SANCTUARY TAMBARARE CAMP – OL PEJETA CONSERVANCY – LAIKIPIA

Sanctuary Tambarare Camp offers an exclusive and luxurious safari experience within Kenya’s renowned Ol Pejeta Conservancy, combining elegant tented accommodation with one of East Africa’s most successful conservation landscapes. Part of Abercrombie & Kent’s Sanctuary Retreats collection, the camp enjoys a peaceful setting beneath mature fever trees overlooking the open plains of Laikipia, where exceptional wildlife, pioneering conservation and personalised hospitality come together.  The backdrop of Mount Kenya, Africa’s second-highest mountain, can be glimpsed on clear mornings and evenings.

Sanctuary Tambarare has direct access to Ol Pejeta Conservancy’s outstanding game viewing, including the opportunity to see both black and southern white rhinoceros, the world’s last two remaining northern white rhinos and the largest population of endangered black rhino in East Africa. Together with excellent guiding and a wide range of safari activities, the camp offers an immersive experience within one of Kenya’s most important wildlife reserves.

LOCATION

Sanctuary Tambarare Camp is situated within the 90,000-acre Ol Pejeta Conservancy, close to the foothills of Mount Kenya in central Kenya’s Laikipia region. Access is via scheduled or private charter flights from Nairobi to Kamok airstrip followed by a short game drive transfer to camp.

THE CAMP

Sanctuary Tambarare Camp has been carefully designed to blend naturally into its surroundings while providing a high level of comfort in an intimate safari setting.

The camp has just ten spacious luxury tents, each positioned beneath indigenous trees to maximise privacy while overlooking the surrounding bush. Inspired by classic East African safari camps, the accommodation combines natural materials, canvas and timber with contemporary furnishings to create elegant yet relaxed interiors.

Each tent includes a generous bedroom with either king-size or twin beds, a comfortable sitting area, en-suite bathroom and a private veranda where you can enjoy uninterrupted views across the conservancy. Large mesh windows and canvas panels invite cooling breezes into the accommodation while maintaining a close connection with the surrounding wildlife.

The camp also has a two-bedroom, two bathroom villa which is ideal for families. It has super king-size beds, floor-to-ceiling views of the landscape, a spacious private lounge, and a dining area where meals can be served.

The central guest area offers welcoming indoor and outdoor lounges, an elegant dining space, and a swimming pool overlooking the plains. Freshly prepared cuisine showcases local ingredients wherever possible, while attentive service creates an atmosphere that is both refined and informal.

Evenings are often spent around the campfire beneath clear African skies, sharing stories of the day’s wildlife sightings before retiring to the comfort of the tents.

ACTIVITIES AND WILDLIFE 

The Ol Pejeta Conservancy is internationally recognised for its pioneering approach to wildlife conservation, balancing the protection of endangered species with sustainable tourism, livestock management and community development.

Ol Pejeta supports one of the highest densities of wildlife in Kenya outside the Maasai Mara, while carefully managing visitor numbers to maintain an uncrowded safari experience. The conservancy also serves as an important wildlife corridor linking the surrounding protected areas across the wider Laikipia ecosystem.

Game drives provide opportunities to encounter all members of the Big Five, including healthy populations of lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and both black and white rhinoceros. The conservancy also supports cheetah, African wild dog, spotted hyaena, giraffe, Grevy’s zebra, plains zebra, Jackson’s hartebeest, eland, impala and numerous smaller antelope species.

Visits to the northern white rhino enclosure provide a unique opportunity to learn about one of the world’s most significant conservation programmes, while guided visits to the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary offer an insight into the care and rehabilitation of rescued chimpanzees.

Guided bush walks allow guests to appreciate the smaller details of the ecosystem, from animal tracks and medicinal plants to insects and birdlife, while accompanied by experienced guides.

Night drives reveal a different side of the conservancy, with opportunities to encounter aardwolf, genet, civet, porcupine and other nocturnal species rarely seen during daylight hours.

Birdwatchers will find Ol Pejeta particularly rewarding, with more than 300 recorded species including raptors, hornbills, rollers, bee-eaters and numerous migratory birds depending on the season.

Bush breakfasts, sundowners and private dining experiences complete the safari, allowing guests to experience the changing moods of Laikipia from dawn until long after sunset.

CONSERVATION AND COMMUNITY

Conservation lies at the heart of every stay at Sanctuary Tambarare Camp. Ol Pejeta Conservancy has become one of Africa’s leading conservation success stories, protecting endangered wildlife while demonstrating how tourism can directly support both nature and local communities.

The conservancy is home to the largest population of eastern black rhinoceros in East Africa and provides sanctuary for the world’s last two remaining northern white rhinos under round-the-clock protection. It also operates one of Kenya’s most successful anti-poaching programmes and supports extensive wildlife research, veterinary care and habitat management.

Ol Pejeta is also the only place in Kenya where visitors can meet rescued chimpanzees at the Sweetwaters Chimpanzee Sanctuary, established in partnership with the Jane Goodall Institute. The sanctuary provides lifelong care for chimpanzees rescued from illegal wildlife trafficking.

Community development forms another important aspect of the conservancy’s work, with tourism revenues supporting local schools, healthcare, water projects, employment opportunities and sustainable agriculture across neighbouring communities.

Guests staying at Sanctuary Tambarare Camp therefore make a direct contribution towards the long-term protection of both wildlife and local livelihoods.

SANCTUARY TAMBARARE IS OPEN ALL YEAR ROUND

THE CAMP WELCOMES FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN OF ALL AGES AND HAS A TWO BEDROOMED, TWO BATHROOMED VILLA