Ancient cultures unaffected by the modern world, living in stunning landscapes in harmony with diverse wildlife—this is Kenya! Addressing all explorers on the lookout for adventures in the lap of luxury, here are our picks for the top five Kenyan safari stays, eager to offer you the experience of a lifetime!

Mara Bushtops

Nestled in the heart of nature amidst, surrounded by wildlife lies Mara Bushtops. Accommodation of 12 exclusive en-suite luxury tents, each with private viewing decks, ensures you receive the best personalized service. While focusing on comfort and luxury, Mara Bushtops also aims to bring you a wildlife experience that goes beyond the Big Five.

Along with the usual day safaris you can enjoy thrilling evening and night safaris in the conservancy to spot nocturnal wildlife, and walking safaris as well. Experience something different as you go hot air ballooning to get a picturesque aerial view of wildlife bounding across stunning terrains to see Africa at its best.

Recommended Tour: Kenya Luxury

Tortilis Safari Camp

Located within the vast expanse of the Amboseli National Park lies Tortilis Camp, a place known for its spectacular views of the highest African peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Tortilis Camp has its own private wildlife conservancy spreading across 30,000 acres of land. This gives you the opportunity to explore the residents of the wild in their natural habitats on game drives guided by experienced Masai folk.
The fields of Amboseli are also known for being a safe haven to over a 1,000 elephants and they even boast of some of the largest in Africa! Co-habitation is the key at Tortilis and the rule applies not only with the wide variety of animals but also with the local community. Don your explorer’s hat and set out on a guided walk with the Masai. With their expansive knowledge of the wild around them, and the ground beneath them, you’ll have a unique glimpse into their way of life.

Recommended Tour: Wings Over Kenya

Joy’s Safari Camp

A place amidst the wild full of history and harmony between humans and wildlife—this is Joy’s Camp. Built around conservationist Joy Adamson’s tented home in Shaba National Reserve, the camp is a part of the greater Samburu-Buffalo Springs ecosystem.

One of the many special qualities of the reserve’s dry land is that it plays the role of a comfortable home to many rare and endangered species, some rarely heard of. While on a game drive you could see long-necked gerenuks scampering around a magnificent herd of grey zebras. You might even come across a striking beisa oryx grazing the fields and see a reticulated giraffe nearby.

What Joy’s camp is famous for is its night game drives. As the temperature drops on this barren land the hooting of the owls begin and with it, the hunt. If you’re lucky you might spot some jungle cats in action.

Recommended Tour: Wings Over Kenya

The Ark Aberdare

The ark-shaped Ark Aberdare lies in the very heart of the Aberdare National Park overlooking a large waterhole and a salt lick that attract local wildlife. The Ark Aberdare has four viewing decks designed for your convenience, allowing you to relax and observe these animals as they go about their day. While towering elephants mostly dominate the watering hole, the likes of leopards, rhinos, buffalos as well as hyenas also visit regularly.

For the adventurers, the Ark offers a plethora of activities like safari drives and game drives to Solio Sanctuary, a private game reserve known for its successful rearing of white and black rhinos. You may also see herds of zebras, cheetahs, leopards, and even lions.

Aside from the wildlife, you can even venture out on a guided nature walk to explore the local flora and fauna. With over 250 species of birds here, the dominant presence of these exotic winged wonders is greater than that of the elephants. You can round up your trip and unwind with a visit to the glittering waterfalls of Rivers Magura, Karuru and Chania.

Recommended Tour: Kenyan Safari

The Governor’s Camp

Originally reserved for Kenya’s colonial Governors’ in the 1970s’, the camp’s 37 luxury tents are located along the riverbank of the Mara River with beautiful views of the river and the Mara plains, home to a fascinating array of birds, hippos and crocodiles.

The entire camp is tented, designed in a way to allow space and luxury to serve you comfort. Spend your days here enjoying some of the best safaris in Kenya, hot air balloon rides over Masai Mara, visit the local Mara community to gain a unique insight on their way of life, or take a relaxing break at the beautiful, unspoilt Island of Mfangano on Lake Victoria.

Eco-tourism Kenya has recently awarded the Camp a Silver Eco-Rating for its environmentally conscious operations. The Camp is directly involved supporting educational, health, and recycling programmes that benefit the local community. So, you can rest assured that when you choose Governor’s Camp, you’re making a responsible choice.

Recommended Tour: Kenya Deluxe

(All images are copyrighted by the respective hotels)

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