The Best 5-Star Safari Camps in Kenya, Park by Park

The best 5-star safari camps in Kenya are the ones in the right place. For us that means Governors’ Camp or Mara Serena in the Masai Mara, Ol Tukai or Tortilis at Amboseli, and Elephant Bedroom or Samburu Intrepids in Samburu. All of these appear on our own trips, and this is how we would choose between them.

A note on the term: star grades suit city hotels better than tented camps, so we judge these on location, service and food rather than a rating. You can see them in context on our 5-star and VIP safaris page.

Masai Mara

Governors’ Camp is the headline stay on our 12-day trip, with four nights in the Mara to finish. Mara Serena Safari Lodge sits on a hill above the Mara Triangle, the western part of the reserve, and is an easy choice if you are flying in. Sarova Mara Game Camp is on the eastern side, with a pool and spa and good access to the main game areas.

If the migration is the point of your trip, tell us early. These camps fill first between late July and October, and our guide to what a 5-star safari costs explains why the same stay can cost far more in those months.

Amboseli

Ol Tukai Lodge is inside the park beside a swamp, so elephants may pass while you are having lunch. Tortilis Camp is a tented option we use on our longer trips. Whichever you choose, ask for time at both ends of the day, when Kilimanjaro is most likely to be clear.

The park’s elephants are among the most closely studied in Africa, thanks to the long-running work of the Amboseli Trust for Elephants. Your guide will know the herds well.

Samburu

Elephant Bedroom Camp sits on the Ewaso Nyiro River with tents under doum palms, and can arrange sundowners by the water on request. Samburu Intrepids, also on the river, is the alternative we use on our 14-day trip. This is the place to look for Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe and gerenuk, which you will not find in the south.

Ol Pejeta and the Rift Valley

Sweetwaters Serena Camp is our usual base at Ol Pejeta Conservancy. It overlooks a waterhole with Mount Kenya beyond, and the conservancy is known for its rhinos.

At Lake Nakuru, we use The Cliff and Sarova Lion Hill Lodge, which has wide views across the park. The lake is part of the Kenya Lake System World Heritage Site, and it is a good place to look for rhino, though flamingo numbers vary. At Naivasha, Enashipai Resort and Spa makes a comfortable break halfway through a long safari.

The coast

To finish by the sea, The Sands at Nomad on Diani Beach is our choice after a long circuit, with a beachfront setting, pool and spa. Some trips fly there straight from the Mara.

How to choose

Start with the park that matters most and spend your money there. A couple on a week’s trip will get more from a top camp in the Mara and a good lodge in Amboseli than from spreading the budget evenly. If you want a private guide to go with those camps, read what a VIP safari really includes.

Camps change hands and refresh their rooms, so we confirm every property in writing before you pay. If one is full on your dates, we will offer another of the same standard and tell you exactly what changes.

Last updated: 6 November 2026