Elephants come to drink at the waterhole in front of the tents, stained red by Tsavo’s volcanic soil and close enough to watch from the dining terrace. After dark the water is floodlit, and lions arrive. Their calls carry back to the canvas at night. Beyond the water lies an open plain of acacia and doum palms, the Kitani area of Tsavo West National Park, Kenya.
Their calls carry back to the canvas at night.
Octagonal canvas tents stand under high thatch, arranged in a wide arc so that each veranda faces the plain rather than the tent next door. Behind them the Kenbali Spa sets its treatment rooms into the bush. After dark, Maasai warriors walk guests between tent, restaurant and spa. Kilaguni airstrip is nearby, Finch Hattons around thirty minutes away.
Rudolf Schulte, an entrepreneur from the Sauerland, first travelled to Kenya in 1968. He bought land at Bamburi Beach near Mombasa, and the retreat he built there opened to guests in 1972. His son Severin took on the old Kitani Bandas site, and the camp was built in 100 days.
Evenings end at the campfire circle set in front of the water.
Sebastian Severin Schulte, the third generation, followed into the business, and the camp has stayed in family hands ever since. Léon Noordermeer and Sylvia Rasemann ran it on the ground from 2018. Evenings end at the campfire circle set in front of the water. Dinner is highland beef on hot stones at the Out of Africa restaurant, where the kitchen draws on the camp’s organic garden and the Thorn Tree Bar overlooks the water.
Tsavo West is volcanic country, and the Shetani lava flow spills black across the red earth an easy drive from camp, with Chaimu crater rising nearby. Not far from the tents, Mzima Springs pushes clear water up through the lava. Hippos and crocodiles drift past the glass of the underwater viewing chamber there. From Roaring Rocks and Poacher’s Lookout the ground falls away far enough to show how far the plains run, and sundowners at the lookout come with Kilimanjaro on the western horizon.
Everything inside the park runs to Kenya Wildlife Service rules and with its rangers. Morning and afternoon drives go out in open 4x4s with experienced resident guides, and night drives, worked in coordination with KWS, pick out leopards, genets and bushbabies in the spotlight beam. On foot there is a choice, an hour with a resident Maasai warrior reading tracks and the uses of local plants, or four hours of volcanic country with an armed KWS ranger. Bush breakfasts, lunches and candlelit dinners are set up in the open on request.
Hippos and crocodiles drift past the glass of the underwater viewing chamber there.
Canvas and thatch do most of the work here. The tents are screened for airflow rather than air-conditioned, and furnished in hand-carved hardwood and earth-toned fabric. The central lounge is open-sided and high-lofted, with the campfire circle set in front of the water, and at the Kenbali Spa treatment rooms and wooden decks surround an infinity pool. Dawn on a clear morning brings the snow on Kilimanjaro into view. At night the Milky Way stands over the plain, and hurricane lamps mark the paths between the tents.
A biological treatment plant cleans greywater and kitchen wastewater to a standard fit for irrigating the grounds. Hot water comes from solar thermal panels combined with heat recovered from the generators. Single-use plastics are out, and the tents carry refillable bottles. Guests curious about how any of it works can be shown the filtration and solar systems on a walk behind the scenes.
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accommodation
Twenty-seven tents and suites. Twenty-one luxury tents stand under thatch, with en-suite bathrooms, private verandas and safari chairs. Four stone Junior Suites are named for park landmarks, each with a courtyard and outdoor shower, and two suites, Kibo and Mawenzi, add corner baths and raised observation decks. Beds sit under mosquito netting.
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activities
Morning and afternoon game drives in open 4x4s with experienced guides, plus night drives run in coordination with Kenya Wildlife Service inside Tsavo West. Walks go out with a resident Maasai warrior or an armed KWS ranger. Excursions reach Mzima Springs, Shetani lava flow, Chaimu crater, Roaring Rocks and Poacher's Lookout for sundowners.
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conservation
Since 2013, Skills for Kenya has given certified technical and hospitality training to young Kenyans. The non-profit helps fund the Severin Craftsman Training Center in Mombasa, and its graduates work in the camp's kitchens, workshops and engineering. Others have gone on to roles at the family's lodge on the Mombasa coast.
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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.
