephant, buffalo and giraffe make their way across the plains below. Meru National Park is a wild and semi-arid landscape. Dotted with doum palms and traversed by weaving green lines of the 13 life-giving rivers, home to basking hippo. It offers wonderful game watching opportunities, and is one of the best locations to view rhino in their natural habitat.
Elsa’s Kopje is an environmental award-winning, boutique lodge and is widely renowned as one of the most elegant lodges in Africa.
Elsa’s Kopje is one of only two lodges in the National Park, and so guests will have this vast wilderness practically to themselves. An elegant and comfortable lounge and dining area, gorgeous infinity pool, and stunning sundowner viewpoint help make Elsa’s Kopje the ultimate safari retreat. Massages are available and there is free WiFi in public areas and rooms.
Unique Selling Points
Rhino Sanctuary Meru National Park incorporates an 84km² rhino sanctuary, home to over 70 white and 30 black rhinos, making Meru one of the best areas in Kenya to see rhinos in their natural habitat.
The Adamson Story The lodge overlooks the site of George Adamson’s camp at the foot of the hill and the park was the playground of Elsa the lioness of Born Free fame. The lodge is full of memorabilia and images of George, Joy and their lions.
Exclusive Meru Park Safari With only a handful of camps and lodges in and around Meru, Elsa’s guests have the luxury of enjoying the Park almost entirely to themselves. The lodge has a special license to walk, fish, and conduct night game drives (pre-dinner). The highest peak in Meru Park, Mughwango Hill enjoys 360° panoramas over the volcanic plains.
Unique and Elegant Boutique Lodge The lodge is beautifully designed and furnished with elegant antiques and historical pictures. Elsa’s Kopje boasts one of the most picturesque infinity pools, it’s design incorporating the natural rocky features.
Abundant Birdlife For bird lovers, Meru offers spectacular bird watching opportunities, with over 450 species recorded in the park.
Condé Nast Traveler has announced the results of its annual 2023 Readers’ Choice Awards. Elsa’s Kopje Meru secured the #7 spot in the “50 Best Resorts” overall global list. As well as the #1 in Top Resorts in Central & Eastern Africa.
Every cottage is the ultimate ‘room-with-a-view’. Uniquely designed and crafted, incorporating the natural features of the rocky hillside.
Cottages
The 6 x spacious cottages offer views from their private verandas across the adjacent plains. Each cottage consists of a main bedroom, en suite bathroom and a private deck or verandah.
N.B. Cottage 3 has a private sitting room rather than a deck. 2 of the rooms can fit one extra bed, to accommodate children under the age of 16yrs.
Cottage
Family Cottage
The Family Cottage is a spacious 2-bedroom cottage with a double and a twin room, both of which are en-suite. A beautiful living room, large private deck and an outside bath by the master bedroom complete this cottage. There are panoramic views of the park.
The family cottage can fit two extra beds, suitable for children under 16yrs.
Family cottage – master bedroomFamily cottage – outdoor bath
Honeymoon Suites
The ultimate in romance and seclusion, the honeymoon suites overlook the vast plains of Meru National Park. Elsa’s Kopje has 3 x Honeymoon Suites. Two of the suites have romantic outside baths and one suite has three levels featuring a private sitting room, main bedroom with en-suite bathroom, and a small private deck.
Honeymoon Cottage outdoor bathHoneymoon Cottage
Private House
Elsa’s Private House is slightly away from the main lodge, overlooking the vast plains of Meru National Park and facing Mt Kenya. It consists of one en-suite master bedroom with dressing room, and one en-suite twin bedroom. The master en suite has a bath and an outdoor shower. While the twin en suite has an indoor shower. The Private House can fit two extra beds, for children under 16yrs.
The Private House is an exclusive retreat for families, with its own garden, infinity swimming pool, sitting room and dining area.
The bath with a view in Private House at Elsa’sPrivate House Master bedroom and swimming pool
Meru (Kenya) Family Safari ↓
Elsa’s Kopje is not only romantic and ideal for honeymooners, but also a very family friendly lodge.
Kids of all ages are accommodated at Elsa’s Kopje
Children’s Activities include: Camp and Mughwango Hill bush walks with family friendly guides who are great with children (age restrictions for children under 16yrs for Mughwango Hill walks) Fishing Swimming pool (the private house also has its own swimming pool) School visit – normal term times and at an extra cost Children’s menu
Child Policy at Elsa’s Kopje
Children under the age of 12 year sharing with an adult
Child(ren) free of charge plus adult single rate
Children aged 12-17 years in their own room (2 minimum)
75% of the adult sharing rate
Child(ren) aged 12-17 years sharing with 1 adult
50% of the adult sharing rate for the child , adult per person sharing rate
Child aged 12-17 sharing with 2 adults
Triple rate applies
*Child aged 12-17 sharing with 2 adults Family room rate to apply at Star beds *Child policy applies in all the Elewana properties except Kilindi where there are no children allowed. For the activities the child rates start from 3 to 17 year old.
Elsa’s Kopje Activities
Guests can enjoy inimitable seclusion in the vast expanse of Elsa’s Kopje, boasting 870km² , the equivalent of 215,000 acres, of authentic African landscape. The park offers a thriving rhino sanctuary, and is famous for large elephant herds, hippo, lion, and bird life. Meru National Park is recognized as having more diversity of animal species than any other park in East Africa.
The Elsa’s Kopje guides are all Bronze or Silver level Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association certified.
Activities ↓
Morning and Afternoon Game Drives
Elsa’s Kopje has open game drive vehicles. The vehicles are unrivaled with feature enhancements specifically designed for comfort and photography. Open sided with 3 rows of seats, photographic equipment stands, and charging sockets. Exclusive use of vehicles can be pre-booked at an extra charge.
The park has enormous diversity of habitat and wildlife. Game drives will take you through forests, past giant baobab trees, and through clear spring fed streams lined with palms. This is lion and elephant country. But also Meru has many rare species specific to Northern Kenya. These include the beautiful Lesser Kudu, aardwolf, Grevvy’s zebra, Somali ostrich, reticulated giraffe and gerenuk. Plus an abundance of common game and over 400 species of birds.
Reticulated giraffesElephants on safari
Rhino Sanctuary
The National Park incorporates an 84 sq km rhino sanctuary, home to over 70+ rhino, both black and white. The size of the sanctuary ensures that finding the rhino is still a game driving challenge!
Day Excursion to Tana River
Take a picnic lunch, and take the whole day to explore the sandy Tana River, Kenya’s longest. Rising in the highlands of Mt Kenya and traveling 704kms before emptying into the Indian Ocean.
Guided Bush Walks
Leave the vehicle behind and enjoy a slower pace with your guide. Enjoy the smaller things – tracks, dung beetles, naked mole rats and micro-ecosystems. Take a walk up to the very top of Mughwango Hill. Enjoying a 360 degree view of the snow-capped Mt Kenya in the west to the vast Meru plains to the east.
Line Fishing
Take your rod, afternoon tipple with some canapés and a good book, and settle on the palm lined banks of one of Meru’s many rivers. The fishing is fun, with plentiful catfish, tilapia and barbell. Share your prey with herons, monitor lizards and spectacular kingfishers.
Bush breakfasts and sundowners
Take a moment to sit back, enjoy the spectacular views, the smells, the colors, and the gentle breeze.
Alongside a freshly brewed coffee, drink in the sights and sounds of the African bush over a full breakfast, served with a view over the plains or along the Tana river.
After a day spent on safari relax with a gin and tonic and watch the spectacular sunset.
Visits to the local school and community
Elsa’s Kopje works with closely with the local community, and they will happily take you to visit a local village or school.
A small donation goes towards ongoing projects or for the purchase of school books and supplies.
Meru National Park History
In the 1980′s and 90′s, poachers slaughtered many of the elephants in Meru National Park and rhinos were completely eradicated from the area. The park’s infrastructure was deadened with a horrendous blow to conservation. Tourism plummeted and rumors circulated that the government was at the point of de-proclaiming the park. Despite the park’s state of despair, with a passion for this beautiful wilderness, Elewana believed that they could build a successful lodge to secure Meru’s future existence. Since then, Meru National Park has experienced a steady increase in tourist numbers and now has a reputation as one of the best wilderness areas on the safari circuit.
Elsa’s Kopje contributes to the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) through lease payments and park fees. This has enabled at least 1,350 animals being successfully translocated to Meru. Species include reticulated giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, impala, Bohors reedbuck, leopard and elephant. The rich diversity also includes more than 400 bird species.
KWS has also opened a 20,750 acre rhino sanctuary which now protects a population of over 70 white and black rhino. All this considered, Elsa’s Kopje has undoubtedly made a huge contribution to ensuring that Meru National Park is once again a viable conservation area.
Sustainability and how your can contribute ↓
Sustainable Tourism at Elsa’s Kopje
Elsa’s Kopje has been awarded “Silver Level” by the internationally recognized Ecotourism society in recognition of its high level of environmental responsibility. It was the first lodge in Kenya to receive an Eco-rating. The lodge consumes a minimum amount of energy through investments in LED and energy saving bulbs, solar water heaters and power to supplement the generator, limiting diesel generator use to only 6 hours per day. To limit their carbon footprint, wherever possible, fresh produce is sourced from the farmers on the borders of the park and local traders and timber used by the camp is taken from renewable sources. Rubbish is responsibly disposed of or recycled and separated glass is sold to the recycling plant ‘Central Glass’ in Nairobi.
Ura Gate Primary School
Being able to really make a difference to the lives of children in a rural community can be a life changing experience and unforgettable memory from your safari in Kenya.
Elsa’s Kopje and the Land and Life Foundation works closely with Ura Gate Primary School (just 45 minutes’ drive from Elsa’s). They identify and address the school’s most urgent needs. Ura Gate Primary caters for hundreds of students aged between 6-14 years old. Very few of these children had any access to text books when the support program began. However, thanks to the generosity of a great number of Elsa’s visitors, we were able to donate text books and repair and reconstruct some classrooms.
If you would like to bring donations from abroad, visit the Pack for a Purpose website for very specific advice on what is needed. Please do note that when flying within Kenya, the internal flight weight restriction is 15kg and may therefore limit what you can carry with you to the camps and donate to the rural communities in person. We can always, however, donate anything over and above your weight limit on your behalf at a later date. Let us know if you have any questions.
How To Get To Elsa’s Kopje
Mughwango Airstrip (private airstrip) is a 5 min drive from the lodge; Kinna Airstrip is a 45 min drive from the lodge. Both are a 1hr flight from Wilson Airport which has daily scheduled flights these airstrips. Private Charters from anywhere into Mughwango Airstrip and there is a helicopter pad at the lodge. We can arrange road transfers or private air charters to/from any areas in Kenya.
When to go to Meru National Park
The days are hot, but comfortable with minimal humidity. Evenings are warm. The wet months are April, May & November. Elsa’s Kopje is located in a dry area of low population density, as such it has a very low malaria risk. The cottages are sealed with mesh screens and beds have mosquito nets.
Elsa’s Kopje Accommodation Rates
Elsa’s Kopje Camp offers either full board or ‘game package’ rates.
Full board rates include accommodation, all meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), soft drinks, beer, house wines and selected spirits, teas, coffees and refreshments (on the property), and laundry services.
Game package rates include full-board package, scheduled and shared game drives, bush breakfast, fishing activity, visit Meru Rhino Sanctuary, sun downers, transfers to and from our designated airstrips.
Both rates exclude park fees, champagne, private cellar wines and premium spirit/beers.
2024 Elsa’s Kopje Camp Full Board Rates
High Season: 1st July to 31st October and 20th December 2024 to 3rd January 2025
Mid Season: 4th January to 31st March, 1st to 30th June and 1st November to 19th December
Green Season: 1st April to 31st May
Per person sharing
$677
$493
$322
Single room
$1,016
$740
$483
Honeymoon cottage
$1,589
$1,159
$755
Family cottage
$2,385
$1,764
$1,213
Private house
$2,999
$2,316
$1,544
2024 Elsa’s Kopje Camp Game Package Rates
High Season: 1st July to 31st October and 20th December 2024 to 3rd January 2025
Mid Season: 4th January to 31st March, 1st to 30th June and 1st November to 19th December
Green Season: 1st April to 31st May
Per person sharing
$877
$693
$522
Single room
$1,216
$940
$683
Honeymoon cottage
$1,989
$1,559
$1,155
Family cottage
$2,985
$2,364
$1,813
Private house
$3,599
$2,916
$2,144
Elsa’s Kopje Accommodation Special Offers and Packages
Elsa’s Kopje is part of the Elewana Collection. A collection of luxury boutique lodges, camps and hotels in iconic locations across Kenya and Tanzania. Stay longer at any combination of these properties and get great discounts in 2024: 6+ nights: 10% 9+ nights: 15% 12+ nights: 20%
Valid in mid and low season at Arusha Coffee Lodge until 31st May 2024* but all year at all other Elewana properties.
*1st November 2023 until 19th December 2024 and 4th January to 31st May 2024.
Get an extra 5% discount when you return to any Elewana property. Plus a 20% discount on Spa treatments*. *Spa services not available in Masai Mara and Serengeti
Kenya Honeymoon
There is nothing more romantic than a safari! Already an unforgettable, once in a lifetime and pampered experience; safaris offer incredible sunsets, romantic accommodation with spectacular views, and relaxed al fresco dinners.
All the cottages at Elsa’s Kopje are outstanding suites, but they also have honeymoon suites which can be booked especially for a honeymoon.
Being a very special holiday, they often have special offers and upgrades for honeymooners.
Elsa’s Kopje Wedding or Renewal of Vows
Over the years, Elsa’s Kopje has hosted very many beautiful weddings, blessings, and renewal of vows for its guests.
From small simple ceremonies involving merely a glass of champagne at the end of a game drive. To elaborate three day events, with over 20 guests taking over the whole property.
Discuss your ideas with us.
Meru National Park, Lewa & Mount Kenya Accommodation ↓
Watch this space – More accommodation to follow soon!
