H12 Kipalo Hills

I visited Kipalo Hills for four nights after spending three nights in the Mara. I had a wonderful time and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it! All the staff were incredibly welcoming and helpful - especially my driver and guide Boniface and Chris. My tent was cosy and comfortable - not the most luxurious but it had everything I needed and incredible views over the park; there were also morning tea and biscuits in my room, delicious meals served with dedication by the kitchen team Chef Daniel, Emmanuel and Daniel, and sundowners watching the elephants come to drink from the camp's waterhole. Three real highlights for me were the guided bush walk which ended in a fabulous al fresco breakfast by a waterhole, the game drive in Tsavo East with another al fresco breakfast in the park, and going to see the rangers filling the waterhole and all the elephants coming to drink. Tsavo is a really special place and it's so cool to see an area that's so very different from the Maasai Mara - not green and lush like the Mara but tougher, with red dust, dramatic landscapes and animals that are bigger and hardier than the ones in the Mara. I spent 3 nights in a standard safari tent and on the last night I was lucky enough to stay in the new villa which is just about to open. This is Kipalo's more luxury offering - while the safari tents are comfortable but fairly standard, the villa is on another level, with a huge shower, another outside shower, and a roof terrace where you can sleep under the stars, which I did. Waking up under the sunrise was one of the most memorable experiences of my entire trip. The thing that really made the difference for me with Kipalo is learning about the work the team does with the wildlife and local communities. The Secluded Africa Trust has many projects to help in their area, including sponsoring local children through their education, handing out food to farmers suffering in the current drought, installing water tanks so villagers don't have to walk miles to fetch water, providing water for the animals, and much, much more. It's so rewarding to see how much the team really cares about supporting and giving back to their local community - this is not lip service like some other companies, these guys definitely put people before profit every single time. If you want to have an amazing African experience but also feel that your money is going to a good place and not a faceless corporation, you should definitely choose Secluded for your next holiday. Check out their beach property, Cardamom House (where I went after Kipalo) for a fantastic way to unwind at the end of your trip. If you want to see photos, I will write about this experience on my blog at PassportAndPixels dotcom when I get a chance!

Gorgeous lodge with awesome atmosphere. Remote, peaceful and romantic, with spectacular views. Staff was amazing and went above and beyond to make everything special. Food was excellent. Room was luxurious. We could hear leopards at night and watch elephants crossing in front of the room or visiting the watering hole during the day. We enjoyed game drives in Tsavo West and East, and a memorable sundowner hike. Altogether perfect stay.

What an amazing location and property From the personalised welcome from Nikita, to the front of house staff, Rangers, and Kitchen crew - everyone we met were lovely Accommodation, big clean comfortable bed, great bathroom with Safari Shower, Tea and Wake up calls, fantastic food - the Chef Frank comes and discusses the menu with you each meal time. Nothing was too much for them to organise. Evening Water hole activity very exciting - Lots of Elephants when we were there. View from the lounge area across Tsavo was beautiful. I have no hesitation in recommending this property and hope to visit again in the future x

We stayed in this nicely located mid range camp for 5 nights when visiting Tsavo East. Since we were a group of 3 adults we confirmed with the camp managing company Secluded Africa that our tent would be comfortable enough for such an extended stay. Unfortunately we were assigned a very small, outdated and poorly furnished tent that could barely fit our 3 beds. Once there we learned that the camp has only one larger modern tent that was not available at the time. Knowing this ahead of time we would definitely have shortened our stay there. There was also a shortage of safari land cruisers at one point so we had to use our own SUV for the game drive despite that we were promised and paid for 2 game drives a day. Food was adequate, nicely presented and all of the staff made sure that our stay was as comfortable as possible under the circumstances. What makes this camp attractive is its high ground, secluded location with beautiful views over the surrounding bush. With some improvements to the accommodation and better management skills this could be a a real gem.

The excellent location of the Kipalo Hills Lodge deep inside Mbulia Conservancy almost makes up for the shortcomings in quality of the accommodation and management. Tents have great views but except one family tent the rest of them is rather on the small side, outdated and poorly decorated. Food was no frills but made with great dedication by the chef. There is a waterhole at the base of the camp where you can observe elephants drinking almost every evening, otherwise game drives within the conservancy are rather uneventful since the whole area is densely overgrown and spotting the game is very difficult. We had a very nice sundowner at the top of the hill and surprise breakfast in the bush. It takes a 25 min drive through the conservancy on a bumpy dirt road and additional 10 min on the very busy Mombasa road before you reach the gate of the Tsavo East NP where you can see a variety of wildlife. Highly recommend this park, where we spotted plenty of elephants, giraffes, and lions on every drive. To reach the Tsavo West gate you have to drive for one hour from the camp. Like the conservancy, Tsavo West is also densely overgrown but you may occasionally spot elephants there and visit the rhino sanctuary that is located inside the park. Fair warning, when we went there were no rhinos to be seen. In conclusion, a nice albeit not luxurious camp with great potential due to its unique location.

We stayed here for two days while exploring Tsavo East and West. It was absolutely incredible! After our long drive from Nairobi, we were met with cool towels soaked in eucalyptus oil to clean our hands and faces. My husband and I were the only ones at the camp for both days, so we essentially had a personal staff that saw to our every need. We had the big suite camp with an amazing view of Tsavo West, a king size bed, and a shower and open air bathroom. Daniel the chef attended to our every need, preparing a personalized menu for us when we were ready to eat. Mustafa was also amazing, making sure we always had a full glass of wine and were comfortable. After safaris in Tsavo East and West (where we came up close to elephants, lions, giraffes, zebras, and a whole host of other animals), Mustafa would arrange the bean bag chairs for us on the cliff overlooking Tsavo West, pour us a sundowner glass of wine, and bring us a snack to enjoy while we watched the sunset. On our second night there, they placed our dinner table on the patio overlooking a watering hole so that we could watch the elephants drink while eating. This place is amazing. I can’t even begin to describe how welcomed and at home we felt here. Totally worth visiting.

The beautiful lodge is located in perfect nature with a stunning view and abundant wildlife. Attention is given to all details. The hospitality was great: we were really spoiled! Daniel conjured up great menus. Richard and his team were attentive hosts in every respect. No wishes remained unfulfilled! The place near Voi and between the two Tsavo National Parks is also particularly suitable for relaxing a few nights in a small paradise on the way from Nairobi to the coast.