Sasaab stands high on a rocky ridge in northern Kenya, on Westgate Community Conservancy land bordering Samburu National Reserve. From its nine canvas-sided suites the view runs across the Ewaso Nyiro River to the Laikipia Plateau, with Mount Kenya rising on the far horizon. Below them, elephants gather in the river to bathe and drink, close enough to hear from the suites.
Each suite opens to a veranda with a private plunge pool
The design answers the arid country in practical ways. Carved timber doors, high arches, tall roofs and open eaves work together to move air and hold shade through the heat of the day, a Moroccan and Swahili vocabulary uncommon among Kenyan safari lodges. Each suite opens to a veranda with a private plunge pool, its water sitting above a landscape where herds move along the riverbank and game crosses the plains below.
Sitting on community land rather than inside the national reserve, Sasaab can offer what the parks cannot. The days here reach well beyond the standard game drive, into night drives worked by spotlight and guided walks that follow the river. There are camel safaris too, and quad biking, and fly-camping under the open sky. Day trips into the reserve itself add the classic game viewing, within park rules that keep to daylight and marked tracks.
Sitting on community land rather than inside the national reserve
Samburu holds the wildlife of Kenya’s dry north. Here are the arid-country specialists, the Beisa oryx and Grevy’s zebra, the reticulated giraffe, gerenuk and Somali ostrich, all sharing the ground with lion, leopard, cheetah and buffalo, while crocodiles and hippos hold the river. Around 75 percent of the staff come from the local Samburu community, from the guides on the walks to the hands in the kitchen.
Tanya and Mikey Carr-Hartley are native Kenyans, and their family has worked in the country’s wildlife and conservation for generations. When they built Sasaab in 2007 they did so with a clear intent: a tourism venture rooted in partnership with the Samburu community on Westgate Conservancy land. That partnership still runs through everything here. It shows in the guides who lead the walks, in the food that reaches the table, and in the projects the lodge chooses to support, so that a stay and the community around it are bound together.
The suites run to more than 100 square metres each, an open-plan bedroom and lounge beneath a high roof, beside an open-air bathroom with twin basins and a large veranda. Some carry rooftop star beds for sleeping under the sky. Seven take couples and solo travellers, while two family suites hold interconnecting rooms for those travelling with children. Polished concrete floors, canvas walls that roll up to the view and light neutral finishes keep the heat at bay through the long, bright days.
Sundowners often gather at a rock outcrop as the light shifts across the escarpment
The dining draws on fresh local ingredients with a Moroccan influence, served in a souk-styled mess, at the poolside, or set out for a bush breakfast on the riverbank. Sundowners often gather at a rock outcrop as the light shifts across the escarpment. The main infinity pool overlooks the river, and SpaSaab brings its treatments to guests. Helicopters reach the more remote stretches of Kenya’s northern frontier, turning distant country into an afternoon’s outing.
Mornings might bring a camel walk or a drive into the reserve, afternoons a river walk or an hour beside the pool watching elephants move through the shallows. Cultural visits reach nearby manyattas and the Rhodia Mann Museum, which documents Samburu culture. In 2022 the lodge was awarded Global Ecosphere Retreat status by The Long Run, recognising years of work across conservation, community and culture, and marking Sasaab out among the places that give as much as they draw.
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accommodation
Nine suites in total: seven for couples or solo travellers and two family suites with interconnecting rooms. Each runs over 100 square metres, with an open-plan bedroom and lounge, high roof, open-air bathroom with twin basins, a private plunge pool and a large veranda. Some suites add rooftop star beds.
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activities
Game drives run in Westgate Community Conservancy and in Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves, with night drives, quad biking and fly-camping available only in the conservancy. Guided walks, camel safaris, spa treatments and helicopter excursions round out the stay. Day trips reach Samburu National Reserve for classic game viewing.
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conservation
Sasaab operates in partnership with the Samburu community, with roughly 75 percent of staff drawn locally. The lodge supports the Grevy's Zebra Trust, school lunch and scholarship programmes, and dental and eye clinics. It holds Global Ecosphere Retreat status, awarded by The Long Run in 2022.
Get in touch and let’s start the conversation. An initial consultation helps us understand what you’re looking for, whether that’s specific experiences, luxury touches, or marking a special occasion, and from there we’ll guide you through what’s possible so you can decide if we’re the right fit.
You fly from Nairobi's Wilson airport to an airstrip on the Westgate Community Conservancy in northern Kenya, about an hour to an hour and twenty by light aircraft, and the lodge meets you for the transfer up to its ridge above the Ewaso Nyiro River. We build the flights into your itinerary, and we can also fly you up by private charter, typically a Cessna Caravan or Pilatus PC-12, timed to your international arrival.
The bush planes take soft bags of around fifteen kilograms per person including hand luggage, so pack a duffel. The lodge borders the Samburu National Reserve, with Mount Kenya rising on the far horizon.
Yes. The Samburu country is hot and semi-arid, which keeps mosquito numbers down, but it sits well below the altitude at which the CDC and TravelHealthPro regard malaria risk as negligible, so antimalarial tablets are usually advised, with the risk higher along the river and after rain.
Because this is a health matter and guidance is reviewed regularly, please confirm the current position with a travel clinic or your doctor before you travel, and take the usual care against bites after dark.
This is arid country, and the lodge is designed for the heat, with high arches, tall roofs and open eaves that move the air. Days are warm to hot, nights milder than the highlands, and each suite has a private plunge pool for the middle of the day. The rains green the country and can muddy the roads.
Pack light, breathable clothes in neutral colours, strong sun protection and a hat, a light layer for early drives, closed shoes for the walking, and swimwear for the plunge pool. Binoculars for the dry-country wildlife along the river.
The dry months, June to September and January to February, give the strongest game viewing, as surface water retreats to the Ewaso Nyiro and the thin vegetation makes spotting easy. The long rains of March to May and short rains of November to December green the plains and bring the best birding, though the roads turn muddy at the height of the rains.
So the trade-off is between concentrated dry-season game and a greener, bird-rich but wetter landscape.
Because Sasaab sits on Westgate community land rather than inside the reserve, the days reach well beyond the standard drive: night drives worked by spotlight, guided walks along the river, camel safaris, quad biking and fly-camping under the open sky, none of which the parks permit. Day trips into Samburu and Buffalo Springs reserves add the classic game viewing within park rules.
The wildlife here is the arid-country set, the Beisa oryx, Grevy's zebra, reticulated giraffe and gerenuk, with elephants gathering in the river below the suites to bathe and drink. Around three-quarters of the staff come from the local Samburu community.
Yes. Two of the nine suites are family suites with interconnecting rooms, each with its own private plunge pool, which works well for families in the heat. The camel safaris, quad biking and river setting give children plenty to enjoy.
Walking, quad biking and some activities carry age limits, so tell us your children's ages and we will match the suite and the activities to your family and arrange a private vehicle where it helps.
rated five stars by our clients
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our approach
Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.
