Welcome to my review of Kipalo Hills safari lodge in Tsavo West, Kenya. I spent four nights here, hosted by Secluded Africa. The trip was a commission to write for Travel Africa Magazine and Adventure.com; I was not required to write this blog post but I’m doing it anyway! No one told me what to write; these are my honest views, and I don’t accept freebies or payment in exchange for positive coverage. All prices are correct at the time of writing.
The ranger jumped down from his gleaming scarlet tractor and walked round behind the tanker. Pausing for a second to check on the dozen or so elephants waiting less than 50 metres away, he turned the tap, and then climbed quickly back up to safety as his first customers began making their way to the bar.
If you’ve never heard an elephant drinking, it’s an impressive sound. There’s a loud sucking as the animal draws water up into its trunk, and then an echoey rush as the liquid is dropped down its gaping throat – like emptying a bucket into a well.
One elephant doing it is breathtaking enough, but seeing seven drinking side by side, so close you can almost feel the splashback on your face, while more wait behind for their turn – that’s not an experience you forget in a hurry.
“It took ten years to get the elephants to trust us,” whispered my host, Richard Corcoran, over the sound of splashing and slurping. “They used to wait until the tractor was gone, but now they come straight in as soon as the tap’s turned on.”
Introducing Kipalo Hills
This magical wildlife encounter is just one of many unique experiences on offer at Kipalo Hills, a remote three-star safari lodge in the Tsavo area of southern Kenya.
Perched on an escarpment overlooking the dramatic orange scrubland and rocky outcrops of Tsavo West National Park, Kipalo Hills is a true wilderness camp: off-grid, miles from the nearest town, a chance to fully disengage from the daily grind and connect with nature in the heart of the African bush.
But remote certainly doesn’t have to mean roughing it. With seven safari tents with ensuite bathrooms, one luxurious new villa with private hot tub, and a restaurant, bar and swimming pool, this is a place where you can touch the earth with one hand while holding a cocktail in the other, or fall asleep under wide starry skies, in a comfy hotel bed with crisp white sheets.
Introducing Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks
Much less visited than Kenya’s celebrity Maasai Mara, the vast area of Tsavo is a raw wilderness of dramatic landscapes and hardy wildlife. Carved in half by the Nairobi-Mombasa highway, Tsavo is made up of two National Parks: Tsavo East, on the east side of the road, and Tsavo West National Park, on – yes, you guessed it – the west.
Together they make up the largest protected area in Kenya – over 8,000 square miles (that’s 21,000 square kilometres or 4% of Kenya) of ancient volcanic lava flows, rocky outcrops, semi-arid desert scrubland, dense woodland, and miles and miles of vivid orange soil that wouldn’t look out of place on Mars.
Here, the climate cycles through seasons of long droughts interspersed with heavy rains, and life is challenging for both man and beast. Game viewing isn’t quite as over the top as it can be in the Mara, but there’s still plenty to see: with lions, leopards and cheetahs, wild dogs, zebras, buffalo, giraffe, many different types of antelopes, and more than 400 species of birds.
Tsavo is also famous for its ‘red elephants’, their skin permanently stained by the baths they take in the rust-coloured mud.
If you’re looking for a very different type of safari experience, or you want to get off the beaten track and see a new part of Kenya, Tsavo East and Tsavo West are great places to come.
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The Kipalo Hills and Mbulia Conservancy story
Kipalo Hills sits conveniently right between Tsavo West and Tsavo East National Parks, offering easy access to them both. It’s not actually in either park, but on community land – the Mbulia Conservancy.
The Mbulia Conservancy was set up in 2012 by Richard Corcoran, a born-and-bred Kenyan who has spent his career working in safari tourism. At that time, the land was mostly wild scrubland, with a few thousand people living on it, mostly subsistence farmers and their families.
“Human-wildlife conflict was a big problem,” Richard told me, as we sat in the shade of Kipalo Hills’ comfortable lounge area. “Elephants would come from the National Parks and destroy people’s crops, the people would kill the elephants or sometimes a farmer would get killed, it was a mess.”
To solve the problem, the Kenya Wildlife Service decided to build a fence between Tsavo West National Park and the community land, to keep the elephants out. Concerned what would happen to the wildlife trapped on the wrong side of the fence, Richard’s company, Secluded Africa, jumped in to lease the land and establish a conservancy – a community-managed wildlife reserve where people still live and farm (which is prohibited in the National Parks) but where wildlife is protected.
The fence was built, reducing human-wildlife conflict by up to 80%. But occasional ‘wildlife corridor’ gaps allow animals to move between Tsavo West and the conservancy, to access the water sources and mineral licks they need to survive.
That means that even though Kipalo Hills isn’t in a National Park you’ll still see plenty of wildlife around the lodge, from the elephants which come to the visit the waterholes, to the vulturine guinea fowl and rock hyraxes that search for food by the pool.
Secluded Africa and the Secluded Trust
Kipalo Hills is one of four lodges belonging to Richard’s company, Secluded Africa. The company’s ethos is in the name: secluded, private, off-the-beaten track properties that take you to the heart of the African experience.
More than that, though, this is one of the first places I’ve stayed where terms like ‘giving back’, ‘supporting local communities’, and ‘responsible travel’ aren’t just buzzwords, they are at the heart of everything they do.
$60 a day from your room rate goes directly in the Secluded Wildlife and Community Trust, the company’s non-profit arm. Topped up by donations, grants, and money from the founders’ own pockets, this money supports local communities and conservation projects in the areas around the lodges.
At Kipalo Hills, the money funds a team of 13 rangers, who work day and night to patrol and repair the fence, find and remove poachers’ snares (and catch the poachers when they can), fill the waterholes every day, and many more tasks inside the conservancy.
The Trust also supports a host of community projects, such as paying school fees for dozens of the poorest local children, installing water tanks so people don’t have to walk for miles to collect water, training adults in skills like tailoring, mechanics and beekeeping, and emergency food handouts and medical care when things get tough.
You can read more about one of these projects in this piece I wrote for Adventure.com.
All this means that a stay at Kipalo Hills (or at any of Secluded’s Lodges) is not just a fabulous holiday for you, it also provides lifesaving support for the people and wildlife around Tsavo West. Now that’s what I call a win!
To me, this should be reason enough to visit, but you came here for a review of the lodge, so here it is!
Read more: Ethical Travel Photography: How To Capture With A Conscience
Accommodation at Kipalo Hills
Kipalo Hills is a small, tented lodge with just eight rooms, making it feel private and the service very personal.
Safari tents
Six of the rooms are traditional safari tents – this is where I stayed for the first three nights. But if you’ve never stayed in a safari tent, don’t worry! These aren’t like cramped camping tents – they’re more like hotel rooms with canvas walls, and the doors close with a zip rather than a latch.
All the tents at Kipalo Hills are a good size with double or twin beds, ensuite bathroom supplied with shower products, a small desk, and a private seating area in front from where you can enjoy spectacular views over the conservancy and Tsavo West.
In the bathroom you have a small toilet cubicle with a zipped door, and a ‘safari shower’. This is a simple shower system with just an on/off lever. The water is stored in a tank behind your tent and heated by solar power. When you want to take a shower, you simply ask one of the reception staff and the immediately come and pump the water (already heated to the perfect temperature) from the storage tank into another tank above your shower. Then you just turn on the tap and gravity does the rest!
These showers are perfectly good, but it does mean that you can’t control the temperature yourself, and you can’t have endlessly long showers – which is a good thing because Kipalo Hills has no water source, and all the water has to be brought in by tanker. Conserving water is really important here.
Electricity comes from solar panels hidden away at the back of the property. There’s a 4-way plug adapter in your room for charging all your devices (they use the square 3-pin plugs like in the UK). There was never a problem with the power when I was there.
Overall I’d say the standard safari tents are clean and comfortable, but they’re a few years old now and not the most luxurious safari tents I’ve ever stayed in. Of course this is reflected in the price, making Kipalo Hills a very affordable place to stay in Kenya.
There are also plans to upgrade and improve the tents soon.
The Rock Suite
As well as the six standard tents, Kipalo Hills also has the Rock Suite, a sort of tent/cabin hybrid under a large thatched roof. The bedroom part of the suite is inside the tent, but then you also get a shaded lounge area, a dining area, and when I was there they were also building a private plunge pool.
The Rock Suite can sleep four, so it’s good for families or couples who want a bit more space.
The Cliff Villa
I was also lucky enough to get to spend one night in the Cliff Villa, the newest addition to the Kipalo Hills line-up. This stone house is beautifully designed to blend into the environment, with interior decor in an African style with colourful art touches. There’s a huge bedroom, indoor and outdoor showers, a private plunge pool, and a massive terrace with stunning views over the surrounding landscape.
But the real star of the show is on the roof. Head outside and up a flight of stairs, and you’ll find yourself on a terrace with a shaded lounge area, more of those incredible views, and a double bed. Up here (weather permitting!) you can fall asleep under the stars to the sounds of the bush, and wake to see the dawn sky turning from pink to blue.
There was no way I was going to miss this, and it was one of the most magical things I’ve ever done – another Kipalo Hills experience that will stay with me for a long time. Even if you’re on a budget, I recommend booking at least one night in the Villa if you can, just so you can try it too.
Facilities at Kipalo Hills
I could talk about the all the things they have at Kipalo Hills to help make your stay more comfortable, but I won’t go into too much detail because you’ve already seen the photos!
Yes, there’s a swimming pool, where you can cool off after a hot and dusty game drive (but no gym or spa).
Yes, there’s a bar where they’ll bring you a cold beer or a G&T or even a Pimm’s, all included in the price of your stay.
Yes, there’s a huge open-sided restaurant and lounge area where you can enjoy a sunny breakfast or catch up on your social media (Wi-Fi is only available here and not in the rooms – but note that Kipalo Hills is remote and the Wi-Fi isn’t great. Consider this your opportunity to disconnect!)
But there’s really only one facility that I want to shout about, and that is… the waterhole.
Read more: Kenya Vs Tanzania: Travel Experts Decide
The waterhole
As well as several other waterholes dotted about the reserve, Kipalo Hills has its own private waterhole right by the lodge. It’s overlooked by a wooden deck with bar stools and deckchairs, so you can sit and watch as the animals come to you.
Like the other waterholes, it’s refilled daily, and one of my favourite things to do during my time in Tsavo West was to perch on a stool with my camera and a cup of tea (morning) or cold drink (evening) and watch to see who was about.
Mostly I saw elephants, who are regular visitors, and plenty of birds, but late one evening a leopard came to drink! There are also two packs of wild dogs who sometimes visit – the team showed me videos of them but sadly when I was there the dogs didn’t show. Yet another reason to go back!
As well as wildlife-watching, the views from the deck are wonderful. In front of you are the vast plains of Tsavo West and the rocky Ngulia Hills, and on a clear day you can even see Mount Kilimanjaro, 70 miles to the west – a particularly spectacular view in the late afternoon when the warm golden light makes the Tsavo red dust glow even brighter.
Read more: Wildlife Hide Photography Tips For Safari Photos Like A Pro
Food at Kipalo Hills
Despite its remote location and the fact that everything has to be brought in, the catering team at Kipalo Hills somehow manage to conjure up an impressive menu from their tiny little kitchen at the back of the property.
You’re woken with tea or coffee or cookies for a little sugar hit before your early game drive, and breakfast of fruit, yoghurt, granola, pancakes and eggs cooked to order is served mid-morning when you get back.
Lunch will either be packed (if you’re doing a full-day activity) or a fresh and healthy selection of grilled meat and salads, with options for vegetarians.
In the evening, head chef Daniel comes to the table to announce the menu to you – three courses including things like soup with home-baked rolls, steak or stuffed chicken breast (or a vegetarian option) and cheesecake for dessert.
Since Kipalo Hills is a small lodge and everything is freshly-prepared, they can cater to any requests or dietary requirements if you let them know ahead of time.
Activities at Kipalo Hills
Another advantage of this being a small lodge in a private conservancy is that you are free to do what you want, when you want. The team can make recommendations, but there are no schedules here. You can spend all day on game drives if you like, but if just want to chill by the pool, that’s fine too.
If you like to keep busy like me, here are the things you can do.
Game drives in the Mbulia Conservancy
Animals are free to roam around the camp, but there’s much more to see on a drive through the conservancy – from elephants and wild dogs (if you’re lucky) to warthogs, grumpy buffalos and hundreds of birds.
One thing you definitely shouldn’t miss is the activity I described at the start – going to watch one of the waterholes being filled and the elephants all coming to drink. There are few places in Africa where you’ll get as close to elephants as this, and it really is a sensational experience.
Because Mbulia is community land and not a national park, you can also do night drives, which are great for seeing nocturnal animals that you can’t spot during the day.
In general, however, I didn’t find the conservancy all that brilliant for game viewing. Apart from the elephants taking mud baths at the waterholes (which, to be fair, is a fantastic experience), it’s quite hard to see other animals as the bushes are pretty thick and you can’t go off-road.
We did see a pair of lions resting on the rocks by the Tsavo West National Park border fence, and several shy dik-diks scurrying away into the bush, but in comparison to places like the Maasai Mara or Ambroseli National Park, the wildlife is much harder to see.
Read more: Using The Canon R5 For Wildlife Photography: A Full Review
Wildlife drives in Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Park
You’ll have more success if you head to one of the national parks, either Tsavo West or Tsavo East.
Tsavo East National Park covers more than 5,000 square miles (13,000 square kilometres, nine times larger than the Maasai Mara), and is flatter, drier, and with sparser vegetation, making it easier to see wildlife. Key features to see here including the Tsavo, Galana and Athi rivers, and the Yatta Plateau, which at around 180 miles long (290 km) long, is the world’s longest ancient lava flow and the oldest fossilised lava flow on Earth.
Meanwhile, Tsavo West National Park is a bit smaller at 3,400 square miles (9,000 square km) and here the landscape is less open and more rocky. Here you’ll find the ancient volcanic Chyulu Hills, Mzima Springs, which with their clear waters are a haven for crocodiles and hippos, and the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary, home to 80 black rhinos.
Read more: 40 Safari Photography Tips For Stunning Wildlife Photos
When I was at Kipalo Hills, Richard and the team were investigating the possibility of offering overnight camping stays inside the Rhino Sanctuary, so this might be an option by the time you book.
Game drives in Tsavo East and Tsavo West can be half days or full days, but since distances are quite long I’d recommend going for the full day. The team will bring you a brilliant packed breakfast and lunch and take you to the most scenic spots to enjoy your meals, and then you’ll have much longer to explore the National Parks and enjoy taking photos of all the incredible wildlife.
Note that since they are National Parks, you can’t go off-road like you can in some of the conservancies.
Read more: What To Wear On Safari: My Detailed Safari Packing List With Photos
Conservancy bush walk and breakfast
another activity I loved doing during my stay at Kipalo Hills was a walking safari and breakfast out in the bush. We headed out early with Richard and two of the rangers, who were armed in case of close encounters with aggressive animals. Along the way, we stopped to learn about the plants and smaller creatures we saw, and how to recognise different animals from their tracks.
It was a great way to learn more about Kenya’s wild spaces, and to notice all the fascinating tiny details you usually miss when you’re driving around in a noisy car looking for big game like lions and elephants.
Read more: Hiking Kenya’s Beautiful Loita Hills On A Walking Safari
But that wasn’t all. At the end of our walk we reached a waterhole, where the Kipalo Hills restaurant team had set up a fantastic breakfast, with a wilderness kitchen where they made toast, eggs and tea over an open fire, alongside the usual fruit and granola. It was wonderful to enjoy an al-fresco meal right in the heart of the bush, and we even had the excitement of being approached by a curious elephant, who fortunately decided we weren’t that interesting and went peacefully on its way.
Visiting the community projects
What really sets Kipalo Hills apart from other lodges for me is their incredible support for their community, and you really can’t leave without seeing where some of the money raised through your conservation fee goes.
What you can see will depend on what’s happening when you visit – but the team are extremely welcoming and very happy to arrange a tour of the village or take you to see some of their projects.
When I visited, Tsavo was suffering from a terrible drought, and many farmers were desperate for food. So Richard and some of the rangers went to donate food parcels to the 20 poorest families, and I was able to go with them.
It’s very easy for tour operators to say they ‘give back’ without really doing much, so it was extremely moving to see the work the Secluded Africa team does. Talking to the rangers and to Boniface, the local community liaison officer, it’s clear they play a vital role in supporting local people, especially in times of need, and as a visitor it’s wonderful to know that your money isn’t just buying you an amazing trip, it’s also genuinely helping others.
Spending time with the rangers
If you want to learn more about the amazing team of rangers, another thing you can do is hang out with them. They’ll gladly take you on patrol, or you might even be able to go with them while they go looking for poachers’ snares.
Anything is possible; you only have to ask and if the Kipalo Hills team can arrange it for you, they will. They’re very open and happy to show off the work they do.
When is the best time to visit Tsavo West National Park?
The Tsavo area typically has two dry seasons, from June to October and December to March, interspersed with ‘short rains’ in November and ‘long rains’ between April and June.
The best time to visit is during one of the dry seasons, when it’s easiest to see animals as they gather around water sources, making them easier to spot. The dry weather also brings clear skies and more comfortable temperatures – and you’ll be able to enjoy sleeping under the stars in the Cliff Villa without fear of getting rained on!
That said, with climate change, and the weather becoming more unpredictable, there isn’t really a regular ‘dry season’ anymore. When I visited, they hadn’t had rain for 18 months!
Some people even prefer the wet seasons (April to early June and November) because there are fewer people, the landscapes turn from dusty orange to leafy and green, and you get lots of baby animals being born. However, during periods of heavy rain some roads may become impassable, so approach with caution!
It’s also worth noting that the ‘wet’ or off-peak seasons are much cheaper, so better for the budget-conscious.
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How to get to Kipalo Hills Kenya
By road: Kipalo Hills is located about 30 minutes’ drive off the main Nairobi-Mombasa highway, about 45 minutes from the nearest main town, Voi; three and a half hours from Mombasa or five to six hours from Nairobi. The main road is good, but once you leave the highway you’re on unsealed sandy tracks and the lodge itself can be a bit hard to find.
By rail: I travelled there by train which was easy and comfortable. The train left Nairobi main station at 8 am, and arrived at Voi at about midday. Kipalo Hills then sent a driver to collect me and two other guests, and drove us to the lodge.
By air: Many people also travel between different safari lodges in Kenya by internal flight. If you prefer to fly, Tsavo West has several airstrips and flights can be arranged – speak to the lodge or your tour operator to find out more.
Where else should you include on your Kenya safari?
As well as Kipalo Hills in Tsavo West, Secluded Africa have three other Kenya lodges:
- Instinct of the Mara in the Olderkesi Conservancy which borders the Maasai Mara
- Delta Dunes in the Tana Delta in north Kenya (currently closed)
- A beautiful boutique hotel called Cardamom House, on the beach near Mombasa
You could certainly do a lot worse than to do your full Kenya safari with Secluded, starting in the Maasai Mara, then heading to Tsavo West, and ending up with a few days relaxing on the beach.
Read more: Instinct of the Mara Review: Exclusive Wildlife In Kenya
The alternative might be to do it the other way around and start at Cardamom House. If it’s your first safari this might be a better order, because once you’ve experienced the intense drama of the Mara, the peace and quiet of Tsavo might feel a bit underwhelming.
Whereas if you go to Tsavo first, you will be amazed, and then the whole experience kicks up another gear when you get to the Mara.
But no matter what order you do it in, you are guaranteed an incredible trip!
Read more: Is Cardamom House In Vipingo The Best Beach Hotel In Kenya?
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My Kipalo Hills review: final verdict
As usual, this post has got rather long. Sorry for that – and well done for getting all the way to the end!
I think you’ll probably have got the message that I loved Kipalo Hills. It’s not the most luxurious of the places I’ve stayed in Kenya (though the new Cliff Villa is superb), and the wildlife viewing, while good, was not as spectacular as it is in the Maasai Mara or Ol Pejeta.
But what really made Kipalo Hills special to me is its heart.
So many places you stay can feel corporate or impersonal, but at Kipalo Hills (and at all of Secluded Africa’s properties), they really put people before profit, which as someone who tries to to travel responsibly, is hugely important to me. If we’re going to take long haul flights, we need to make sure that when we’re in our destination, we’re having a positive impact.
As Richard said to me, “I’m a firm believer in the saying ‘We did not inherit the world from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.’ We’ve lived and eaten off this land our whole lives. Kenya has been very good to me and my family, and now I want to give back.”
The name ‘Kipalo’ means ‘A place to return’ in the local Taita language, and I’m certain that’s what I’m going to do as soon as I get the chance.
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My favourite travel tools and brands
To help you organise your trip, here’s a short list of some of the brands and tools I use over and over again when I’m planning my travels. You can see more on my Travel Resources page.
- Booking.com: A huge range of hotels to choose from, often with free cancellation. If you book hotels regularly you can earn discounts. I’m on Genius Level 3 which gets me 20% off!
- Expedia: Another great place to find hotels and Expedia also sell flights, car hire, and loads more all in one place.
- Skyscanner: The only place I ever go to search for flights and compare prices.
- Flight Centre: Booking a more complicated route? Let Flight Centre organise it for you (and deal with the drama when something goes wrong).
- Priority Pass: I love having access to 1600+ airport lounges when I fly, allowing me to enjoy my time at the airport. Buy through my link and you get up to 20% off!
- Airalo: Say goodbye to ridiculous mobile roaming charges. Did you know you can now buy ane-SIM, install it in your phone before you leave home, and then use data abroad at local prices? Game changer. Get US$3 credit with code BELLA5735.
- TourRadar: If you prefer group travel and organised tours, TourRadar has a huge range of fantastic tours from respected operators. They’re very helpful and have 4.5 stars on TrustPilot.
- Viator: Part of the TripAdvisor brand, Viator is another great place to search for group adventures and day trips.
- GetYourGuide: A great place to find local tours and day trips in your destination.
- Wex Photo Video: The UK’s best camera gear store.
- Ellis Brigham: Looking for good quality backpacks, travel clothes and other gear? Ellis Brigham is where I buy almost all of mine.
- Rentalcars.com: Part of the Booking.com family and the world’s largest online car rental service, with 24/7 customer service.
- World Nomads Travel Insurance: I never ever travel without travel insurance and nor should you!
Where to next?
If you enjoyed this, why not try some of my other Africa and wildlife posts?
- Uganda Animals: The Amazing Wildlife of Uganda
- Seeing Wildlife In Uganda: A Murchison Falls Safari
- Visiting the Skomer Island Puffins in Wales
- Using The Canon R5 For Wildlife Photography: A Full Review
- Which Is The Best Botswana Safari Lodge? My Favourites With Photos
- Chobe Safari Lodge In Botswana: A Complete Review With Photos
- An Epic Uganda Itinerary In 2 Weeks
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