The Laikipia District of northeastern Kenya is home to some of the last vestiges of ancient culture in Africa, and the resident Maasai are the living ancestors of these ancient cultures. One such group, the Il Laikipiak Maasai, took a drastic step toward preserving both their culture and the wild nature of their 16,500 acres of land: They set aside 80 percent of it for conservation and ecotourism and built a model eco-lodge called Il Ngwesi.

Fully solar-powered, the lodge was built

The Laikipia District of northeastern Kenya is home to some of the last vestiges of ancient culture in Africa, and the resident Maasai are the living ancestors of these ancient cultures. One such group, the Il Laikipiak Maasai, took a drastic step toward preserving both their culture and the wild nature of their 16,500 acres of land: They set aside 80 percent of it for conservation and ecotourism and built a model eco-lodge called Il Ngwesi.

Fully solar-powered, the lodge was built with local timber and thatch, and features open-air and enclosed communal and dining spaces as well as an infinity pool dropping off into the wilderness. The uninterrupted views over the pristine Kenyan bush are a centerpiece of the lodge and its six thatched cottages on stilts, which are decorated with designs resembling traditional Maasai artifacts.

What's most impressive about the lodge, however, is the people who run it: the Maasai themselves. These forward-thinking people lead guests on walks in which travelers learn to follow animal tracks, listen for alarm calls, and spot other signs of wildlife. Since four-fifths of their land is now under conservation, it invites species like buffalo, lion, cheetah, and the endangered Grevy's zebra and black rhino to roam freely.

At the nearby Maasai Cultural Manyatta, travelers can learn about beadwork or watch warriors and women perform traditional dances. Il Ngwesi's hosts also share their techniques for honey gathering, hunting, and trapping with indigenous poisons with interested guests. Game drives, picnic breakfasts, and birdwatching-specific safaris are also options.

Il Ngwesi Community Trust was founded in 2003 to help funnel income from the community-run lodge and extra donations into projects that benefit the community, such as monitoring endangered wildlife, buying school materials, and building water projects. Even just staying at the lodge, which employs some 40 people—and supports their 500 collective dependents—helps preserve not only the Maasai's way of life in this corner of Kenya but also the corner itself.