Elsa’s Kopje

Elsa's Kopje is built into Mughwango Hill inside Meru National Park in Kenya, a park of about 870 square kilometres. It is part of the Elewana Collection, and the nearest town, Meru, is around 80 km and an hour and a half away by road.

The lodge sits above the site of George Adamson's first camp, where he reared orphaned lions and returned them to the wild, and guests can visit the grave of Elsa the lioness nearby. Rooms are open-fronted cottages, from double suites and honeymoon suites with private decks and outdoor baths to a family cottage and a private house. It is a long way from anywhere busy, which is the point.

The lodge hosts destination weddings, from small ceremonies to celebrations spread over several days, and the whole property can be booked for your group. That matters on a hill in a national park, where you set the pace of the entire stay. The lodge welcomes up to 80 wedding guests. Ask the team about ceremony spots, dinner options and the music curfew. Sundowners are part of daily life here, which makes a natural cocktail hour once the vows are done. Ask the team how they handle catering and evening lighting for a larger celebration.

The cottages and private house are the place to stay. The private house has an en suite main bedroom and a twin room, its own garden, an infinity pool and views of Mount Kenya, which suits the couple or close family. Accommodation comes to 11 units: six cottage suites, three honeymoon suites, a family cottage and the private house. Days around the wedding can include guided walking safaris, night game drives, picnics by the Tana River, fishing and visits to the rhino sanctuary, home to black and white rhinos. The quickest way in is by air. Mughwango airstrip is five minutes from the lodge, and the flight from Wilson Airport in Nairobi takes about an hour.