Finch Hatton's Camp, Tsavo West

Denys Finch Hatton was one of Kenya’s great adventurers. He devoted his life to exploring the wild in style. In his camp, dinner was served on fine china with silver and crystal, while the gentle strains of Mozart played in the background. Here in Tsavo, where he lived and died, this tradition lives on.

Finch Hatton’s, a privately owned and managed luxury safari camp, offers guests a unique opportunity to relive the golden era of the safari in absolute elegance, 5 star comfort, the finest cuisine surrounded by the spectacle of the great African wilderness. Finch Hatton’s lies at the heart of Tsavo West National Park, part of Kenya’s single largest game reserve.

The camp surrounds a natural freshwater spring, flowing through three crystal clear pools, with tents along the water’s edge Yellow barked Acacia Xanthophlea trees surround the tents. It is unfenced and wild. A wide variety of game has been sighted on the surrounding plains.

The springs are home to a resident pod of hippopotamus, which spend their days wallowing in the ponds and their nights grazing around the camp. Crocodiles and a healthy population of terrapins and monitor lizards also live here, and are often seen sunning themselves at the waters edge. Bird life at Finch Hatton’s is spectacular, with over 200 locally recorded species.

The Finch Hatton’s camp accommodates up to 38 people, in large safari tents with twin beds, en suite bathrooms, brass fittings, large mirrors, WC, hot and cold running water and showers. Each tent has a clothes rack, wooden Swahili chest, bookshelves and an antique writing desk. The tents have electricity, with shaver outlets for 110v and 220v, hairdryer and battery charger outlet for 220v as well as a fully stocked minibar fridge. All tents have panoramic views of the surrounding springs and forests, large deck balconies with chairs, tables and daybed.

Camp Facilities and Services

The camp has an elegantly appointed bar and restaurant and a comfortable private lounge. There is an extensive library of books and an excellent range of classic music – including Denys Finch Hatton’s favourite selections of Mozart. The bar is open all day, and pool service is also provided. Breakfast and lunch are served al fresco on the open-air terrace, with views across the springs and hippo pools, and beyond to the snow capped peak of Kilimanjaro. Dinner is a formal 6-course meal served in the main dining room. Our waiters dress in traditional Kanzu and Fez.

There is a gift shop selling a range of high quality books and gifts, and is open throughout the day. The ideally located pool has a shaded area and is surrounded by indigenous trees. Guests can enjoy a swim or just relax with their books before the afternoon game drives. Optional laundry service is provided and clothes are returned within 4 hours. The camp has its own 1200 by 30-meter airstrip, which can accommodate the scheduled flights by Safarilink or private air charter flights.