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Elsa's Kopje

Overview

One of the most famous lodges in Africa, it is named after Elsa the lioness made famous in the film “Born Free”, who was released into the wild here at Meru National Park. The nine stone and thatched cottages and one honeymoon suite blend into the hillside and are barely visible as guests approach the kopje.

As well as being spacious and luxurious, each one is individually designed, with one double cottage being ideal for families. For super-exclusivity, Elsa’s Private House is a two-bedroom hideaway set apart from the rest of the camp with its own pool and garden.

Highlights

Our Thoughts

Perched dramatically atop a kopje, this camp is the site from where Elsa the lioness from ‘Born Free’ was released into the wild. Aside from the game viewing, the visits arranged from here to the Tharaka tribal village are superior to a lot of those offered elsewhere, with the two-bedroom private house the ideal spot for families, who will appreciate the private garden and pool.

  • Spa
  • Laundry
  • Safari Dining

Elsa’s Kopje is renowned for its delicious cuisine. With sumptuous fresh salads and pastas for lunch, combining North Italian recipes with more unusual dishes (such as crispy Tempura Vegetables, Aubergine, Feta and Tomato Stacks with Parmesan ‘Snaps’ and Danish Layer Cake), meals here are simply heaven…

Using fresh salads and herbs from its own garden, and serving homemade bread freshly baked in the camp’s own traditional outdoor pizza oven, you will feel absolutely spoiled.

At Elsa’s Kopje, guests eat on their own individual tables (unlike some safari camps which offer communal dining). Dinner is almost always outside, with candlelit tables laid out under the stars. Private romantic dinners can also be arranged.

Elsa’s Kopje serves a set menu and general mealtimes are as follows:

  • Breakfast 06.30 – 09.30
  • Lunch 13.00 – 14.30
  • Afternoon tea and a homemade cake is served during the afternoon
  • Dinner 20.00 – 21.30
  • Canapés ‘bitings’ are served in the bar before dinner.

Elsa’s Kopje is happy to cater for special diets such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, etc. Please make sure your agent informs us well in advance though, so that the camp managers can prepare for your arrival.

Cottages
Nestled into the hillside, and overlooking the vast plains of Meru National Park, each of Elsa’s Kopje’s open-fronted cottages are unique in design and offer an elegant safari style.

9 en-suite cottages:7 doubles and 2 twins

Each cottage consists of a main bedroom, en suite bathroom (some have outdoor baths) and private deck. N.B. Cottage 3 has a private sitting room rather than deck.

4 rooms can fit one extra bed, to accommodate children under the age of 16yrs.

Honeymoon Suite
Overlooking the vast plains of Meru National Park, Elsa’s Honeymoon Suite is a large 3-tiered cottage featuring a private sitting room, main bedroom, en-suite bathroom, and a small private deck.

The Honeymoon Suite sitting room can accommodate twin beds suitable for children under 16.

Private House
Overlooking the vast plains of Meru National Park and facing Mt Kenya, Elsa’s Private House consists of one en-suite master bedroom with dressing room, one en-suite twin bedroom, a large dining and sitting room, a private garden and infinity swimming pool.

The Private House can fit two extra beds, for children under 16yrs.

Game drives
The Elsa’s Kopje guides are based at the lodge in Meru National Park, they have the whole park to themselves, and know their backyard intimately. All the guides are Bronze or Silver level Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association certified.

Elsa’s Kopje has open gamedrive vehicles. The current fleet are new, specially fitted, 4×4 Toyota Landcruisers. The vehicles are unrivalled with feature enhancements specifically designed for comfort and photography – open sided with 3 rows of seats, photographic equipment stands, and charging sockets. Clients will share gamedrives unless “exclusive use of vehicle” has been prebooked at an extra charge.

The park has enormous diversity of habitat and wildlife, gamedrives will take you through forests, past giant baobab trees, through clear spring fed streams lined with palms. This is lion and elephant country, but also Meru has many rare species including caracal, the beautiful Lesser Kudu, aardwolf, and over 400 species of birds.

Night game drives
Elsa’s Kopje has the whole National Park almost exclusively, and offers pre-dinner game drives with a red-light spotlights. Gamedriving at dusk and early evening opens up a whole new world, bushbabies, hunting predators, owls.

Day excursions to the 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 travelling 704kms before emptying into the Indian Ocean.

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 gamedriving challenge!

  • Guided Walks
  • River Fishing
  • Swimming
  • Bush Breakfast & Sundowners
  • Spa Treatments
  • Cultural Visits

Brand new and with panoramic views of the Park - The Family Cottage is a spacious 2-bedroom cottage with a double and a twin room, both en-suite, a beautiful living room, large private deck and an outside bath by the master bedroom. Along with plenty of activities for children to get involved with such as game drives and day excursions to the Tana River.

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