69 Best Hotels in Kenya

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is another one of Laikipia's conservation successes—there's an excellent chance of spotting both black and white rhino, the Grevy's zebra, the more elegant cousin of the regular plains zebra, and the rare aquatic sitatunga antelope. The Craig family emigrated from England in 1924 and still lives on the same 65,000-acre property, but instead of raising cattle, with the cooperation of the local communities, they have returned the area to a wildlife haven. Try game-spotting from a different angle—on top of a camel or from the back of a horse, on your own two feet, or ride in the family's incredible retro-style biplane. The 10 cottages are attractively furnished with a big wooden bed, hand-carved chests, and comfy chairs, and some have bathtubs as well as a lounge area with fireplace. If you need to cool off, take a dip in the lovely pool or work out in the gym or tennis court. The food is wholesome and hearty with lots of organically grown herbs, vegetables, and fruit, and meals are taken around a vast communal table.

Getting to this camp is a mini adventure in itself---first you take a small boat that ferries you across the Mara River followed by a short, escorted walk with armed guides (so you don't become lion food) before arriving at this gorgeous little camp with elegantly furnished classic safari tents. If you're lucky enough to be here during a full moon, you can watch the game come and go at the large marshy area in front of the camp, which is a haven for bird-watching during the day. You'll eat superb house-cooked meals under a blue sky or at night in the dining and bar tent and relax afterward around a bonfire. Game drives, often with a picnic breakfast, go into the national reserve on the other side of the river, while one of the Mara's balloon launch sites is very close by in the Mara Triangle sector where Little Governors' is located—even if you don't go, you'll see the balloons take off in the morning. If you need to stretch your legs after a game drive, go on a guided walking safari or visit a nearby Maasai village and join in the ipid jumping dance with the warriors. Like all the Governors' camps, it's unfenced, but children of all ages are welcome here.

The Loisaba Tented Camp sits right in the middle of the game-rich Loisaba Conservancy in the northern reaches of Laikipia and is part of the Ewaso Nyiro River ecosystem. It's home to elephants, a healthy population of lions, the rare wild dog, and an abundance of other species. Perched on the edge of a rocky escarpment, this lovely camp has spacious open dining, lounge, and bar areas, and a stunning infinity pool with views across the Laikipia plains to Mt. Kenya and a waterhole below. The six large and airy tents have polished wooden floors, wide decks, and bathrooms with rainfall hot showers. If you fancy something even more special, opt for one of the Loisaba Star Beds (about 6 km/3.7 miles away), but don't expect a meager stretcher under the stars. You'll sleep on a wooden "platform" with a half-covered thatch roof and handcrafted furniture, set among big rocks overlooking either a waterhole or the Ewaso Nyiro River. In the evening your friendly and attentive Laikipia Maasai or Samburu attendants will wheel out your four-poster double bed, carefully shrouded under a mosquito net, under the star-studded clear night sky. You can have a piping-hot shower in the open-air bathrooms concealed in the rocks. As well as day and night game drives, activities include horse- and camel-riding, bush walks and visits to Samburu villages.

At high tide, you can dive right off your verandah into the ocean; at low tide, a lovely strand of beach appears in front of your room. The natural rhythms of sun and sea often guide your activities at this secluded resort on Manda Island. If the breezes are strong, you may choose an afternoon of kitesurfing. If the evening light is particularly sharp, perhaps you'll take a short boat ride to witness thousands of iridescent-red, carmine bee-eater birds glowing in the trees like ornaments. Schedule a private game drive and stand under a giant baobab tree, explore the Takwa ruins, and see abundant wildlife. Or simply lie in your hammock and listen to the gentle surf, then stroll to the waterfront lounge for cocktails. Eleven of the sixteen large bandas (cottages) are on the beach, and each has elegant coastal-style wood furnishings and enormous bathrooms with double sinks and grand showers. There are multiple recreational options from dhow safaris to waterskiing, but most of all, Manda Bay is a place to enjoy relaxed, barefoot luxury.

At this intimate camp tucked in a riverine forest on a bend on the Talek River, you'll be able to watch elephants wading, hippos snorting, and all other sorts of game from your outdoor claw-foot bathtub that overlooks the river. Of course, a cocktail of choice makes the scene so much more appealing. Legendary explorer Dr. Livingstone never knew what he was missing. A handcrafted wooden bed dominates the en suite tent, but there's still room for the bedside tables fashioned from logs, old chests, and weather-beaten tin trunks that serve as tables, and an old-fashioned rocking chair where you can sit and tick off your mammal and bird lists. Move a little farther outside and you can laze on your wooden deck, savoring every tranquil moment. You'll be awed by the number of predators you see—lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena—preying on the plains herbivores. All the Masai Mara activities are available, and you'll particularly enjoy the breakfast picnics where the lions can watch you feeding. You'll eat delicious meals in an open-air dining area, which looks out over the river, and there are a cozy lounge and small library for those moments when you want to sit still.

Perched high on a hill deep inside the Mara Triangle part of the reserve, attractive domed huts echo the style and shape of the traditional Maasai manyattas. Each hut has rooms that echo the ethnic theme of the exteriors with soft, honey-color furnishings and a personal balcony that overlooks the plains and the distant Oloololo Escarpment—the views are spectacular. Though it's highly unlikely, if you do get tired of gazing out at the endless rolling grasslands where the migration takes place each year, then keep watch at the busy waterhole below the restaurant for a continuous wildlife show. Activities include ballooning (expensive but the trip of a lifetime), guided walks, bush barbecues, and game drives. After bouncing around in an open-sided game vehicle, it's great to enjoy a relaxing massage at the Maisha Spa. The Maasai dancing is also spectacular.

On a hillside near the Ololaimutiek Gate, this well-priced family-style lodge (sopa means welcome in the Maasai language) is one of the most popular in the reserve. Even though they're always busy, the delightfully friendly and experienced staff will make you feel special. You'll sleep in a rondavel (a round, thatch-roof cottage) that has a verandah and is simply but pleasantly furnished in traditional African style with lots of earth-color soft furnishings. The brightly decorated public areas are nestled among flowering plants and trees; notices telling you about mealtimes, balloon booking times, how to book a picnic, and other information are pasted throughout the main area. Don't expect all the bells and whistles of the luxury lodges—hot water is available only mornings and evenings—but the setting and the feeling of Africa on your doorstep more than compensate. Plus events such as Maasai dancing or African food are held, and there's also a quaintly named "Wild Animals Viewing Deck" in camp.

Quite possibly the best camp in all of the Mara area, Naboisho Camp is in the 210-sq-km (82-squar-mile) Mara Naboisho Conservancy, which has exclusive use for only those guests staying at the handful of lodges there—there are no hordes of safari vehicles here. According to the camp's manager, the density of wildlife increases every year. While you take your breakfast under the shade of an acacia tree, you're likely to see herds of antelope grazing the plains, a handful of giraffes nibbling at the trees, and numerous zebras mingling between wildebeest, impala, and buffalo. Along with all the big game, the Mara Nabiosho Conservancy has also become home to a large pride of lions, as well as the rare wild dog. Naboisho Camp is exceptionally well designed, and each of the nine spacious tents are set well apart from one another, giving you that beautiful sense of having the bush entirely to yourself. Tents are tastefully decorated and all have en suite bathrooms and outdoor double rainfall showers. The comfortable thatched dining and lounge areas extend out onto a wooden deck, where you can while away your time in comfortable couches, G&T in hand, viewing game at the nearby waterhole. Many activities, including game walks and drives, are included in the price, while extras include horse-riding and the Mara balloon flight. Children over five are welcome and there's a kids' safari program with the entertaining Maasai guides, which might be identifying animal tracks or visiting a local school.

Only 20 minutes away from one of the legendary migration river crossings, this stylish camp doesn't exclusively follow traditional safari camp feel; rather it aims for a fusion of old and new with pale khaki and white mesh tents, minimalist hand-carved wooden furniture, roof-to-ceiling earth-color drapes, and plain couches and chairs highlighted with ethnic-patterned cushions. Split into three camps, Main Naibor has seven tents, while Little Naibor and Naibor Wilderness have two and three tents respectively and are designed for family or private groups. The whole camp lives up to its name—naibor means purity and whiteness in Maa, the language of the Maasai people—but you'll never lose that essential sense of being on an African safari. The spacious tents on the banks of the Talek River are furnished with handwoven straw mats, a hand-carved figwood bed, and simple bedside tables. Soft white bed linen is complemented with brightly colored cushions and throws. There's a big private verandah from where you can catch the elephants going down to drink, or listen to and watch the myriad birds. The game here is exceptionally good.

Insulated by a hidden glade—home to leopards, lions, and hyenas—Nairobi Tented Camp is in a secluded part of Nairobi National Park, providing an authentic bush experience within a few miles of the city center. Tents are comfortably equipped with large en suite bathrooms (with traditional hot-water bucket-showers). The lounge tent is sumptuously furnished with all the comforts of home and set meals are served around a big table, but this is a carefully prepared eco-camp that could potentially be removed within 48 hours, leaving zero imprint on the natural habitat. Hot water bottles tame Nairobi's cool high altitude nights but the bush around is as wild as anywhere in Africa; you might have a giraffe or rhino wandering around the camp.

A truly wonderful and unique way to see game and experience Kenya close up is to go on a horse safari; you should do this only if you're an experienced rider—you want to be able to gallop if you meet a hungry predator—and if you're fit enough to ride four to six hours a day. On the Mara safari, you'll fly into one of the conservancies around the reserve and stay at small rustic but comfortable tented camps along the way, sometimes spending two or three nights at the same camp, depending on which route you choose. But even if you get a bit saddle-sore, riding alongside hundreds of thousands of plains game is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Your safari could end with a relaxing stay at Deloraine, the beautiful old colonial mansion owned by the Voorspuy family who operate Offbeat Safaris, which is on the western edge of the Great Rift Valley on the lower slopes of Mt. Londiani. Offbeat also has riding safaris in Amboseli National Park and Laikipia.

Located on the Maasai-owned Mbirikani Group Ranch on the southwestern flank of the volcanic Chyulu Hills, this stylishly romantic and superluxurious lodge is considered one of the best in southern Kenya. It is dramatically perched on a hillside, so every suite has great views of the plains, Mt. Kilimanjaro, and several waterholes. No two of the ten large suites in six stand-alone villas are the same. They all have rooftop "star beds," which are accessed from the verandah by a winding stone staircase, which allow you the option of sleeping under the stars but with all the comforts of your suite just below. All but two of the suites have private pools, too. Some villas have four beds each and private sitting rooms and are ideal for families or small groups of friends. Excellent food and friendly, attentive service are the norm. Meals are taken in the centrally positioned dining room with a big open fireplace for those chilly nights, or in the wine cellar, or on the terrace next to the pool or even in a private lantern-lit boma. A wealth of activities is available at Ol Donyo and included in the rates—bush walks, game drives, mountain-biking and day trips to Amboseli National Park, but the standout activity is horse-riding and the stables are home to more than 20 horses suitable for all abilities.

Perched on an escarpment with views toward Mt. Kenya in the south, this lovely lodge is on a privately owned family ranch in the wild northern Laikipia Plateau. The stone-and-thatch cottages, some built on two levels, are very private and have king-size beds and baths that you can lie in and look out at the passing wildlife. The main lodge, also built of natural rock and olive wood, is cozy and comfortable. There's a huge pool, which clings to the rock edge, spilling its waters to the rocks below. For exclusive groups or families, the Francombe family has built a six-bedroom house on the property, too, which features a rooftop sundeck, a barbeque area, and a pool. Drives are extremely rewarding with game galore, but for something a little different try a camel ride, a nature walk, an overnight stay in the Look Out Hut—a little wooden hut in the bush—or go camping under the stars. Horseback riding is a fascinating way to spot game: there are also safe and friendly ponies for kids, and children's gift packs on arrival, plus other kids' activities. There's also the opportunity to meet and mix with the local Samburu people and to take part in some of their activities.

This popular lodge is a central feature of Amboseli National Park as it's part of the fenced-off area in the middle of the park where the KWS headquarters are located, but Ol Tukai itself has only a very low electric fence which does not get in the way of the simply tremendous views across the animal-studded plains to the east. As you walk to your room, spot herds of elephants and plains game as far as the eye can see. Bird-watching is good, too, with more than 400 species to be identified, and Ol Tukai offers specialized bird walks through its grounds for beginners and experts alike; it's a wonderful opportunity to introduce yourself or the kids to the world of birds. This resort manages to be both modern and traditional—its facilities are world-class, but its feel and ambience are unmistakably African. It is set amid acres of well-kept lawns dotted with the familiar symbol of the plains—Acacia tortilis trees—and has a superb view of Mt. Kilimanjaro. En suite chalets, built of local stone and slate, are furnished with handcrafted wooden furniture and decorated with faux animal-skin fabrics, rugs, and throws; each has a personal veranda. The public areas are open and spacious and the lounges, dining areas, and bar occupy multilevel wooden decks. The restaurant serves à la carte menus as well as set buffets. One of the highlights here is the large figure-eight shaped swimming pool where you can relax on a sunbed and watch wildebeest and zebra graze nearby. Extra services include massages, babysitting, and laundry.

This expansive 120-acre farm is set in the foothills of Mt Kenya; pad out of your four-poster bed to your cottage's wooden verandah to take in the beauty of the ever-green Lolldaigas. There are five cottages, and the decor in the Party House (the main living area) is bohemian maximalism; an Indian throw pillow here and an Afghani ceramic bowl there, it's all inspired by the up to 100 countries owner Elizabeth Loker and her late husband Clinton Lucy had traveled to. Opened in 2012, the couple built the property from scratch---including bringing in water and electricity---and have since transformed the once arid land into a thriving farm. As it's an owner-run camp, should you so wish, Elizabeth will gladly join you at meal time and regale you with lively tales from her adventures. Whether you're a seasoned rider or a beginner, get paired with a suitable horse from the stables and gallop through the property. Only a half-hour drive from the bustling Nanyuki town, you can explore the restaurants there, or venture a little farther to Ngare Ndare forest to walk the 40 meter high canopy and swim under its waterfalls.

Peponi is well-known for its beachfront location in Shela, lovely accommodations, and superb food. Opened in 1967 and still run by the founding Korschen family, there's an atmosphere of total laid-back charm. Anything goes here, but don't be fooled, the hotel is impeccably run by the matriarch Carol Korschen, who organizes everything from your water sports to your day excursions. You'll sleep in a sea-facing room with polished honey-color mud floors, whitewashed ceilings with beams of old black wood, a massive four-poster bed, and kelim rugs. On your sea-facing verandah, get comfortable on lie-out chairs and watch the boats bobbing out to sea. The food is legendary, and the restaurant is one of the most popular in Lamu—try the giant prawns in butter sauce or a traditional Swahili-style meal around a big brass platter on the floor.

This exclusive, back-to-nature tented camp is in the remote and game-abundant 15,000-acre Selenkay Conservancy, a few miles north of Amboseli National Park. A gold eco-award winner, the camp is co-owned with the local Maasai community. You'll see few visitors, but lots of game including lions, leopards, cheetahs, and the ubiquitous Amboseli elephants. Birdlife is prolific, with lots of raptors. Big, comfortably furnished tents are solar-powered and have en suite bathrooms with a basin, shower, and flush toilet. You'll eat hearty, home-cooked meals outside the mess tent while being serenaded by birdcalls by day and nocturnal animals by night. Game drives are taken in an open-sided safari vehicle—yours will be the only one for miles—and you'll visit an authentic Maasai village, take an informative walk in a dry riverbed, enjoy a picnic lunch in Amboseli itself, and at night you'll return to your own little private spot in the African wilderness. The all-inclusive price covers two nights' accommodation, round-trip road transfers, Amboseli park fees, conservancy fees, all game drives, sundowners, walks with Maasai warriors, Maasai village visits, full board, and free house wines, beer, and soft drinks. 

In the Ol Kinyei conservancy, in a picturesque valley among soaring fever and tortilis trees, this eco-friendly mobile camp has no permanent structures and when packed up, leaves no hint of ever having been there; it's visited by all sorts of game. The tents have comfortable beds and proper linens, and an en suite bathroom with a shower and flush toilet. Drinks are served around the fire pit (or wherever you please) and communal meals are served at a long table in the mess tent. Game drives are excellent and active big cat sightings are common. They operate seasonally in line with the wildebeest migration, from July to October. You have to book a minimum of three nights at this camp; the rate includes conservancy fees and park fees.

This delightful eco-friendly tented camp is nestled among the 90,000-acre, game-rich Ol Pejeta Conservancy that lies between the snowcapped Mt. Kenya and the foothills of the Aberdares. This location treats guests to a double whammy—abundant game including the Big Five, wild dog, and the endangered black rhino, and superb views across the open plains. Each beautifully placed tent has stunning views from its personal verandah, and inside there's an en suite bathroom with a flush toilet and bucket shower with hot water heated by solar power. Sip sundowners from a carefully chosen vantage point, and then take a spectacular night drive. Check out the photographic hide overlooking the waterhole, where you can have drinks as you wait for animals to come up close for photos. By day stretch your legs on a guided bush walk with a Maasai guide or have your heartstrings tugged at the nearby Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary. If you're feeling extra energetic and really want to walk on the wild side, then the camp also offers walking safaris. The camp has no permanent structures and is strategically constructed around trees and shrubs to minimize the human footprint on the natural landscape. It uses solar power for electricity, and water is heated with eco-friendly, sustainable charcoal briquettes; there is no generator. Package rates include all round-trip transfers by air from Nairobi, Ol Pejeta Conservancy fees, all game drives, sundowners, walks with Maasai warriors, two nights' full-board accommodation, and free house wines, beer, and soft drinks.

Rekero is beautifully situated deep within the Masai Mara National Reserve and is tucked away in a grove of trees on a river bank near the confluence of the Talek and Mara rivers. You'll sleep in one of only nine tents (which include two family tents), each hidden from the other and all with great views of the plains and the river. There's an ancient wildebeest crossing practically on your doorstep, so you won't have to bounce around for hours in an open-sided game vehicle to find the action. Tents are bright and comfortably furnished with double beds, handwoven rugs, and en suite bathrooms. As the camp is unfenced, expect all kinds of game to wander past your tent, but you'll be safe within your canvas walls, and a Maasai warrior will escort you to and from the main areas. Rekero has been going now for more than 30 years, and many of the enthusiastic and knowledgeable team have been there for substantial time and offer excellent service. Perhaps the best spot to catch the sunset is from a swing chair strung up on a tall tree right on the banks of the river, or a few feet away in the large raised wooden deck where meals are served. Ol Kiombo Airstrip is some 20 minutes away from camp.

This truly uniquely designed lodge is set in the Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary just outside Tsavo West and off the main Voi-Taveta road (A23). A clutch of giant honey-color rondavels with dark brown thatched roofs sit on stilts, linked by aerial bridges, and overlook a chain of small floodlit waterholes—it looks a bit like a fantasy settlement from The Lord of the Rings's Middle Earth. The entire lodge is so high off the ground that the animals, even elephants and buffaloes, simply walk underneath. The en suite, small, round rooms are comfortably if basically furnished, but it's the experience you're here for, not the room decor, although the public areas are sumptuously decorated with rugs, batiks, and a number of authentic African artifacts. Request a top room or one over a waterhole for close-up encounters with game. Be sure to visit the underground viewing room at night, too, and you might be lucky to spot nocturnal animals like civets, porcupines, and maybe even a leopard. The food is excellent with lots of fresh homegrown vegetables.

If you can't get a room here, stay at the renovated Taita Hills Safari Resort nearby, also in the Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary, and visit Salt Lick during the day.

Named after an honored Maasai chief, this attractive eco-friendly camp in game-rich country rests just outside the northwestern border of the reserve, overlooking the Mara River and the Ooloololo Escarpment; guests are welcomed by a Maasai man swathed in red robes playing a wooden flute. The camp underwent a massive renovation in 2019, with canvas tents giving way to spacious glass-sided suites with raised wooden balconies from which you can see the sun rising over the river, or flitting in through the yellow barked acacia trees in the morning. A comfortable king-sized bed, huge bathtub overlooking the outdoors, rain showers, and various lounging areas complete the setting; you'll be tempted to spend your entire holiday just lounging in this suite which feels more like a resort in the city than a safari lodge in the African bush. The decor in the main area is very contemporary and urban too, with pendant lights, Maasai portraits and patterned prints hung up on gray walls, handwoven rugs, a wooden shelf displaying various ceramics, and a fireplace for those cold evenings. Even the main viewing deck here was extended, and you can tuck into your lunch here while overlooking a hippo pool with day-long entertainment from these overgrown clowns. The food is superb, and you have the option to dine with your fellow guests or on your own verandah. There is a cozy library and games room where families and friends can hang out before dinner, a bar next to the fire pit, and excellent opportunities to observe the everyday lives of the Maasai in the adjacent village. As there is an electric fence, you can freely move around.

This stylish city hotel is conveniently located in Westlands, close to a number of restaurants and malls, although you will find all you need for a relaxing stay in the hotel itself. Striking contemporary East African art decorates both the rooms and public areas, and the rooms themselves are comfortable and modern, with panoramic views, marble bathrooms, and all possible modern conveniences. There's a patisserie, which turns into a cheese and wine bar at night, a brasserie serving global cuisine, and a New York–style steak house, plus rooftop dining next to the pool (check out the glass panel on the floor of the pool, which looks down onto the street hundreds of feet below). The Angsana Spa is exquisite, and the hotel boutique has specially commissioned, high-end souvenirs.

This small, tented camp lies below the peaks of the Mathews Mountains in the 850,000-acre Namunyak Wildlife Conservation Trust, a community project between landowners and the local Samburu people. Accommodation is in six spacious tents, sited under pole-supported thatch roofs with flush toilets and open-air showers. There is also a two-bedroom house with a shared sitting/dining area. The main sitting room and dining area sits on stilts in front of the water hole and natural rock pool—yes, you swim here overlooking the water hole and you are quite safe—with stunning views of the Mathews Mountains. Game is plentiful with resident lion and leopard, and there's an excellent chance of seeing wild dog as there are two packs in the area. Look out for the attractive colobus monkeys when you go for a guided hike in the forest. Go donkey trekking in the mountains, or take a camel safari with an overnight stop at a fly camp.

The city's oldest hotel was established in 1902, but has switched owners and undergone major upgrades through the years; the Stanley was named after the journalist Henry Morton Stanley who immortalized himself by discovering a long-lost Scots explorer with one of the best sound-bites in history: "Doctor Livingstone, I presume?" A lot of history lies within these walls which have hosted African presidents, author Ernest Hemingway in the 30s, Frank Sinatra and his wife, Princess Elizabeth just before she became Britain's sovereign, and even a young Barack Obama. A Heritage Tour provides insight into Nairobi's history (Nairobi's Stock Exchange was, for instance, established in 1954 at the once popular Long Bar which is now The Exchange Bar). At the hotel's famous outdoor Thorn Tree Café, named for the acacia tree at its center, early travelers would pin notes and messages for fellow travelers to the tree, and it was regarded as Nairobi's first post office. Today, there's an Internet café where the communication tradition continues, and you can get light meals and live music. Public areas retain a trace of the elegance of times past and rooms offer all the standard amenities of a modern business hotel—soundproofing (useful in central Nairobi), blackout curtains, satellite TV, and coffee-makers. Rooms vary in price, from the basic right up to presidential suites in the VIP wing.

It’s like walking into a painting at this aptly named resort which sits on a stunning stretch of powder-white beachfront that ever so perfectly complements the Indian Ocean’s turquoise blues. With 340 rooms, it is massive and comes outfitted with all the trappings of a beach getaway offset by green manicured lawns fringed by towering leafy palm trees. Highlights include four pools; one has a swim-up bar with the best pina coladas in town while another has a water slide which kids will love, if they ever get bored of gazing wondrously at the fish pond. You could stay here for a week and enjoy a different type of cuisine every night, with themed buffets ranging from Continental and Arabic to East Asian; Swahili days are a favorite. There are also several bars and restaurants, and the casual Coco's beach bar with its low-slung sofas is the perfect spot to sink into and while away an afternoon. In the evening, acrobats, DJs, salsa or karaoke events take place, and guests are encouraged to participate. After the kids are sent off to bed, the bar morphs into a sandy nightclub where you can dance barefoot late into the night.

This exclusive eco-friendly lodge lies just outside the Masai Mara National Reserve, inside the Mara North Conservancy in a remote valley of olive and cedar trees. Each of the five cottages and two family villas have polished wooden floors and is furnished with hand-carved cedarwood beds, Persian rugs, African art, colonial antiques, and comfortable chairs. You'll dine at a long table at Kuro House, the main lodge, which combines an eclectic mix of old-style Africa and modern design. The Italian cuisine here is superb, but there's also a wide international menu available that uses fresh, locally grown, organic produce. You can also participate in a bush barbecue or dine alone by candlelight on your verandah. The library has a superb collection of Africana—it's definitely worth a visit. Children of all ages are welcome. The tucked-away Masai Wellbeing Space, which uses local plants for its treatments, is run by one of Italy's most famous spas, Centro Benessere Stresa, and is considered one of the best spas in Kenya. All the guides are members of the Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association, and Saruni supports the innovative Koyiaki Guiding School, which trains young Kenyans. Make sure you factor in the $116 per-person, per-day park fees into your expenses as this is not included in the lodge's fees.

You certainly won't come across another vehicle at this exclusively sited camp in the northern section of the Masai Mara ecosystem on the border between the Lemek Conservancy and the Mara North Conservancy. It has three comfortable Bedouin-looking tents with en suite bathrooms with hot and cold running water and flush toilets and outdoor verandahs with tables and chairs offering great views across the plains. One of the tents is suitable for families, with two bedrooms and bathrooms. This area has resident elephants, giraffes, buffalo and impalas, the lucky might spot lions paddling by, and this is also one of the very few parts of the Mara where wild dogs are occasionally seen. You can track animals on foot or take action-packed night drives when you have more than a good chance of spotting a leopard, as well as other nocturnal animals such as bush babies and genets. Full-day game drives into the Mara are also available and guests can also go to the Saruni Mara to use the spa.

It's not just where Sasaab is located but how it's situated that makes it a wonderful place to stay in Samburu. Because it's in a conservancy rather than a game reserve, you can explore the surroundings without a vehicle; and because it spreads across a hillside high above the Ewaso Nyiro river, there are spectacular views from every vantage. You can go on a morning bird walk, take an afternoon hike over kopjes (hills) to a spectacular sundowner, or ride a camel through a dry riverbed. There's also the opportunity to go walking and fly-camping in the further reaches of the conservancy. Sasaab balances opulence, characterized by oversize rooms and fine Moroccan architecture, with environmental consciousness, exhibited by solar-powered electricity and community outreach. They actively support local villages and collaborate with Ewaso Lions, a lion conservation-study program. Every room is a palatial, split-level affair with four-poster beds, personal plunge pools, and grand sitting rooms that quite possibly have the longest couches you've ever seen.

This small and friendly camp lies on a traditional migration route, so it's not short of game. It's not short on comfort either. You'll stay in one of 20 tents placed in a semicircle looking out onto a waterhole, each with its own verandah. All are built under individual thatch canopies and shaded by trees. There's a handmade bed inside your green canvas tent, with lots of attractive African-patterned soft furnishings, and each has a private bathroom with running water and a safari-style bucket shower. The food is wholesome and fresh, and there's a spacious semi-open dining, bar, and lounge area; it's also great to sit and have an alfresco lunch under the 200-year-old tamarind tree and watch the elephants at the waterhole. There's a viewing deck on stilts where you can sit and read, or just watch, wait, and see what walks up.

Satao is located in the south of Tsavo East, so it's a good option for safaris from the coast, especially for families as extra beds can be put in the tents.