As the birthplace of luxury safari camps, Kenya continues to set the bar high. Home to some of the best game-viewing locations in Africa, Kenya holds the key to a once in a lifetime safari experience. Here’s our guide to the best luxury safari lodges in Kenya:

MARA PLAINS CAMP

This is one of the best luxury safari lodges in Kenya, and it just gleams! Think highly polished wooden floors, reflecting the light from chandeliers. Everything about the feel of this camp speaks to an indulgent experience and channels the adventurous spirit of the first-ever safari-goers. Arriving to Mara Plains is a step-up – literally! The camp is approached by crossing a bridge and mounting a staircase. Before you’ve had time to admire your opulent safari tented suite, you’ll be captivated by the endless views of the Mara Plains and your eyes will be drawn to the single flat-topped acacia tree that punctuates them. If it’s true that you can judge an area by your neighbors, then having hippos next door (in the gorgeously named Ntiakitiak River) tells you that you’ve come to the right place.

  • Décor inspired by local Maasai tribes.
  • Ornate wooden doors from Lamu.
  • Unrivalled access to a private nature conservancy.

SEGERA RETREAT

This luxury Kenya safari lodge is a work of art – and home to part of the Zeitz Collection of contemporary African art (you can see many more pieces at the new Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town, South Africa). Segera is a fantastic modern-day reimagining of all that is best about luxury safari lodges. It retains an authentic Kenyan ranch feel, and yet the comfort level has been turned up a notch or two. Exquisite dining options include romantic riverside picnics (with curious elephants stopping by) while the spa delivers out-of-this-world moments of blissful relaxation.

  • Spend the night in the NAY PALAD Bird Nest treehouse.
  • View the original yellow biplane from the ‘flamingo scene’ in ‘Out of Africa’.
  • Enjoy organic ‘farm to fork’ cuisine.

MARA NYIKA CAMP

Listen to the flutter of the canvas roof of your tent as a light breeze comes in from the plains and you enjoy a private dinner for two on your own viewing deck or stroll barefoot across the vintage carpets that line the floor. Mara Nyika is a luxury Kenya safari lodge situated on the 50,000-acre Naboisho Conservancy, the second largest in the Maasai Mara region. The emphasis here is on indulging both your creature comforts and your very natural desire to experience the best of the iconic Mara area, the best venue for the spectacular animal Great Wildebeest Migration. Front row seats have never been this comfortable.

  • Tastefully decorated, thoughtfully equipped tented suites.
  • Free-standing copper bathtubs let you soak up the ambience.
  • Spectacular displays of award-winning wildlife photography.

SANCTUARY OLONANA CAMP

This luxury Kenya safari lodge represents the perfect fusion of location and form. Each of the fourteen glass-sided guests suites opens on to views of a private stretch of the Mara River – the same river that forms a daunting obstacle to the migrating wildebeest that must pass this way to reach new pastures. Riverine forest provides shade, while still allowing guests to take in the abundance of wildlife right outside their door. The décor in each room combines a palette of neutral shades (to encourage you to ‘paint’ your own experiences onto this remarkable canvas), soft organic materials and pops of locally inspired color. Welcome to the Masai Mara – an evocatively named wilderness that will soon start to feel very much like home.

  • Book the exclusive new Geoffrey Kent Suite featuring two ensuite bedrooms, perfect for families
  • On the doorstep of ‘the greatest show on Earth’ – the Migration.
  • The only accommodation in the area featuring modern amenities.

OL DONYO LODGE

Situated where the wooded Chyulu Hills meet the plains, Ol Donyo Lodge is the ideal luxury lodge from which to explore Amboseli. This Kenyan national park is known as the ‘land of giants’ for its impressive elephants, and the fact that it is overshadowed by the towering massif of Mount Kilimanjaro. This area is ancestral Maasai land, and indeed is leased from them in a ground-breaking partnership. It allows guests to experience some of Kenya’s less well-known but prolific wildlife habitats, plus the indulgence of accommodation that references both modernity and classic safari style. Exclusive activities include rooftop sleep-outs under mosquito nets and amazing displays of stars, encounters with ‘tuskers’ and hide picnics as wildlife passes by. What more could you ask for from a luxury Kenya safari lodge?

  • Views of Mount Kilimanjaro, across the border in Tanzania.
  • Some of Africa’s last surviving giant elephant bulls.
  • More adventurous activities including horseback safaris and mountain biking.

For help choosing a luxury Kenyan safari lodge, contact Alluring Africa today.