The best safari lodges in Kenya are not the ones with the longest list of amenities. They are the ones that put you in the right place, with the right guide, at the right time of day. Kenya has hundreds of lodges and camps spread across the Masai Mara, Amboseli, Laikipia, Samburu and Tsavo, and the price range runs from a few hundred dollars a night to several thousand. This guide explains what actually separates a great lodge from an expensive one, how the main regions differ, and what we built at Enkewa in the southern Masai Mara.
What makes a safari lodge the best, rather than the most expensive
After twenty years of hosting guests in the Mara, we judge a lodge on four things, in this order:
- Location. How far is the wildlife from your bed? A lodge an hour’s drive from the action loses the first and last light of every day, which is when animals move. The best lodges in Kenya sit inside or beside the territories they sell.
- Guiding. A guide who knows individual prides and elephant families by sight, and a spotter who reads tracks and alarm calls, change what you see. Ask whether the vehicle carries one person up front or two.
- Vehicle density. How many lodges share the same area, and how many cars will be at a leopard sighting? In the busiest parts of the Mara, twenty is normal in August. In the quiet south it is often one.
- Honesty of the experience. Food that comes from a kitchen garden rather than a truck, staff from the local community, a camp that was built for the land rather than dropped onto it.
Thread counts, plunge pools and gin trolleys are pleasant. They are not what you will remember.
Kenya’s safari regions compared
Masai Mara. The highest density of big cats in Africa, the Great Migration from July to October and reliable sightings all year. The reserve is busy at the Talek and Sekenani gates and quiet in the far south, which is where our two camps are. If you have one week in Kenya, this is where to spend most of it.
Amboseli. Elephants with Kilimanjaro behind them. Small, dusty and spectacular for photography, but best for two or three nights rather than a whole trip.
Laikipia. Private conservancies north of Mount Kenya with black rhino, wild dog and walking safaris. Fewer tourists and high prices; a good complement to the Mara rather than a substitute.
Samburu. Dry northern country with its own species, including Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe and gerenuk. Hot, remote and rewarding for a second visit to Kenya.
Tsavo. Vast, red-earthed and wild, with large elephant herds and far fewer lodges per square kilometre. Sightings take more work than in the Mara.
Lodge, tented camp or exclusive-use camp?
A lodge is a permanent building with solid walls, usually larger, often with a pool and a fenced perimeter. A tented camp has canvas rooms on raised decks with proper beds and en-suite bathrooms; at night you hear hyena and lion from your pillow. An exclusive-use camp is a small camp taken over entirely by one family or group of friends, with its own guide and vehicle. We have written a longer comparison in hotel or tented camp in the Masai Mara; the short version is that a well-run tented camp gives you more of the bush for the same money.
What a stay at Enkewa looks like
We run two camps in a remote, low-use part of the southern Masai Mara, near the Sand River and the border with the Serengeti. Enkewa Camp has double and family tents, a main lodge, a campfire and an organic garden that feeds the kitchen. Little Enkewa is a five-tent camp for guests aged sixteen and over, with indoor and outdoor showers and 180-degree views over the plains. Every game drive carries a professional guide and a Maasai spotter, the vehicles are built for photography, and four lion prides live within reach of camp. Most mornings you will not see another car.
For a comparison of specific camps in the Mara, by zone, style and who each one suits, see our guide to the best luxury safari lodges in the Masai Mara. For costs, park fees and what is included in a stay, read how much a Kenya safari really costs.
Questions to ask before you book any lodge in Kenya
- How many minutes from the lodge to the first good wildlife area?
- Is there a spotter as well as a guide in the vehicle, and how many guests per car?
- Are park or conservancy fees included in the rate?
- What time do morning game drives leave, and can we stay out through lunch?
- Where does the food come from, and who works here?
If a lodge answers all five clearly, it is probably one of the good ones. If you would like our answers, our FAQ covers most of them, and we are happy to reply to the rest by email or WhatsApp.