Big cat enthusiasts hoping to cross the rare “black panther” off their list have a new home base from which to search for these elusive creatures. Opening July 1, andBeyond Suyian Lodge is set in a less-visited corner of Kenya that’s one of the best places to see the ultra-rare carnivores—although “black panthers” aren’t a distinct species, but rather melanistic variants of leopards (or jaguars, depending on the region) with excess black pigment.
AndBeyond operates a portfolio of nearly 30 lodges, camps, and yachts across Africa, Asia, South America, and Indian Ocean islands. Its pair of Kenya properties—Bateleur Camp and Kichwa Tembo Tented Camp—are in the popular Maasai Mara, which attracts crowds of safari first-timers with its world-famous Great Migration. This month, the company expands into a quieter corner of the country, the Laikipia Plateau, on the eastern escarpment of the Great Rift Valley, straddling the equator. It’s a sprawling landscape of savannas, rocky outcrops, vachellia woodlands, and winding rivers, dotted with ranches, farms, and research conservancies.
A rendering of a bedroom at andBeyond Suyian Lodge
Courtesy of andBeyond Suyian Lodge
A new lodge in one of Kenya’s less-visited areas
AndBeyond Suyian Lodge is the first retreat within the 44,000-acre Suyian Conservancy. The sculptural buildings by Michaelis Boyd, an architecture and design firm with offices in London and New York, nod to the silhouettes of the park’s granite kopjes, or steep-sided hills, while interiors are inspired by the crafts of the semi-nomadic Samburu people. Kenyan makers designed and crafted many of the furnishings, and the suite’s palette evokes the colors of area wildlife, such as the African wild dog.
“Laikipia is a prime wilderness area that is home to a greater population of wildlife than anywhere else in Kenya outside of the Maasai Mara,” AndBeyond CEO and executive chairman Joss Kent said in a statement. “This includes a large number of globally threatened mammals that make it particularly important from a conservation perspective.” Indeed, the surrounding area is home to 260-plus bird varieties and 55 mammals, including endangered species like the reticulated giraffe, the black rhinoceros, and the Grévy’s zebra, plus lesser-known species like the aardwolf (an insect-eating hyena) and the gerenuk (a gazelle with an extremely long neck).
Camel safari with Maasai herders leading camels through green grasslands of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, North Kenya
Photo by Joseph Sohm/Shutterstock
Where wildlife conservation meets local culture
In addition to its remarkable biodiversity, Laikipia is also rich in cultural heritage. “We always ensure that local culture is a central part of the guest experience,” andBeyond’s regional manager for Kenya, Greg Davies-Coleman, tells Afar. “At Suyian, this is woven not only into the design but also the way we host and share stories. More than 70 percent of the lodge staff comes directly from our four partner communities surrounding the conservancy, with the majority of the remainder coming from within Laikipia County. Their presence, knowledge, and personal connection to this land naturally brings authenticity and depth to every interaction.”
Guests can join members of local cultural groups, such as the Samburu and Pokot, for activities that include guided bush walks, community visits, and storytelling around the fire. Because the lodge is within a private conservancy rather than a national park or reserve, Davies-Coleman says that means “off-roading, night drives, and additional activities” that you wouldn’t find elsewhere—and fewer vehicles. Guests can immerse themselves in the landscape through horseback safaris, hiking with camels, botany walks, or tours of Stone Age–era cave paintings and artifacts; they also can take part in conservation and research projects.
Stays at the lodge start at $1,500 per person per night, including three meals a day, alcoholic beverages, laundry service, two safari activities per day, transfer to and from the lodge airstrip, and use of a pair of Swarovski Optik binoculars.
