This property from Sanctuary Retreats offers luxurious tented safari with an impressive list of activities, including getting up close and personal with the two last remaining northern white rhinos. Ol Pejeta is a vast 90,000 acre conservancy and home to the Big Five, so there’s excellent year-round game. Tambarare is an elegant outpost surrounded by fever trees and has splendid views over the grassy plains, while Mount Kenya looms stunningly in the background. Each of the ten spacious and beautifully appointed rooms has a delightful veranda, where you can sit and see animals passing by. The days here can be as adventurous as you choose, with horse riding, cycling safaris, and excellent night drives on offer. The lodge also specialises in conservation tracking of lion and rhino, which is an incredible experience. When the day is done, the rooms, food, and service are all the height of luxury. Along with its new two-bedroom villa, Tambarare 2.0 promises to be a superb addition to the region.

Semi-Tented (Hybrid)

Laikipia, Kenya

Luxury

From AU$1,391 – AU$1,799 pp

A luxurious tented camp in Laikipia’s iconic Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Lounge, dining area, and bar

Living Room, Sanctuary Tambarare, Laikipia, Kenya

Ten spacious luxury tented suites, one two-room private villa

Game drives, walking safaris, night drives, lion and rhino tracking, cultural visits, and horse riding

Deck, Sanctuary Tambarare, Laikipia, Kenya
Our Yellow Zebra Opinion
  • Excellent value for luxury seekers
Although this isn’t a property we use often in Laikipia, Sanctuary Tambarare works well when combining it with other Sanctuary camps across the continent. However, my preference in this area generally lies with more authentic camps, which are located in quieter game viewing areas.
Olivia Barclay-Hudson Product Manager

Activities

Laikipia is an area that provides a wonderful amount of things to do. Tambarare has an impressive list of activities, not least the conservation and tracking programme, which can be a reason in itself to visit this lodge! But there is so much more on offer here.

Lion and rhino tracking

Expertly guided game drives

Walking safaris

Night drives

Horse riding

Cultural trips

  • Guests can join a ranger and help protect these amazing animals, taking notes on specific lions spotted, then reporting to the Ol Pejeta Ecological Monitoring Department. It’s pretty incredible getting to know what’s involved in looking after endangered species.

    Conservation, Sanctuary Tambarare, Laikipia, Kenya

  • Among the wildlife highlights here are all the Big Five – lion, rhino, leopard, elephant, and buffalo. You can look out for smaller predators too, such as cheetah, hyena, jackal, serval, civet, honey badger, and the rare wild dog, while the herbivore collection features giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, and an excellent assortment of antelopes.

    Conservation, Sanctuary Tambarare, Laikipia, Kenya

  • Why not head out into the bush with an armed guide? As well as enjoying animal tracking and sightings of the area’s phenomenal birdlife, you’ll take a closer look at the reserve’s insects and plant life. Different levels and distances are possible, depending on the ages of your group. Classic walking safari has an age limit of 12 years.

    Conservation, Sanctuary Tambarare, Laikipia, Kenya

  • You could also head out at night, when all the big predators come alive. It’s always an unforgettable experience, watching what goes on in the dark of the night! You might see porcupines, genets, civets, bush-babies… and occasionally a larger predator with its prey.

    Conservation, Sanctuary Tambarare, Laikipia, Kenya

  • This is the best way to get close to the animals in the conservancy, as they are more relaxed around horses than 4x4s. Tambarare has access to stables and the lodge caters for all levels, from total beginner to advanced. Heading out on horseback is a special experience.

    Conservation, Sanctuary Tambarare, Laikipia, Kenya

  • Visit local communities and see first hand the work the conservancy undertakes in healthcare services, sustainable energy, and community enterprise initiatives. It’s always rewarding to meet the locals!

    Conservation, Sanctuary Tambarare, Laikipia, Kenya

*This property is unfenced and located in a wildlife area, so large and potentially dangerous animals will pass through. If you opt to stay here, always be alert when walking around the camp and request for a member of staff to escort you if you have any concerns. Any guest is escorted after dark as a matter of course.

Access & Location

Sanctuary Tambarare is located within the Ol Pejeta Conservancy, in Laikipia. This is a vast and spectacular safari region known for lion, rhino, over two thousand elephants, and lots of leopards. Topographically there is a wealth of different habitats, from grassy plains to rushing streams and rivers, woodlands and scrublands, lush riverine forests, and rolling hills. This makes Kenya one of the foremost places for horseback safari. The lodge itself is set in a beautiful area surrounded by fever trees, with Mt Kenya resplendent in the background. To get here, guests fly by scheduled light aircraft from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport, into either Nanyuki or Kamok Airstrip, then from here it’s an hour or 30 minute road transfer respectively.

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Facilities

The communal lounge, bar, and dining area at Tambarare are very stylish, featuring comfortable sofas and armchairs around coffee tables and chic separate tables-and-chairs for the camp’s delicious meals.

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The chef here is famous for his excellent freshly baked breads! The colours and décor are inspired by nature, to blend in with the surrounding landscape. Everything at Tambarare is just right and the service is 5-star, with staff always attentive.

Amenities

There are ten sumptuous tented suites and one two-bedroom villa.

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The latter option offers more privacy and can also work well as a family unit. Individually decorated, each suite has a style described as ‘boutique-meets-bush’, the golden age of safari mingling with contemporary designs and local Maasai culture. The super-king-size bed is huge and comfortable, surrounded by mosquito netting, while other features include bedside stands, soft lighting, and a writing desk with chair. There’s a separate seating area too, with a couple of easy chairs and a table. The décor includes Maasai-inspired art in shades of blue, giving a lovely breezy and serene feel. In the en-suite washroom, you’ll find a flush toilet, twin washbasins, and a large shower. Each tent has a private veranda, where you can enjoy beautiful views over Ol Pejeta’s plains. It’s a glorious place to have your fresh morning coffee to the sounds of the bush! The two-bedroom villa is a wonderful addition to Tambarare. It boasts two great rooms with en-suite bathrooms, linked via a spacious and beautifully appointed shared seating area. Meals are prepared by a private chef and you have a safari vehicle to yourselves, so you can have a really intimate and exclusive bush experience.

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Talk to someone who’s been there

Real expertise doesn’t come from a few trips to Africa. All our specialists have either been guides, run the camps, or grown up and lived in Africa. That’s over 600 years of genuine safari experience.
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+61 1800 841 726
Cassia Seth-Smith
Safari Specialist

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