From
$2,521
Tented Camp · Laikipia, Kenya
Sweetwaters Serena Camp
Ol Pejeta Conservancy,night drives, black rhinos, the last northern white rhinos on earth, and the full Big Five on the Laikipia plateau.
Ol Pejeta Conservancy covers 90,000 acres of open Laikipia grassland at the foot of Mount Kenya, and the list of things it contains that exist nowhere else in proximity to one another is long enough to be worth stating plainly. The largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa. The only place in Africa where you can see both black and white rhino in the same drive. The last two northern white rhinos on the planet — Najin and Fatu, a mother and daughter who live in a dedicated boma with round-the-clock armed protection, a species functionally extinct in the wild and surviving here alone. A chimpanzee sanctuary, established under the auspices of the Jane Goodall Institute, that provides lifelong refuge to chimps rescued from illegal trade across Central and West Africa. Night game drives, which are prohibited in Kenya’s national parks but permitted within the conservancy. And a natural waterhole at the centre of the camp, floodlit after dark, to which the surrounding wildlife comes to drink without being asked.
Sweetwaters Serena Camp sits at the edge of that waterhole — which is, in fact, the origin of the name. The camp has been here in its current form long enough for the acacia woodland around it to have grown into the kind of established canopy that gives the property a settled, rooted quality that newer builds cannot manufacture. Serena Hotels manages it with the operational consistency that defines the group’s East African portfolio: reliable, unshowy, comfortable and correctly focused on the experience outside the tent rather than the fittings inside it.
The thirty-nine tents are arranged on raised timber decks, distributed between waterhole-facing and garden-facing positions. What distinguishes Sweetwaters from the Mara’s tented camps is not the accommodation itself but the conservancy it sits within and the specific wildlife encounters it makes possible — encounters that are simply unavailable anywhere else. A black rhino approached on foot with a ranger. A night drive during which elephant, hyena and lion are all within reach of the spotlight. A quiet half-hour at the northern white rhino boma, watching Najin and Fatu move through the grass in the early morning light, understanding without narration what is at stake. These are not supplementary experiences. They are the reason to come.
Built around a floodlit waterhole at the foot of Mount Kenya, Sweetwaters Serena Camp offers night game drives, more black rhino than anywhere in East Africa, and exclusive access to the world's last two northern white rhinos.
Why Stay Here
- Floodlit waterhole views — wildlife visible after dark from camp.
- Rare night drives — legal nocturnal predator sightings in Ol Pejeta.
- Black rhino stronghold — East Africa’s largest sanctuary.
- Last two northern whites — Najin & Fatu, seen with specialist guides.
- Chimpanzee sanctuary — Kenya’s only, run by Jane Goodall Institute.
- Big Five guaranteed — lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, both rhino species.
- Mount Kenya backdrop — cool, clear Laikipia Plateau climate.
- Serena Hotels service — reliable quality, standout breakfasts.
- Laikipia positioning — pairs naturally with Samburu, Mara, or Nairobi.
- Walking & horse safaris — underrated Laikipia wilderness experiences.
Our Commitment to Conservation
Ol Pejeta Conservancy is a non-profit, with each guest night at Sweetwaters Serena directly funding rhino protection, anti‑poaching, and community programmes. The camp’s proximity to the black rhino sanctuary and the last two northern white rhinos makes its conservation impact tangible, reinforced by Serena Hotels’ sustainability standards across energy, water, and waste.
Rooms & Accommodation
The thirty-nine tents at Sweetwaters are built on raised timber decks and divided broadly between waterhole-facing and garden-facing orientations — the former with a direct sightline to the floodlit waterhole and the wildlife that arrives after dark; the latter with more privacy and deeper immersion in the acacia woodland that surrounds the camp. All tents are en-suite with indoor hot shower, flush WC and double vanity, with a private verandah for each unit and warm, unfussy interiors that prioritise comfort over decoration. The tent fabrics and timber decking are maintained to a standard that holds up to the Laikipia climate — cool nights, warm days, the occasional dramatic equatorial storm — without any of the dampness or deterioration that compromises less well-managed canvas properties. The Presidential Suite adds a separate living room and a bathtub, and occupies the camp’s best waterhole-facing position.
Standard King Tent
Spacious and inviting, these tents blend the charm of classic safari living with modern comfort. Each features a king-sized bed, an ensuite bathroom with single vanity, WC, and curtained shower. A private raised balcony offers elevated views across the conservancy, perfect for wildlife spotting right from your tent.
King or twin beds · Private verandah · En-suite bathroom · Hot shower · Flush WC · Daily housekeeping · Tea & coffee facilities · Mosquito netting
Standard Twin Tent Waterhole View
Blending safari charm with everyday comfort, these spacious tents feature twin beds and overlook the camp’s active waterhole. Each includes an ensuite bathroom with a single vanity, WC, and curtained shower. Ideal for quiet wildlife viewing from the comfort of your room.
King or twin beds · Private verandah · Waterhole or garden view (specify at booking) · En-suite bathroom · Hot shower · Flush WC · Daily housekeeping · Tea & coffee
Morani Deluxe Tent
Boasting views of Mount Kenya, the Morani Deluxe Tents offer a king sized bed, with one of the tents equiped to cater for the physically challenged and has wheel-chair access. Each tent includes an ensuite bathroom with double vanity, a WC and a glass-enclosed shower for added comfort
King bed · Separate living room · Bathtub & shower · Private waterhole-facing verandah · En-suite bathroom · Flush WC · Daily housekeeping · Tea & coffee
Experiences & Activities
Every moment at Sweetwaters Serena Camp is crafted to immerse you deeper in the wild.
Night Game Drives
Rare legal night safaris in Ol Pejeta; spotlight predators, elephants, and lions after dark.
Northern White Rhino Visit
Meet Najin & Fatu, the last two of their kind, under specialist guided care.
Black Rhino Tracking
Track East Africa’s largest black rhino population on foot with expert rangers.
Chimpanzee Sanctuary
Visit Kenya’s only chimp refuge, home to rescued individuals in semi-wild care.
Waterhole Hide
Ground-level hide at a floodlit waterhole; close, natural wildlife encounters all night.
Ready to plan your stay?
Our specialists are available 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Dining
The dining room at Sweetwaters faces the floodlit waterhole directly — a deliberate design decision that makes dinner a two-part experience: the meal on the table and whatever arrives to drink at the water below. Buffalo, elephant, bushbuck, warthog and the conservancy’s numerous nocturnal species use the waterhole throughout the night, and the camp’s kitchen is experienced enough to time its courses around whatever is currently making the wildlife-watching more compelling than the dessert menu.
Meals are full-board and served in the open dining room or, on occasion, as bush breakfasts taken in the field after an early drive. The cooking is straightforward and generous — a kitchen that understands its guests are operating on pre-dawn alarm calls, long drives and high altitude, and that the food should sustain rather than complicate. The bar runs into the evenings with the waterhole hide available as an after-dinner extension — a short walk from the dining room to a ground-level viewing position where the wildlife is within metres and the spotlight is yours to direct.
Gallery
Best Time to Visit
Ol Pejeta Conservancy and Sweetwaters Serena Camp are genuinely year-round destinations — the conservancy’s enclosed and managed nature means that game viewing is consistently productive regardless of season, and the resident wildlife populations are stable throughout the year.
The Laikipia Plateau’s altitude of approximately 1,900 metres above sea level produces a climate that is cooler and more temperate than the Mara or the coast: warm days, cold nights and — in the dry seasons — crystal-clear skies that deliver Mount Kenya’s peaks on the eastern horizon with a clarity that the cloud cover of the rainy months softens. The dry seasons from January to March and June to October offer the easiest driving conditions and the best visibility across the open grassland, and the long dry spell of July to October produces the most concentrated game viewing as water sources outside the conservancy diminish and Ol Pejeta’s managed watering points become increasingly magnetic.
The northern white rhino and black rhino populations are resident year-round, as are the chimpanzee sanctuary’s animals — making these Ol Pejeta-specific experiences entirely independent of seasonal timing. Night drives operate throughout the year. For guests building a circuit that combines Sweetwaters with the Maasai Mara’s Great Migration, July to October aligns both destinations at their peak simultaneously.
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Location & Getting Here
Destination
Laikipia, Kenya
Conservation Area
Ol Pejeta Conservancy · Laikipia Plateau
Nearest Airstrip
Nanyuki Airstrip (~30 min drive)
Transfer Time
Just 3.5 hours by road from Nairobi, or 45 minutes by air.
Getting Here
Equatorial Sweetwaters Serena Camp—3.5 hrs from Nairobi or 45 mins by air, with Mount Kenya views.
Safaris That Include This Lodge
Explore handcrafted itineraries where Sweetwaters Serena Camp forms part of the journey.
