Satao Safari Camp Tsavo East

Satao Camp enjoys a unique setting overlooking a natural watering hole in the heart of Kenya’s Tsavo East National Park. Tsavo East, covering a massive 11,750 square kilometres, is Kenya’s largest protected area, and this camp acts as a true oasis in the semi-arid wilderness. With the capacity to attract up to 1,000 “red” dust-bathed elephants a day to its waterhole, the camp offers unparalleled wildlife viewing right from the comfort of your tent.

Satao Camp provides an authentic ‘Out of Africa‘ ambience. Far from the congested tourist routes, the camp allows guests to explore miles of open plains, bushy grasslands, and riverine forests in almost primaeval solitude, ensuring an unforgettable adventure where impeccable service meets the wild.

Location & Accessibility

Satao Camp is situated deep within the vast shrubland of Tsavo East National Park, ensuring a truly private and exclusive safari experience.

By Road

✓ Route from Nairobi: The drive from Nairobi is approximately 326 km (about a 7-hour drive) heading southeast via the main A109 highway
✓ Route from Mombasa: The camp is approximately 160 km from Mombasa, a journey that takes around 2 to 3 hours, travelling northwest along the A109 Mombasa-Nairobi Highway
✓ Park Entry & Access: The camp is located roughly 45 km inside the park from the Bachuma Gate, and about 50 km off the main Nairobi-Mombasa highway, taking you deep into the wilderness

By Air

✓ Satao Airstrip: The camp features its own all-weather airfield, making it an ideal and highly convenient destination for fly-in safaris
✓ Flight Connections: Flights can be chartered directly to the Satao Airstrip, with quick and scenic access from Wilson Airport in Nairobi or Moi International Airport in Mombasa

Accommodation

The camp boasts 20 authentic, spacious safari-style en-suite tents arranged in a gentle semi-circle to ensure every guest has a front-row view of the busy watering hole. Constructed from eco-friendly materials, the tents are beautifully nestled among 200-year-old tamarind trees.

Standard / Family Tents (16 Units)

Constructed with sisal and boroti poles topped with traditional makuti roofs for a rustic yet luxurious feel.

✓ Accessibility: Selected tents are thoughtfully designed and adapted with wheelchair access to cater to guests with disabilities
✓ Furnishings: Attractively furnished with locally made beds, unique African soft furnishings, and authentic antique writing desks
✓ Views: Private front patios with tables and chairs perfectly positioned for uninterrupted wildlife observation while ensuring total privacy

Luxury Suites (4 Units)

Positioned closest to the waterhole for the ultimate immersive wildlife viewing experience.

✓ Size: More spacious than the standard tents, easily accommodating extra beds if required for families
✓ Features: Upgraded, beautiful African beds, exquisite interior décor, and premium antique furnishings

Room Features & Amenities

✓ Single or double washbasins and flush WCs
✓ Private furnished verandahs/patios facing the waterhole
✓ Spacious slate floors with stunning wooden frameworks
✓ Traditional safari showers with hot and cold running water
✓ Authentic antique writing desks and storage racks with shelves
✓ En-suite bathrooms accessed via a wooden door or canvas zipper

Dining & Culinary Experience

Satao Camp prides itself on first-class cuisine complemented by genuine, warm hospitality.

Dining Settings

✓ Restaurant Lounge: Dinner is served in the inviting, open dining area from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
✓ The Campfire: After dinner, guests can relax and swap stories of their day’s adventures around the blazing campfire under the stars
✓ Tamarind Tree Lunches: Lunch is famously served al-fresco under the shade of a 200-year-old Tamarind tree, allowing guests to watch elephants bathe at the watering hole while they eat

Culinary Highlights

✓ The Bar: A well-stocked bar provides chilled alcoholic and soft drinks to quench your thirst after a dusty afternoon safari
✓ Breakfast: Upon returning from the early morning drive, guests enjoy a hearty selection of “Full English” and “Continental” breakfasts, along with fresh seasonal fruits

Lounge & Common Areas

✓ Open Lounge & Fire Pit: A comfortable, rustic space to relax between game drives and mingle with other guests in the evening
✓ Observation Tower: A towering, elevated vantage point perfect for studying animals that wander into the camp during the day or watching nocturnal wildlife at night

Experiences & Activities

Satao Camp offers an array of activities to explore the massive, 11,000 sq km classic savannah and acacia-dotted plains of Tsavo East.

Included / On-Site Activities

✓ Waterhole Viewing: Relax on your private patio and watch as herds of elephants, impalas, zebras, buffalo, and waterbucks visit the camp’s private oasis daily
✓ Birdwatching: An ornithological paradise with over 500 recorded species in the park. Guests can safely walk the campgrounds to spot hornbills, barbets, starlings, pearl-spotted owls, and the resident flock of colourful guinea fowl
✓ Game Drives: Early morning (6:30 AM) and late afternoon (3:30 PM) game drives in open 4×4 safari vehicles equipped with binoculars, guidebooks, and chilled drinks. Spot the “Big Five,” including lions, cheetahs, leopards, and Tsavo’s famous red elephants

Optional / Extra Activities

✓ Nature Walks: Guided walking safaris along the Galana River and sand rivers to discover medicinal plants and explore the primaeval solitude of the park on foot
✓ Sundowners in the Bush: A magnificent experience where guests are taken to a special spot to watch the sun slip behind the Sagala Hills. Enjoy a campfire, delicious bites, and sparkling wine or ‘dawa’ cocktails in the “magic light” of dusk

Facilities & Guest Services

✓ Child-Friendly: The camp warmly welcomes children and families
✓ Satao Airfield: Private all-weather airstrip for seamless fly-in access
✓ Accessibility: Specially adapted tents and facilities available for guests with disabilities
✓ Safari Vehicles: Fleet of custom, open-sided 4×4 vehicles driven by highly qualified Professional Safari Guides

Highlights of Satao Safari Camp & Nearby Attractions

✓ The Red Elephants: Famous for the massive herds of dust-bathed elephants that frequent the camp’s waterhole
✓ Lugard’s Falls: Spectacular white-water rapids, bizarrely eroded rocks, and basking crocodiles on the Galana River
✓ Aruba Dam: An 85-hectare man-made dam attracting huge numbers of water birds and a large resident pride of lions
✓ Mudanda Rock: A 1.5km whale-backed rock offering panoramic vistas, incredible photography opportunities, and a chance to spot leopards
✓ The Yatta Plateau: The world’s longest lava flow (290 km) formed over 11 million years ago, providing a breathtaking, never-ending backdrop to the park

Satao Safari Camp Tsavo East National Park Non-Resident Accommodation Prices

Full board accommodation only & Bottled water in rooms only

Notes

* Christmas supplement 50 US Dollars per person per day 
* Extra lunch (or packed lunch) charged 25 US Dollars per person
* Children between 2-12 years sharing with 2 adults would pay 50% of the adult rate
* Children between 2-12 years sharing with other children would pay 75% of the adult rate

Satao Camp Tsavo East Accommodation Rates Exclude:

* Laundry
* Game drives
* Park Entrance Fee
* All Beverages and drinks
* Community and Wildlife Conservation Fee 
* Bush Sundowner (40 US Dollars Per Person)
* Transfers (30 US Dollars each way per person)
* Game drives (40 US Dollars per person per game drive)
* Extra lunch (or packed lunch) charged 30 US Dollars per person

Satao Safari Camp Tsavo East Resident Accommodation Prices

Full board accommodation only & Bottled water in rooms only

Notes

* Extra lunch (or packed lunch) charged 3,000 Kenya Shillings per person
* Children between 2-12 years sharing with 2 adults would pay 50% of the adult rate
* Children between 2-12 years sharing with another child would pay 75% of the adult rate
* Christmas supplement 4,500 Kenya Shillings per person per day from 24/12/26 to 3/1/27

Satao Camp Tsavo East Accommodation Rates Exclude:

* Laundry
* Game drives
* Park Entrance Fee
* All Beverages and drinks
* Bush Sundowner (4,000 Kenya Shillings Per Person)
* Game drives (- Kenya Shillings per person per game drive)
* Extra lunch (or packed lunch) charged 3,000 Kenya Shillings per person
* Community and Wildlife Conservation Fee Adult/ Child – Kenya Shillings per person per night

Satao Safari Camp Tsavo East has 16 tents and 4 suites. The tent’s interiors are simply exquisite. All are attractively furnished with a unique African design. The suites are larger and positioned closest to the water hole.

Satao Camp tents are suitably designed & adapted to cater to guests with disabilities. The tents are large enough to accommodate extra beds. Each tent is constructed with sisal and boroti poles topped with a makuti roof and features an authentic antique writing desk, racks with shelves, and a private furnished patio.

The bathroom is en-suite and is at the back through a wooden door or canvas zipper. It includes a shower, slate floors with a stunning wooden framework, single or double basins, and a flush toilet.

The onsite restaurant serves local and international meals. Guests can enjoy their meals in the dining area or al-fresco under shaded trees. Guests can be served alcoholic and soft drinks in the well-stocked bar.

In the evening guests can relax and enjoy the atmosphere of Tsavo by swapping stories of the day’s adventures around the campfire or watching the animals by “night” from the observation tower.

Satao Safari Camp Tsavo East activities include; game drives, sundowners, bird watching, and visits to the Lugard Falls, Aruba Dam, and the seasonal Voi River.

Mobile: + 254-721-242-711
WhatsApp: +254-721-242-711
Reservations: +254 718-179-967
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://africanspicesafaris.com