Elewana Newsletter

New renderings offer a first look at Ngorongoro Explorer Lodge, opening in June 2027 as the second property under the Explorer by Elewana brand after Serengeti Explorer. Renderings can be downloaded here.

The 84-room lodge sits at the highest point of the crater’s eastern rim within the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ngorongoro Conservation Area, around 15 minutes from the Crater gate. The lodge is designed by 2802 Architects, the firm behind Serengeti Explorer, with interiors by Jallan Sahba. Facilities will include a spa, an infinity pool and five F&B outlets.

Beyond crater-floor game drives, guests can join cultural talks, stargazing, yoga and meditation, and make use of a photographic studio and indoor cinema. The lodge is also well placed for visits to Olduvai Gorge, known as the “Cradle of Mankind”. Built on the site of an existing property, the lodge adds no new bed nights to the area and reuses materials from the previous accommodation.

We’re pleased to welcome our newest team member, Ruth Bassett, who has joined Elewana Collection as International Sales Director, bringing more than two decades of African luxury travel experience to her new role.

She comes to Elewana after 18 years with An African Anthology as Sales and Marketing Director, where she built an extensive international network with key global markets and a reputation for creating strong, lasting relationships across the global luxury travel trade. She is well versed in working hand in hand with DMC's, tour operators, travel advisors and tourism partners to showcase some of Africa’s most exceptional properties and experiences. Ruth is deeply passionate about the people, places and stories that make travel in Africa so unforgettable and looks forward to inspiring travellers to discover the continent in an authentic and personal way. Please join us in welcoming Ruth to the team!

Travellers planning a safari in peak season 2027 will have a new way to reach Tanzania. British Airways announced the launch of a seasonal triangular route for May 29, 2027, timed for the summer holidays and very opportunely coinciding with the launch of Ngorongoro Explorer Lodge.

Flights operate three times a week, on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, from London Gatwick to Kilimanjaro before continuing to Zanzibar, with a nonstop return from Zanzibar to Gatwick. The route runs until October 31, 2027.

Kilimanjaro is the gateway to Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge, Elewana's camps and lodges in the Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Tarangire, and the Explorer by Elewana lodges in the Serengeti and Ngorongoro. Zanzibar connects guests to Kilindi Zanzibar, ensuring a safari and a stay on the coast fit easily into one trip.

Elewana Collection has been shortlisted for Best Responsible Safari Experience at the 2027 Country & Town House Future Icons Awards.

The category recognises safari operators that put conservation, community and low-impact travel first, with judges looking for evidence of habitat protection, ethical wildlife practices and clear benefits for local communities. We extend our huge congratulations and credit to the teams at the Land & Life Foundation, Elewana’s sustainability arm, and Shanga for the incredible work that they do. Winners will be announced at the Future Icons event on November 16th in London.

Virginia McKenna and Will Travers Kenya 2014 © Land Rover

Do you remember the filming of Born Free 60 years ago and did you spend much time on set in Meru?

Virginia: It is burned in my memory forever. It was an experience that changed Bill’s and my life. However, although the true story of Elsa unfolded in Meru, the film was made near Nanyuki on the north-western side of Mount Kenya. I did visit Meru with Joy Adamson after filming. It was a few days I will treasure.

Will: I was a small child when the film was made but I was with my mum and dad, Virginia and Bill, throughout the 10 months of our great, life-changing adventure. I was not allowed on set since small people and lions do not mix!

Is there any particular stand out memory from the filming?

Virginia: Yes, walking with Bill and the lions in the early morning, before filming began. And I will never forget swimming with a lioness in the Indian Ocean!

Will: Although I did not meet the lions, I was well aware of what was going on. I did get to meet Joy Adamson (the one and only time) and her husband George who became a close family friend and who I visited several times in his remote camp right up until his murder in 1989. I also recall when, in the course of a boisterous ‘game’ one of the young (but substantial) lions broke my mum’s leg. Funnily enough, we were never scared. I think that was when we started to understand that lions are like people, each with their own personalities, likes and dislikes.

How has the film shaped your life and subsequent work you do with the Born Free Foundation?

Virginia: Under the mentorship of George Adamson, our dear friend, we became passionate about wild animals, their welfare and their survival. The death of a young female African elephant, Pole Pole, at the London Zoo in 1983, was the final straw. Born Free has been going strong ever since, thanks to our wonderful teams, led by our eldest son, Will, one of the co-founders.

Will: The film was the start of the journey - a journey that will not end. I was hugely fortunate to be one of the co-founders of Born Free and I have had the privilege of helping steer and lead the organisation from its inception in 1984. No two days are the same. The positives always outweigh the negatives and the one lesson I have learned is ‘never give up’. Because of that, there are no captive dolphins being exploited for entertainment in the UK. There are no wild animals in circuses. There is no UK commercial ivory trade. One day we will end trophy hunting imports. Relentless determination is the key.

You have stayed at Elsa’s Kopje a number of times, what do you love most about the lodge?

Virginia: The warmth and friendliness of Elsa’s team. The views across the Park. The stillness. The sense of being at one with nature.

Will: Elsa’s doesn’t feel like a lodge. It feels like a home. The hyrax in the trees. The glimpse of the leopard on the bridge (yes, I have seen it). The way each built structure blends seamlessly and harmoniously into the landscape. The wonderful Elewana team who run Elsa’s and allow us to share precious moments - and their commitment to the park, its wild animals, and the communities who live nearby.

How has Meru National Park changed over the years that you have been visiting?

Virginia: The beauty is that it has not really changed. It is still a remote wilderness that a few incredibly lucky travellers journey to experience – and Elsa’s Kopje is at its heart.

Will: As Virginia says, the magic of Meru is that it has changed so little over the years. It is still a wilderness. You have to work a little harder to see the wildlife, and it is all the more rewarding for that. The birdlife, the huge buffalo herd, the elephants, the giraffe, the lions. And at the far corner, Elsa’s Grave, a place I make a personal pilgrimage to as often as I can.

Can you tell us a little about the projects the Born Free foundation is currently working on in Meru National Park?

Virginia: Working alongside our friends at the Kenya Wildlife Service, Born Free helps protect lions, giraffe, elephants, and rhino. We monitor the wild populations and run de-snaring patrols. We also support local communities to reduce conflict with wildlife outside the Park, as well as support education and community engagement. We help protect livestock and encourage small, wildlife-friendly micro-businesses. Born Free and Elewana are doing what we can to keep Meru safe and ensure Elsa’s spirit is shining bright for generations to come.

Will: Meru National Park is at the heart of the Meru Conservation Area, at nearly 7,000 square kilometres, the second largest protected landscape in Kenya. Some people say that Kenya is no longer the wild place it used to be. I disagree! You want wild Africa - come to Meru. And if you would like to help our wonderful Born Free team keep it that way, contact us and support our vital work. Meru - its animals, its people, its natural habitat - are worth protecting. It is the beating heart of Born Free.

To find out more about Born Free’s important work in Kenya and around the globe and to support the organisation’s mission for a better world for wild animals visit bornfree.org.uk

Starting January 1, 2027, SkySafari will offer guests three set itineraries, each with guaranteed departures for a minimum of two guests.

SkySafari 8-day Kenya: The safari begins at Hemingways Nairobi or a similar property, then continues to Tortilis Camp Amboseli, Loisaba Tented Camp and ending at Sand River Masai Mara.	SkySafari 8-day Tanzania: The adventure begins at Arusha Coffee Lodge, then continues to Tarangire Treetops, The Manor at Ngorongoro and concluding at Serengeti Pioneer Camp or Serengeti Migration Camp, depending on the season.	SkySafari 12-day East Africa: The safari follows the above noted Kenya route, then crosses from the Masai Mara to The Manor at Ngorongoro before finishing in the Serengeti and Arusha.

Guests fly directly between airstrips on SkySafari’s executive Cessna Grand Caravan, with a luggage allowance of 23kg per person (including 3kg hand luggage), compared with the 15kg typical on standard bush flights. Rates include domestic flights, full board accommodation with selected drinks and laundry at the camps, shared game drives, road transfers, VIP arrival assistance at Jomo Kenyatta and Kilimanjaro International Airports, and temporary medical emergency evacuation insurance. The 2027 rates start from USD 11,800 per person sharing for the eight-day itineraries and USD 20,000 per person sharing for the 12-day itinerary. The single room supplement is waived on the first single room per booking.

SkySafari’s 2027 brochure, departure dates and rates can be downloaded here.

We’re happy to share that our partners can enjoy 15% off nett contract rates on new bookings at Serengeti Explorer with travel up to October 31, 2026. The discount covers both Game Package and Full Board rates, giving partners an easy way to introduce clients to the Explorer by Elewana experience. The offer cannot be combined with other special offers and does not apply to East African resident rates. Terms and conditions apply.

Guests making new bookings can take advantage of our circuit discounts available year-round, with savings that increase as nights are added across the collection. The discount applies when combining any Elewana camps and lodges in a single itinerary (excluding Arusha Coffee Lodge) on Full Board, Game Package and All-Inclusive rates.

Circuit discounts can be combined with the 5% returning guest offer only and are subject to availability.

We love welcoming back guests to Elewana and to honor their loyalty, we offer 5% off accommodation rates on their next booking, along with 20% off spa treatments (spa services are not available in the Masai Mara). The offer can be combined with circuit discounts and other current special offers. It does not apply to resident rates. Terms and conditions apply.

Shanga’s glassblowers enjoyed a groundbreaking trip to Venice this month as part of the incredible glass bridge project. For ten days, four members of Shanga’s glass team, Shanga's manager, two master glassblowers and one rising star in the glass department, who is also deaf, stepped into a world of glassmaking they had previously only dreamed of experiencing. From the moment they arrived in Venice and Murano, they were completely engaged. Everywhere they looked, there was something new to discover, and they were, quite simply, blown away.

The visit centred around Shanga’s exhibition “Glass Bridge - From Murano to the World: Glass as an Act of Cooperation” at Abate Zanetti, the renowned glass school in Murano, which formed part of Venice Glass Week from 12–20 September. To have Shanga’s work exhibited in the heart of Murano, surrounded by centuries of glassmaking history, was an extraordinary moment for a social enterprise that began around a kitchen table in Tanzania.

But the exhibition was only one part of the experience. Throughout the ten days, the team trained across different venues, including Abate Zanetti, Wave Murano and other furnaces on the island. They worked alongside different masters, learning new hot-shop and lamp-working techniques, while also sharing their own skills and experiences. The team had a chance to understand the differences between Venetian glass, traditionally used for glass blowing vs recycled glass used at Shanga. Venetian glass is made from carefully crafted raw ingredients including soda, silica and line resulting in very ‘soft and broader working range’ glass whilst Shanga primarily uses post-consumer waste which cools down extremely quickly and is much more challenging to work with.

Between time in the studios, they had the opportunity to visit an extraordinary range of artists, workshops, exhibitions and collections. Highlights included Homo Faber in Venice, some of the spectacular glass installations created for Venice Glass Week, and the official opening night of the festival. They also went behind the scenes at Wonderglass on the mainland and were given a fascinating back-of-house visit at the Barovier & Toso gallery, gaining insight into some of the people, processes and craftsmanship behind the world of Venetian glass.

One of the proudest moments of the visit came when Glass Bridge – From Murano to the World: Glass as an Act of Cooperation received Special Recognition from the Jury at the official Premio Fondazione di Venezia Award Ceremony. It was a wonderful acknowledgement of the spirit behind the project: bringing together different cultures, skills and perspectives through glass.

What made the whole experience even more meaningful was the warmth with which the Shanga team were received. Everywhere they went, they were met with enthusiasm, kindness and genuine appreciation for their work. They were welcomed not simply as visitors, but as fellow makers, able to learn from the incredible depth of Murano’s glassmaking tradition while also sharing Shanga’s very different story of Tanzanian artistry, inclusion and transforming waste into beauty.

And there was time for some fun too. Away from the furnaces and studios, the team explored the colourful island of Burano and the quieter beauty of Torcello — important moments to relax, enjoy being together and take in a little more of this extraordinary part of the world.

For Shanga, this was about much more than a trip to Venice. It was an opportunity to learn, exchange, be inspired and build relationships. The team returned to Arusha with new techniques, new ideas and a renewed sense of what is possible.

Most importantly, they will be taking those learnings back to Shanga - sharing them with their colleagues and allowing the experience to influence the next chapter of their glassmaking journey.

© www.bornfree.org.uk

The Born Free research team are thrilled to have located Elsa the lioness who has been missing for four years. Whilst monitoring ResQ, a lioness who is part of the Elsa’s pride who recently gave birth to six new cubs, she inadvertently led them to her mother. Born in October 2014 and named in honour of the lioness star of the book and film Born Free, Elsa hadn’t been sighted since May 2022.

Back in May, ResQ, a lioness with a remarkable survival story was fitted with a lightweight satellite collar, as part of the charity’s ongoing monitoring work of Meru’s important lion population. A key member of Elsa’s Pride, ResQ had been rescued from a life-threatening snare in 2021, aged just eight months. It was the GPS data that led the team to this happy family reunion of three generations.

The new arrival of six cubs and the resurfacing of Elsa’s is a hugely hopeful story for lion conservation in Meru National Park. We thank the Born Free Foundation and their team for all their work in the area to protect these precious animals.

Read the full story on Elsa the lioness at Born Free

Serengeti Explorer is exemplified through its remarkable location. Sat high up on the Nyaboro Hills, the views stretch for miles across the iconic plains of the Serengeti, whilst its central, yet private location makes it the perfect hub, from which to see the Great Migration.

Accommodation options include 68 well-appointed Savannah rooms and six Savannah suites, including three interconnecting rooms and three with wheelchair access. All rooms have a private balcony offering the famed Serengeti views and can be configured to suit couples, friends and families. The bathrooms offer new-age water saving fixtures and rain showers.

Guests are treated to a wide selection of dining options catering for all appetites from fine dining to a BBQ boma experience. The Acacia main restaurant located in a spacious beautifully designed dining hall offers a wide range of dishes through breakfast, lunch and dinner including multiple live cooking stations. The Divai Wine Cellar and private dining room provides an exceptional wine-paring menu carefully curated to match international wines with local flavours. The Boma outdoor restaurant offers a bush dinner of African and Swahili signature dishes under the Serengeti Sky. In addition, the Kisimani poolside bistro offers a relaxing lunch option serving a delicious array of dishes celebrating the farm-to table culture.

Wellness is an essential component of the Serengeti Explorer experience thanks to thoughtfully designed facilities and experiences that offer the perfect balance to an active day exploring the Serengeti. There is a fully equipped fitness centre, "The Gym," open from sunrise until 10:00 pm daily, featuring modern cardio and strength training equipment suitable for all fitness levels and a full-time professional trainer. After game drives or a workout, guests can refresh in the 35 - metre infinity swimming pool with panoramic views of the National Park or head to Reva Spa, which offers a range of massage treatments, skincare and body ceremonies designed to soothe safari-weary muscles and nourish skin.

The Serengeti’s first ever on-site hide offers guests a unique and intimate wildlife viewing experience. Accessible via an underground tunnel from the lodge, the hide is strategically positioned beside a watering hole, attracting a diverse array of animals seeking refreshment. Guests can observe wildlife up close in a discreet setting, making it ideal for photographers and nature enthusiasts. The hide is complimented by a dedicated photo studio equipped with advanced technology and an on-site expert, enabling guests to capture and refine stunning images of the wildlife they observe.

Serengeti Explore is also the perfect option for a family safari with solid walls meaning parents can relax with their little ones. The resort features a Junior Explorer Kids Club with activities ranging from animal tracking to cookie decorating and babysitting services are available to be booked during the reservation phase. The property offers baby cribs, child toilets, highchairs and car seats (suitable for ages 9 months to 12 years, up to 36 kg) to ensure comfort and safety whilst on Safari. Private vehicles can be booked to ensure junior explorers can enjoy custom timed drives and guide focused activities. Serengeti Explorer also offers a Kids Menu.