Elsa’s Kopje

For many years Kenya’s best kept secret, the untamed wilderness of Meru National Park is best explored from its hidden jewel, Elsa’s Kopje lodge. Situated on a kopje, meaning small hill, the lodge camouflages itself into the hillside of Mughwango Hill, just above George Adamson’s original camp. The lodge, named for Elsa the lioness who was made famous by the book and film Born Free, is invisible to the eye as you approach the kopje.

Property Details

Romantic and beautifully styled, each cottage at Elsa’s Kopje in Meru National Park, Kenya is uniquely designed and crafted from the natural features of Mughwango Hill. The 12 individually built cottages are luxuriously appointed, with open-fronted walls looking out onto the vast plains of Meru National Park. These are truly the ultimate “rooms with a view.” The generous double or twin beds are graciously swathed in netting, and the bathrooms have sumptuous showers or baths made out of stone, modern flush toilets, bidets, and double basins.

Also available at Elsa’s Kopje is the Family Cottage, a spacious two-bedroom home perfect for families, as well as the three Honeymoon Suites outfitted with romantic outdoor baths and private decks. For those looking for even more seclusion, Elsa’s Private House offers its own exclusive-use experience with private gardens, swimming pool, and standalone accommodations.

Paved paths, lit by lamps at night, lead from each cottage to the comfortable open bar, lounge, and dining room area of Elsa’s Kopje. There is a sense of space, style, and pure relaxation within these corridors, while the swimming pool, facing across the plains, is perfect for relaxing after a game drive or guided walk in the bush. From top to bottom, the atmosphere of Elsa’s Kopje induces a feeling of peace thanks to a highly trained, unobtrusive team of staff and a skilled host who manages the lodge. Each guest is attended to by their own butler who is always on hand to prepare a private dinner under the stars or wait on them at their own table in the lodge. The food at Elsa’s Kopje is traditional northern Italian cuisine blended with a selection of local and international dishes, fresh baked bread, crisp salads, and locally grown vegetables – a true delight in the wilderness.

Elsa’s Kopje lodge is situated in the heart of Meru National Park, a special park where the Born Free heritage lives on. Indeed, directly below the camp is the site of George Adamson’s Meru-based camp, an original playground of Elsa the lion. One of Kenya’s first parks—and still one of its finest—Meru National Park is home to plentiful lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, and rhino, as well as over 400 species of birds. The habitat and wildlife is so diverse here, but the guides of Elsa’s Kopje know it all as intimately as their own backyard. Elsa’s Kopje is also one of only two lodges in the entire park, so guests have the vast wilderness all to themselves as they are transported on breathtaking day and night game drives into the park and its exclusive rhino sanctuary. To complement their drives, guests have an additional array of activities to choose from, including guided bush walks, river fishing, day excursions to the Tana River, and cultural visits to local communities. Discover Elsa’s Kopje in Meru National Park, Kenya today.