Luxury camps and safari lodges in Kenya really do contribute to your safari experience. The guides, chefs, housekeepers, and managers of these lodges will accommodate you like no other. They will get to know you, share a local drink around the campfire with you each evening and make sure that you leave Kenya with nothing but memories to last a lifetime. With so much choice, we’ve put together some of the top 10 luxury safari camps to give you some inspiration of where to stay during your African safari.
Angama Mara is a remarkable owner-run safari lodge overlooking Kenya’s Maasai Mara, considered by many as the loveliest game reserve on the continent. Here guests will find a lodge where everything is as it ought to be: two intimate camps of just fifteen tented suites each, a private airfield.
The lodge has a very modern and elegant feel to it. The view is second to none and is only rivalled by the abundance of wildlife roaming the area. This first-class safari lodge in the heart of the Mara Triangle is just the place to experience an adventurous African safari, without having to sacrifice comfort and luxury.
Being located near the Mara triangle makes this lodge the best alternative for such clients who would wish to go for the Mara crossing of the wildebeest. It is situated high up on a ledge overlooking the Great Rift Valley and the Mara plains. The view is unrivalled and truly captivating. The lodge is slightly larger than most of the safari accommodations.
Giraffe Manor is an exclusive hotel with a resident herd of wild Giraffes. There are twelve individually decorated rooms, offering first-class comfort and the feeling of staying in an elegant family home. The charming herd of resident Rothchild’s giraffes roam the surrounding sanctuary and give guests unique, once-in-a-lifetime encounters over breakfast and afternoon tea when they can be fed by hand. The Retreat at Giraffe Manor, found on the same property, gives guests access to a stunning pool and wellness facilities.
Giraffe Manor Hotel blends extraordinary wildlife encounters with exquisite hospitality and a long-term commitment to giraffe conservation. The historic manor house is set in 12 acres of private land within 140 acres of indigenous forest in the Langata suburb of Nairobi and is one of Nairobi’s most iconic buildings. It has extraordinary appeal that harks back to the 1930s when visitors first flocked to East Africa to enjoy ecotours in Kenya.
One of the most fascinating things about Giraffe Manor Hotel is its resident herd of Nubian/Rothschild’s giraffes who may visit morning and evening, poking their long necks into the windows in the hope of a treat, before retreating to their forest sanctuary.
Take a stroll next door to enjoy some time in our serene wellness centre and Daisy’s Café. Indulge in a pampering spa treatment, enjoy the hot tub, sauna, steam room and gym or simply relax in the gardens overlooking the giraffe sanctuary.
Kichwa Tembo Camp set on a private concession, with abundant iconic wildlife and panoramic Masai Mara views, it offers a contemporary safari feel.
The camp offers timeless interiors that are simple yet sophisticated and stylish, the Camp enhances guests’ sense of privacy and enjoyment. 12 Classic tents, 20 Superior tents and eight Superior View tents, are laid out in immaculate grounds, with leisurely groups of warthogs feeding right outside the tent doors.
The Maasai – inspired interiors firmly entrench the camp as the unrivalled luxury tented camp of its size in the greater Mara. Participate in fascinating bush walks, thrilling day and night drives, hot air balloon safaris and interactive community visits.
Lewa Safari Camp is set on the privately-owned Lewa Wildlife Conservancy; home to a splendid array of wildlife, and some of Kenya’s most spectacular scenery. Spacious and luxurious, each of the camp’s thatch-covered tents boast a comfortable bed, lovely en-suite bathroom and private veranda.
The guest areas overlook a popular waterhole including a dining room, library, bar and an inviting sitting area with a fireplace. In between game viewing adventures, guests can retreat to the coolness of a sparkling swimming or enjoy a spot of game viewing from the camp’s hide.
You will feel the comfort in Large tented bedrooms with verandahs and full en-suite bathrooms. Cozy log fires, perfect for relaxing after a day on safari. Lewa is a favoured destination of conservationists, writers, celebrities, Royals as well as those tourists ready for relaxation in such luxury camps.
Naboisho Camp is set in the 210 km² private Mara Naboisho Conservancy offering spectacular game viewing, from the herds of antelope that dot the plains of this wilderness corridor throughout the year to the high concentrations of predators, including lion and cheetah. But the real magic of Naboisho is its sheer exclusivity – you’ll experience a level of safari solitude and serenity simply unheard of in the busy Serengeti and Maasai Mara reserves.
With just nine spacious tented suites, Naboisho is an intimate and elegant safari camp that balances your wilderness experience with discreet creature comforts. Even better, it is one of just two Asilia camps where you have the option of fly camping. If you have a truly adventurous spirit, don’t miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to immerse yourself in the magic of the African bush.
Ol Donyo Lodge is home to 8 deluxe suites and 1 x 2-bedroomed family Sambu Suite. Each Suite offers guests private verandas and swimming pools to enjoy. Each suite at ol Donyo Lodge offers its own window to the soul of the East African safari. Their views look out over the suite’s private plunge pool and across the rolling plains toward Mount Kilimanjaro.
Sasaab Lodge is a spectacular luxury tented camp offering the ultimate safari in Samburu.
Saruni Samburu. Each of the eleven canvas-sided rooms is over 100m² with private plunge pools and breath-taking views across the Laikipia Plateau toward the jagged peaks of Mount Kenya. Its position above the river naturally facilitates watching the herds of elephant that come to bathe below as well as a host of other wildlife.
Campi ya Kanzi offers the luxury of a retreat from the hectic modern world, sun downers overlooking Kilimanjaro, safari with the privilege of a Maasai tracker in wilderness with no other lodges around, energy and water from the elements, and precious memories in a unique place with special hosts for a very exclusive and personal experience and life-changing soul journey.
The camp offers 6 luxury tented cottages and 2 tented suites built on wooden platforms, each has solar electricity and bathroom with hot running water (solar powered), is well spaced for privacy, distinctive artwork, a unique view of wildlife at the waterhole from the porch and named after the beautiful view of the specific hills that they face.
Sanctuary Olonana is an exceptional luxury safari lodge set on a private stretch of the Mara River in the heart of Kenya’s most famous game reserve, the Masai Mara. Featuring 14 glass-sided suites, inspired by the Masai Mara’s breath-taking natural wonders, an abundance of wildlife, and a dramatic river which runs right past its forest setting.
Three of the suites at Sanctuary Olonana feature an extra bedroom, which is heaven-sent for families. Contemporary architecture is juxtaposed with time-tested building practices such as Maasai mudding and stone walls, with soothing organic tones and a variety of textures adding warmth and character. Game drives, cultural visits, bush dinners, sun downers, scenic flights and balloon rides, Olonana makes for a wonderful African safari.
