Safari accommodations

• Rekero - Rekero Camp nestles in a ravine forest close to the confluence of the Talek and Mara rivers, in the southern section of the Masai Mara, close to many of the migration river crossings. Rekero is owned and run by the Beatons, a small tented camp in the style of a smart mobile camp with six large tents set on the edge of the river.

• Governors’ Camp - Governors’ Camp is set amongst a forest along the winding banks of the Mara River. Some of the 37 tents line the riverbank with uninterrupted views over the Mara River whilst others have views across the sweeping plains. Everything is under canvas, all tents have en suite bathrooms with hot and cold running water and flushing loos.

• Little Governors’ is further along the Mara River with just 17 tents tucked around a large watering hole, approached by a boat ride across the Mara River.

• Il Moran – Part of the Governors’ Camps portfolio, Il Moran is their premier, luxury camp in the Mara. Il Moran Camp is small and intimate with just 10 tents set on the banks of the Mara River.

• Cottars 1920s Camp – Cottars offers a return to the original spirit and essence of ‘safari’, reminiscent of a golden era. The camp is situated in the south east of the Masai Mara, bordering the Serengeti and Loliondo reserves in an untouched exclusive concession guaranteeing privacy and an abundance of wildlife.

• Serian – Serian is the charismatic bush home of Alex Walker, filmmaker and guide in the Masai Mara. An exclusive wilderness camp set alongside a secluded valley flanking the Mara River, close to the Siria Escarpment.

• Richard’s Camp - Originally built as the Roberts’ family home, Richard’s Camp is a small and exclusive tented camp where the pioneer traditions of hospitality and comfort continue. Guests are hosted by Richard Roberts and his partner Liz Fusco in eight large and spacious tents, each individually designed.

• Kicheche - Kicheche is located on the Aitong Plains in the northern Koiyaki Lemek region of the Masai Mara. The camp is a classic, intimate, luxury bush camp, completely unfenced.

• Elephant Pepper Camp - Elephant Pepper Camp is located in the middle of the 3600 sq km Koiyaki Community Ranch, away from other lodges. In order to preserve this special area the camp is seasonal and is dismantled for three months of the year. The spacious canvas tents have en suite dressing room, eco-friendly flush loos and safari showers.

• Saruni - Saruni is a deluxe and intimate lodge set in a private conservation area outside the Masai Mara National Reserve. There is accommodation for only 12 guests in six spectacular cottages.

• Campi ya Tembo is Saruni’s luxury tented camp with three double rooms, located 10 km from the main lodge. The activities here focus on elephant tracking, learning bush-craft, walking and fabulous night game drives.

• Ol Seki - Set on a rocky promontory, overlooking the Ilsupukioi River, north of the Masai Mara Game Reserve, Ol Seki Mara Camp enjoys panoramic views in an area teeming with game but not tourists. This luxury camp is seasonal with six spacious tents affording panoramic views.

• Loisaba sits on 61,000 acres of its own private game ranch. The Lodge is set on the escarpment with seven rooms, each with its own private deck overlooking the views of Laikipia. The lodge has a swimming pool, tennis court, spa and massage room. One of the highlights of Loisaba is a night or two spent at one of the Star Beds.

• The Star Beds -  Kiboko Star Beds are 20 minutes drive from the lodge and overlook a waterhole. Koija Star Beds are 30 minutes drive from the lodge and overlook the Ewaso Nyiro River. Each Star Bed is designed on a raised, handcrafted, wooden platform that is partially covered with a thatched roof. Homemade ‘Mukokoteni’ beds can either be wheeled onto the open deck for a night under the stars, or left under the shelter of the roof.

• Loisaba Private Cottage approximately 9kms from the main lodge. The cottage is set back from the escarpment in beautifully landscaped gardens with a private swimming pool. The Loisaba Cottage (originally used by the Loisaba pilots) now includes 4 double en-suite rooms and is ideal for a group of family/friends or an extravagant honeymoon.  The cottage comes with its own staff complement and is fully self-contained so whilst there's no need to visit the main lodge you still have full use of the the spa, tennis courts and other activities available (balloon safaris, horse riding, camel treks, mountain bikes, river rafting).  Our preferred choice on the Loisaba ranch.

• Loisaba Private House is a truly exclusive, self-contained private house with cliff-top infinity pool, built on the edge of the escarpment entirely from local stone and thatch. The private house has 2 double en suite bedrooms and like Loisaba Cottage offers access to all the facilities of the main lodge.

• Sabuk Lodge is perched on the high banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River in the Northern Frontier District, overlooking the Laikipia Plateau and Samburu land. The lodge has six open sided en suite cottages, plus Eagle Cottage (family cottage) which consists of two bedrooms (both en suite), an adjoining sitting room and its own private swimming pool.

• Ol Malo - Colin and Rocky Francombe, both born in Kenya of settler families, designed and built Ol Malo. Situated on the northern edge of the Laikipia plateau nestled into a rugged escarpment, Ol Malo looks out across the time-honoured lands of Kenya’s Northern Frontier District.

• Borana Ranch lies at the foot of Mount Kenya, just sixteen miles from the equator and 6,500 feet above sea level. Adjacent to Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, its unique geographical situation makes the 35,000-acre ranch a haven for a wide diversity of wildlife.

• Laragai is a breathtaking house in stunning surrounds, situated on the edge of an escarpment, offering fantastic views over the plains and mountains. The thatched house is furnished in an eclectic, opulent style, with china from England, antiques from Ireland and furniture from Rajasthan.

• Sarara - The Namunyak Wildlife Conservation Trust, an area of approximately 75,000 hectares, lies folded around the southern corner of the fabled Mathews Mountain range of northern Kenya. This is home to Sarara Camp. Accommodation is in five double tents, each with flush loos and open air showers.  Guiding standards are high and if you get the timing right this is where you'll get a chance to experience the "singing wells".

• Ol Lentille - The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille is a leading edge conservation tourism partnership between a Maasai community, donors, and private investors John & Gill Elias who are resident at the Ranch. Four fabulously luxurious, fully-staffed, full service houses are available either individually or as exclusive use of the whole property.

• Lewa Wilderness - One of Kenya's major private conservation successes at the foot of Mt Kenya, Lewa Downs has been the Craig family home since 1924 when the Craig grandparents came from England and began raising cattle here. The family home accommodates 16 guests in comfortable thatched cottages with en suite bathrooms and verandas. The food is wholesome, ranch style and organically grown.

• Il Ngwezi - Il Ngwesi Lodge is situated adjacent to the Ngare Ndare River on the edge of the Mukogodo Hills and boasts commanding panoramic views across Northern Kenya. Owned and run by the local Maasai community, the lodge offers visitors six individual bandas. Two of the bandas have a platform where you can roll out the double bed and spend the night under the stars.

• Elephant Watch - The exotic Camp is perched on the sand banks of the Ewaso Nyiro River, beneath big Kigelia trees and Acacia Elatiors. It is home to some of the largest bulls in Samburu. The camp is eco-friendly has been specially constructed for comfort and coolness, accommodating a maximum of ten guests with its wide and breezy desert tents.

• Sosian Ranch - Sosian, the Samburu word for the wild date palm, combines the tame with the wild. Over 24,000 acres of wild bush are here to explore. Originally built in the 1940s by Italian artisans the recently renovated ranch house sits at the heart of the ranch, surrounded by seven double cottages that can accommodate up to fourteen people.

• Kitich Camp lies in the southern part of the Mathews mountain range, a remote and rarely visited area of Kenya. The camp is nestled in a verdant grove of fig trees, indigenous flowering shrubs and prehistoric cycad palms on a bank of the seasonal Ngeng River and is surrounded by thickly wooded hillsides and craggy peaks.

• Joy’s Camp is built on the site of Joy Adamson’s tented home in Shaba National Reserve. The site was also home to Penny the leopard, the heroine of her last book. The 10 canvas bedrooms are set raised off the ground with breathtaking views of the surrounding hills.

• Elsa’s Kopje is named after Elsa the lioness, made famous by George and Joy Adamson’s biographical film “Born Free”. Elsa’s Kopje is almost invisible to the eye as you approach its home on Mughwango Hill, built very near to the site of George Adamson’s original campsite. The cottages are the ultimate rooms-with-a-view.

• Elsa’s Private House is a spacious, stylish, exclusive hideaway set slightly apart from the main lodge with two double rooms and its own private swimming pool.

• Offbeat Meru Camp - The camp is small, traditional and located on the edge of Meru National Park in the Bisanadi National Reserve. Hosted by head guide, Adrian Allan, the camp consists of six tents.

• Manda Bay  is located on the North-western tip of Manda Island, one of the many unspoiled, idyllic islands of the Lamu archipelago. An exclusive resort, Manda Bay offers relaxation, water sports, dhow safaris and luxurious pampering.

• Peponi a small hotel on the exotic island of Lamu. Peponi is still run by the Korschen family, who opened the hotel in 1967 and which still retains much of the character and charm that it had then. Small and personal, it is the perfect rest after a safari or a hide away holiday from modern life.

• Kiwayu is situated 30km north of Lamu on Kenya’s remote North Coast. It nestles amongst sand dunes overlooking a sheltered lagoon and the Indian Ocean. Kiwayu is a natural, simple but luxurious and secluded retreat. Accommodation is in eighteen thatched bandas spread out over one and a half km of beach.  For honeymooners we recommend a few nights at the exclusive "Baobabs of Kitangani" on Kiwayu Island.

• Kizingo is a small and rustic 8 banda "castaway" beach camp on the south western tip of Lamu Island from which Louis and Jo van Aardt offer a secluded and tranquil escape from the world.  Kizingo's an hour by boat from town or 3 hours walking on the beach to Shela village - that's if you don't end up swimming with the dolphins!

• Sanjeeda - "luxury afloat", a 93' teak dhow with an elegant Portuguese-style galleon stern, housing 6 cabins and 17 luxury berths.  Available for private charters or short set date departures.  Enquire about this coming season's availability.

• Tortilis Camp is named after the flat-topped, umbrella thorn tree, the Acacia Tortilis, and is situated just outside the park in one of Amboseli's few remaining areas of unspoilt woodland, with the majestic backdrop of snow-capped Kilimanjaro. The tents are all large and spacious, with en suite bathrooms complete with steaming hot showers and modern flush loos.

• Porini - The Selenkay Conservancy lies a few miles north of Amboseli National Park and is an important dispersal area for wildlife migrating out of Amboseli. Selenkay Conservation Area is well off the beaten track and has not been visited by tourists until now. The number of tourist visitors staying at the Amboseli Porini Camp is limited to a maximum of eighteen per day to retain the wild and unspoilt nature of the area and to minimise the impact on the environment.

• Ol Kanjau, meaning “place of the elephants”, is a small and traditional seasonal tented camp adjacent to Amboseli National Park. The camp is hosted by Mike and Judy Rainy, American naturalists and ecologists with a particular passion for elephants. The camp itself is a simple six tent affair where the focus is on getting close to elephants and Amboseli’s wildlife without crowds and minibuses.

• Ol Donyo Wuas Lodge nestles in the western foothills of the Chyulu range, overlooking Kilimanjaro. The lodge consists of 8 cottages all en suite with panoramic views of the plains and Kilimanjaro.

• Campi ya Kanzi means "Camp of the Hidden Treasure" in Kiswahili. The camp lies within a 400 square-mile Maasai private land, dominated by Mount Kilimanjaro, just 35 miles away. Campi ya Kanzi accommodates a maximum of 14 guests in six thatched roof tented cottages.

• Finch Hatton's lies at the heart of Tsavo West National park, where Denys Finch Hatton lived and died. The camp surrounds a natural freshwater spring, flowing through three crystal clear pools, with tents along the water's edge. Finch Hatton's camp, a privately owned and managed one man's dream to create the ideal, offers guests a unique opportunity to relive the golden era of the safari in absolute elegance.

• Galdessa – Galdessa Main Camp is located on the southern bank of the Galana River, partially concealed by coppices of Doum Palms. The camp has a coastal / bush relaxed feel and is designed to blend with the environment using earthy colours and natural woods throughout. Galdessa Private Camp can be booked exclusively and is situated a short distance from the main camp.

• Loldia House offers a choice of accommodation either in the old family house or in cottages in the grounds. Loldia is a two hour drive from Nairobi and a perfect place from which to begin a safari holiday around Kenya. It is also conveniently located for day trips to the famous Lake Nakuru National Park.

• Mfangano Island - Lapped by the waters of Lake Victoria, shaded by giant fig trees and lost to the world, Mfangano Island Camp is an oasis of tranquillity. Mfangano Island Camp has six double-bedded cottages situated right on the lakeshore. Each room has been built in the Luo tribal style, with banana thatch and natural clay, and has been recently redecorated.

Nairobi - Karen

• Ngong House – Ngong House is a private home-stay situated in the Karen / Langata area of Nairobi offering a collection of cottages, with outstanding service and excellent food. The lodge overlooks the Ngong Hills, only a few minutes away from what used to be Karen Blixen’s coffee farm.

• Macushla House – A small and eclectic place to stay in Nairobi. Just twenty minutes drive from the city centre, Macushla provides the amenities of a hotel yet the warmth and character of a private home.

• House of Waine – A welcoming, stylish, family run hotel in the Karen district, well placed for exploring nearby attractions such as the Karen Blixen museum.

• Karen Blixen Cottages – Set in Karen amongst tranquil gardens, the cottages house up to 30 guests. Eight of the cottages have individual suites and three have two bedroom suites with a common large sitting room.

• Giraffe Manor – The Giraffe Manor is an elegant, personally hosted, small and exclusive hotel, famous for its resident herd of giraffe.

Nairobi - City Centre

• Norfolk Hotel – Conveniently situated and well revered, the Norfolk is set in its own private tropical gardens and offers 168 guest rooms and suites.

• The Fairview Hotel is family run and centrally located, offering just over 100 rooms, with facilities geared particularly to the business traveller.

• Palacina Hotel - A family owned and run boutique hotel with a homely feel.