The luxury Finch Hattons safari experience

Come to Finch Hattons for a luxury tented safari experience complete with game drives, spa sessions and stargazing. The camp is named after Denys Finch Hatton of Out of Africa fame, who was one of the pioneers in high-end safaris. Once a big game hunter, many people don’t know that Hatton eventually swapped his hunting rifle for a camera and became one of the foremost conservationists in Kenya. Echoing the style of his original safaris, we’ve created a luxurious camp with fine dining and lavish tents, set on a 35-acre conservancy in Tsavo West National Park.

The location is very unique, our founder noticed its natural water springs while flying over the park and our 17 tents are all dotted around this key water source, each with plenty of privacy. The camp is unfenced, so wildlife is free to roam in and out, with animals visiting our springs to drink and bathe. Originally built in 1992, we refurbished and reopened in 2015 with a wellness focus and now boast the largest bush spa in East Africa with a hammam, infinity pool and open-air yoga deck. The redesign even earned us an award from Architectural Digest.

Tsavo is Kenya’s oldest and largest national park, once described by conservationist Daphne Sheldrick as having the greatest biodiversity on earth. We have lots of big cats, elephants and we’re one of the few places where you can see endangered wild dogs. The terrain is a rich mix of savannah, bush and rainforest in the Chyulu hills, which means the activities here are particularly diverse. As well as game drives, you can go on nature walks in the forest, climb dormant volcanoes and visit lava flows. My favourite thing to do is get up at dawn to see the cloud sea in the high-altitude Chyulu Hills.

While the Big Five experience and exploring Tsavo is a huge part of Finch Hattons, we designed the camp to have lots of spaces where you can simply relax and enjoy being in the wilderness. There’s a phenomenal viewing tower where guests can watch the sunrise and sunset, as well as a pool, stargazing deck and spa. On one side of the camp you get views of the Chyulu Hills and then on the other you’ve got the snowy peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro, which you can admire from the dining area at breakfast. It’s a real back-to-nature experience.

What sets Finch Hattons apart from other safari camps in Kenya is our team. Since we opened, 60 percent of our staff has been with us for at least 20 years, they’re our family. Many come from the surrounding community and were involved in building the camp, like our manager Jonathan. Guests speak very highly of our team and two out of every three people who come return for another visit. Your stay also helps us to support local schools and conservation work with partners like the Kenya Wildlife Service and Tsavo Trust.