ol Donyo Lodge
Luxury lodge · Tsavo West, Chyulu Hills on Mbirikani Ranch, north-west of the park towards Amboseli · Great Plains Conservation
Top-end
Outside the gate
Safari company
The most expensive bed anywhere near Tsavo, in the Chyulu Hills on Mbirikani Ranch, which is owned by four thousand Maasai who take the revenue. Eight suites with rooftop star beds and Kilimanjaro in front of them, plus horseback safaris and waterhole hides, all inside a rate that already covers conservation fees.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Rooftop star beds under the open night sky
- Private plunge pool with every suite
- Horseback safaris for intermediate and advanced riders
- All-inclusive rate covers drinks, transfers and conservation fees
- Revenue supports a ranch owned by 4,000 Maasai
Cons
- From $1,590 a person, the priciest base near Tsavo
- Two-night minimum stay for the included air transfer
- No published minimum age for children
- Fly-in stay; the site describes no self-drive route
What's here
- Swimming pool
- Family rooms
- En-suite bathrooms
- Spa or massage
- Laundry
Arranged from the lodge:
- Guided walks
Read from ol Donyo Lodge's own website in July 2026. Anything not listed we could not confirm, which is not the same as it being absent.
What the park charges on top
The rate above buys you a bed. Tsavo National Parks charges its own entry fee for every day you are inside. Here is what that adds up to.
- Park entryThe non-resident rate, and East and West are ticketed separately.
- $80per person, per day
- VehicleKSh 600 a day for a typical hire car, roughly $5.
- $5per vehicle, per day
Three nights means three days inside, so two adults sharing one vehicle pay $495 in park fees before anyone pays for a bed.
A combination ticket covering both parks saves about $35 over two single tickets.
The full fee schedule for Tsavo National ParksRates at ol Donyo Lodge
From $1,590 pppn. Per person per night, all-inclusive: meals, drinks, activities, star beds, transfers and conservation fees are all in the rate, which is rare in Kenya and makes the headline figure less brutal than it looks.
What the rate covers is not confirmed. We do not know yet whether meals, drinks and activities are included, so read this as the bed only.
Every figure on this page is in US dollars.
Indicative 2026 rates gathered in July 2026 from operators' own rate cards and the official KWS tariffs. Watch the pricing basis: most Tsavo camps quote per person per night sharing, while Serena, the KWS guest houses and the self-catering bandas quote per room or per unit, so two sets of numbers are not directly comparable. KWS conservation fees are extra almost everywhere at $80 per adult per park per day, plus KSh 600 for a car under six seats.
Questions about ol Donyo Lodge
Is ol Donyo Lodge good for families?
Yes, for families wanting one unit together. ol Donyo has a two-bedroom family suite, the Sambu Suite, and the lodge's site says child rates are available on request. It does not publish a minimum age, so confirm that and the Sambu Suite's availability when you book.
What does the rate at ol Donyo Lodge include?
From $1,590 a person a night, the all-inclusive rate covers accommodation, scheduled activities including horseback riding, meals, the star bed experience, Big Life conservation fees, daily laundry, return road transfers from Chyulu airstrip, return scheduled-seat flights from Nairobi Wilson, and both non-alcoholic and alcoholic drinks, including premium spirits and champagne. A two-night minimum applies for the included flights.
Is ol Donyo Lodge good for a honeymoon?
Yes. Every suite has a private plunge pool and a rooftop star bed, where the lodge says you can sleep under the open night sky listening to hyenas and lions. At $1,590 a person a night all-inclusive, it is the most expensive base near Tsavo, on a ranch in the Chyulu Hills owned by 4,000 Maasai.
Can you self-drive to ol Donyo Lodge?
ol Donyo's own rate includes return road transfers from Chyulu airstrip and return scheduled-seat flights from Nairobi Wilson, served by Safarilink's Tsavo West route, which points to a fly-in stay rather than self-drive. The site does not describe a self-drive route, so ask Great Plains Conservation directly if you plan to drive.