Inside National Parks, one is not allowed to leave the safari vehicle. Richard's camp is just outside the park, so like Lewa, while staying at Richard's camp, I was able to hike and go on night game drives which are 2 of my favorite activities on safari. It is a most amazing site to see a hippo out of water and to see 10 running around in the moonlight was heart stopping.
I have a great fondness for Lewa and the vastness of the Craig Family's conservation accomplishments. I've seen Lewa grow from a 55,000 acre rhino sanctuary to 300,000 acres where wildlife are protected and now bring a sense of hope to the surrounding communities. Richard's camp also has a great connection to wildlife conservation, making it appealing to conservationists worldwide. Richard is Ian Craig's nephew and his father, Willie Roberts, now resides at Lewa. Willie began the whole Maasai Mara conservation movement and battled successfully for years to get profits from wildlife tourism to go to the native people in the area rather than just to the government. On my safaris you'll have the opportunity to meet 2 fantastic conservationist families and see how the wildlife has benefited.
--Patty Pearthree, BFR Coordinator and Trip Leader