For You and Yours Alone

May 4th 2023 | Kenya | by Jo Ainscough

Kenya is a country with some truly unusual and special places to stay, offering exclusive experiences for groups of all sizes. Whether you’re embarking on a safari adventure or looking for a relaxing beach getaway, Kenya has plenty to offer. Here’s how to explore some of Kenya’s special places while enjoying properties all to yourself.

A Family Villa on the Mara’s Outskirts

Nestled in a private conservancy just outside the Masai Mara National Reserve, Cottar’s Bush Villa is a luxurious retreat with the stunning Olderikesi Hills as its backdrop. The villa’s hillside location provides stunning views of the plains and ample opportunities to view the wildlife that inhabits it.

A large thatched roof villa on a hillside with African bush stretching off into the distance. There is a large pool higher on the hill behind the villa

The hillside location of Cottar’s Bush Villa

The Bush Villa features five double bedrooms, a large living area, a dining room, and a spacious deck that provides glorious views. Guests can enjoy privately guided wildlife drives, night drives, bush walks, and many other activities. The location also offers a great chance to witness the annual wildebeest migration.

Three people sitting in a vintage car with wooden panelling and three sets of seats. The car is on an open grassy area with trees in the background

A vintage vehicle for wildlife viewing from Cottar’s Bush Camp

An Indian Ocean Clifftop Haven

For a winning combination of time in the bush and an escape to the beach, Aardvark Safaris’ guests can’t go wrong with a stay at Alfajiri Villas. Located on the south coast of Kenya, Alfajiri is made up of three separate, spacious, luxury villas set on the sheltered coral cliff above Diani Beach.

a three storey villa with a pool to one side and the sea in the background

Cliff Villa and its pool

Each villa can be taken separately and accommodates between six and ten guests. Whether you choose to fill all three villas with family or take just one for a memorable getaway with friends, there is always plenty of space for everyone to relax and enjoy. The villas boast stunning views down to the sea and each has its own private pool. Meals can be taken wherever guests choose and are prepared to their liking, adding an even more special touch to an amazing holiday.

A swimming pool with sunbeds on a wooden deck alongside it and palm trees and the sea in the background

The Garden Villa pool

An Authentic Tented Camp for up to Eight

Deep within the magnificent Masai Mara, Angama Safari Camp is a luxury, sole-use tented camp offering an abundance of wildlife right on its doorstep. While it can be booked by just a couple, there is enough room for up to eight guests in the four luxury tents. The camp’s resident wildlife includes prides of lion, cheetah, large elephant herds, buffalo, and ample plains wildlife.

Three safari tents lit up at night with dark skies above

The exclusive use Angama Safari Camp

With only canvas to separate guests from the world outside, a stay at Angama provides a thrillingly immersive experience. The camp combines sophistication and simplicity, with each detail considered to create an unforgettable stay. Each of the guest tents is designed in a landscape orientation, the open side maximising the breathtaking views of the Masai Mara’s plains.

A safari tent with its sides rolled up to reveal a double bed and a simple ensuite bathroom. There is grass in front and trees behind

Sophistication and simplicity at Angama Safari Camp

An Architectural Masterpiece in Remote Laikipia

Unique is an overused word, but the Nay Palad Bird Nest offers guests the opportunity to stay in accommodation like no other. The beautiful, raised structure offers a 360-degree bird’s-eye view of the surrounding wilderness. A collaboration between Segera, Nay Palad, and architect Daniel Pouzet, the Nest is set in the heart of the Laikipia plains and perched amid the treetops, near a river teeming with wildlife.

A treehouse type structure, lit up at night, with a ladder going to the first floor and a roof area that looks like a bird's nest

The sheltered first floor and open-air top deck of the Bird’s Nest

Guests have the chance to wake up to the sounds of the bush and the wildlife, including elephants, giraffes, and other animals drinking at the nearby river. Designed to sleep two people, but also suitable for a family of four, the two-floor structure has a sheltered first floor and an open-air top deck, where guests can watch the sunset. Those staying will be served delicious food in a lantern-lit setting before falling asleep under the stars if they choose. The Nest is perfect for a one-night stay following a wildlife drive or bush walk in the area.

A double bed on an open air platform with a mosquito net suspended above it. It is dusk and there are traditional oil lanterns on tables behind and to the side of the bed

A bed under the stars

What next?

We would be delighted to help you plan a safari encompassing any of the exclusive stays and trips mentioned here. Our team of experts has travelled widely throughout Africa and can offer expert advice on every type of safari from family and beach holidays to riding and primate safaris. Do get in touch – chatting to people by phone or email is what we do best. We listen, we explain, we answer all sorts of questions even those you didn’t know to ask, and finally we make suggestions. If this is your first time to Africa or your twenty first, we have a team standing by to help make the planning easy and the journey the best ever. Please get in touch whatever stage you’re at.

More about the Author

Jo Ainscough

Travel Expert

Jo joined Aardvark’s Scottish office in September 2006, fresh from two ski seasons, and as a farmer’s daughter felt instantly at home with the chickens, ducks, sheep, dogs and horses that frequent Aardvark Scotland! Animals and skiing aside, Jo’s passions include cooking, travelling, hiking and horse riding.