Tsavo West Special Campsites
Undeveloped exclusive-use campsites · Tsavo West, seven sites: Kudu, Little Royal, Simba, Palm Tree, Maji ya Chumvi, Kichwa Tembo and Pipeline · Kenya Wildlife Service
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Budget
Inside the park
Park-run (KWS)
Seven undeveloped sites scattered across Tsavo West, each taken for exclusive use by one party at a time. There are no facilities of any kind, the reservation runs through the park warden with a weekly site fee on top, and you carry your own water, fuel and food.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Seven sites, more than anywhere else in Tsavo
- Exclusive use: your party has the site alone
- Birding and walking both listed as activities
- Two airstrips nearby: Kamboyo or Kilaguni
- Spread right across Tsavo West's different corners
Cons
- Completely undeveloped: no water, toilet or shade structure
- Non-refundable KSh 10,000 per week reservation fee per site
- Conservation fees of $80 per adult per day extra
- Must book ahead through the park warden directly
What's here
- Campsite
Arranged from the lodge:
- Guided walks
- Birding
Read from Tsavo West Special Campsites'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 Tsavo West Special Campsites
From $35 pppn. Camping fee per person per night: $35 adult and $20 child for non-residents, KSh 250 and 200 for East African citizens, KSh 350 and 250 for Kenya residents. Add a non-refundable KSh 10,000 per week reservation fee per site, plus conservation fees.
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 Tsavo West Special Campsites
How much does it cost to camp at the Tsavo West Special Campsites?
Camping at any of the seven sites, Kudu, Little Royal, Simba, Palm Tree, Maji ya Chumvi, Kichwa Tembo or Pipeline, costs $35 a night for a non-resident adult and $20 for a child, or KSh 250 and 200 for East African citizens and KSh 350 and 250 for Kenya residents. A non-refundable KSh 10,000 reservation fee per site per week and the usual conservation fee come on top.
How do you book the Tsavo West Special Campsites?
All seven sites, Kudu, Little Royal, Simba, Palm Tree, Maji ya Chumvi, Kichwa Tembo and Pipeline, are booked exclusively through the park warden in advance, more sites than anywhere else in the Tsavo Conservation Area. Each booking carries a non-refundable KSh 10,000 reservation fee per site per week on top of the per-person camping fee.
What facilities do the Tsavo West Special Campsites have?
None. All seven sites are completely undeveloped, with no water, toilet or shade structure provided. You need to carry your own water, fuel and food, and be entirely self-sufficient for the stay, wherever in Tsavo West you choose to camp.
Can you self-drive to the Tsavo West Special Campsites?
Yes, all seven sites are reached by road, with Kamboyo or Kilaguni as the nearest airstrips if you prefer to fly in and hire a vehicle on arrival. KWS's general park rules apply: gates run 6am to 6pm unless you are staying overnight, and the speed limit on park roads is 40 km/h.