From
$1,450
Luxury Lodge · Amboseli, Kenya
Tawi Lodge
In the shadow of Kilimanjaro, where the elephants outnumber the clouds
Tawi Lodge
At the foot of Africa’s highest mountain, where the snowmelt of Kilimanjaro feeds the swamps and the elephants number in the hundreds, Tawi Lodge keeps its own quiet counsel. Set within its own 3,000-acre Kilitome Conservancy on the edge of Amboseli National Park, this eco-award-winning lodge has been welcoming guests since 2009 with a philosophy that is as elegant as the landscape it inhabits: unpretentious comfort, traditional East African hospitality, and a profound respect for the land.
The lodge’s architecture speaks the language of its surroundings — timber, stone and thatch in the classic safari vernacular, housing a two-storey main building of four lounges, a dining room and two bars, all open to views of the plains and the mountain beyond. Individual stone cottages are scattered through beautifully landscaped gardens, each one a private sanctuary with its own veranda, fireplace and soaker bathtub from which Kilimanjaro can be watched as she shifts and breathes through the day’s changing light.
What sets Tawi Lodge apart is its natural theatre. The resident waterhole draws a cast of hundreds: elephant herds that move like slow rivers across the volcanic soil, giraffe towers that materialise from nowhere, zebra, kudu, impala and warthog moving through the lodge’s gardens as though the humans were the guests of honour. Game viewing here requires no vehicle. Pull a chair to the pool terrace, order a cold Tusker, and let Africa come to you. When the wilderness calls, Tawi’s expert guides are ready — with game drives into Amboseli and the private conservancy, night drives, bush walks, camel rides and fly camping under the equatorial stars.
A multi-award-winning eco lodge on a private 3,000-acre conservancy beneath Africa's highest mountain — where elephants roam the waterhole and Kilimanjaro frames every view.
Why Stay Here
- Private 3,000-acre Kilitome Conservancy — exclusive game driving and walking rights away from park crowds
- Uninterrupted Kilimanjaro views from every cottage, the pool terrace and the dining room
- Resident waterhole with elephant herds, giraffe, zebra and kudu viewable from poolside
- Night game drives available — a rare privilege in the Amboseli ecosystem
- Eco-award-winning lodge with Ecotourism Kenya Gold Certification — 100% solar and water-efficient operations
- Camel safaris and fly camping — unique activities not offered at most Amboseli properties
- Wheelchair-accessible cottage available — one of the few genuinely accessible lodges in the Amboseli ecosystem
Our Commitment to Conservation
Tawi Lodge holds Ecotourism Kenya's Gold Certification — the country's highest eco-accreditation. The lodge operates entirely on solar power with a generator backup, uses water-efficient systems throughout, and has eliminated single-use plastics. Conservation and community commitments include active support for Maasai landowners in the Kilitome Conservancy and partnership with local wildlife monit
Rooms & Accommodation
Tawi Lodge’s individual stone cottages are designed for the pleasures of stillness. Each one faces the plains and Kilimanjaro, with a wide private veranda furnished with directors’ chairs and sunbeds from which the mountain can be watched through the morning mist, through the blazing midday heat, and through the long, slow amber of the afternoon. Inside, the design is warmly contemporary — classic safari materials of timber and thatch, combined with deep armchairs, a king bed with luxury linens, and a fireplace that transforms cool Amboseli evenings into something approaching perfect.
The bathroom is a particular pleasure: cavernous and light-filled, with a soaker bathtub positioned to catch the view, a rainfall shower, and double vanities. Every room includes a large lockable wooden chest for valuables, complimentary filtered drinking water, and the attentive service of a team that takes personal pride in the quiet details. A wheelchair-accessible cottage is available, ensuring that this corner of the Amboseli ecosystem is open to all.
Standard Cottage
Stone-and-thatch cottage with private veranda, king bed, fireplace, soaker bathtub, rainfall shower and unobstructed Kilimanjaro views. The quintessential Tawi experience.
• Private veranda with directors' chairs and sunbeds, Kilimanjaro view
• King-size bed with luxury linens
• Fireplace
• Soaker bathtub with garden/mountain view
• Rainfall shower
• Double vanities
• Large lockable wooden chest for valuables
• Spacious hanging cupboards
• Complimentary filtered drinking water
• In-room safe
• Tea and coffee tray — delivered to your cottage at sunrise
• Ceiling fan
Family Cottage
Two interconnecting rooms sharing a veranda, ideal for families. Children are fully catered for with dedicated activities and childminding arrangements.
• Private veranda with directors' chairs and sunbeds, Kilimanjaro view
• King-size bed with luxury linens
• Fireplace
• Soaker bathtub with garden/mountain view
• Rainfall shower
• Double vanities
• Large lockable wooden chest for valuables
• Spacious hanging cupboards
• Complimentary filtered drinking water
• In-room safe
• Tea and coffee tray — delivered to your cottage at sunrise
• Ceiling fan
Experiences & Activities
Every moment at Tawi Lodge is crafted to immerse you deeper in the wild.
Day & Night Game Drives
Explore Amboseli National Park and Tawi's exclusive Kilitome Conservancy with expert guides who have spent years reading the rhythms of this landscape. Morning drives catch the light when Kilimanjaro glows gold above the plains; afternoon drives stretch into dusk for the drama of predator activity
Camel Rides
A uniquely Amboseli experience. Ride through the bush on camelback, surveying the landscape from a new vantage point and encountering wildlife at an unhurried pace. An unforgettable alternative perspective on the Amboseli ecosystem, beloved by returning guests and first-timers alike.
Waterhole Wildlife Viewing
Tawi Lodge's most beloved daily ritual requires no vehicle at all. The lodge's resident waterhole draws a constant parade of elephants, giraffe, zebra, impala, kudu and warthog throughout the day. Settle into a poolside chair with a drink in hand and let Africa come to you.
Bush Breakfast & Sundowners
Your guide will choose a spot out on the game drive for a coffee-and-biscuit stop as the day warms, returning to camp for a full brunch on the lodge deck beneath towering acacia trees. Afternoons close with sundowners in the conservancy as the sky turns amber behind Kilimanjaro
Dining
Tawi Lodge’s kitchen has earned a quiet but devoted reputation among returning guests — one of the finest kitchens in the Amboseli ecosystem, with meals that are at once nourishing and creative, firmly rooted in Kenyan produce and prepared with the kind of care that suggests the chefs know these guests have come a long way and deserve a great deal.
The day’s rhythm is built around food. A tray of hot tea and coffee is delivered to your cottage at sunrise, a warm preparation for the early game drive. Out in the conservancy, your guide will find a spot for a bush coffee-and-biscuits stop as the morning opens up. Back at the lodge, a generous brunch awaits on the open deck beneath the spreading acacias, where the waterhole is usually busy. Afternoons bring high tea before the game drive, and evenings close with three-course dinners in the dining room or on the terrace — fresh menus daily, with thoughtful options for vegetarians and all dietary requirements handled with quiet grace.
Both bars — indoors and on the terrace — are stocked with a considered selection of spirits, wines and cold Kenyan beer. Dinner under the stars, around a bush fire, is available on request.
Gallery
Best Time to Visit
Amboseli rewards visitors throughout the year, but the character of each season shapes a different experience entirely.
The dry season from June through October is the prime wildlife window. Vegetation is sparse, animals concentrate around the swamps and waterhole, and Kilimanjaro — freed from the afternoon cloud that builds in the rains — performs at her most spectacular. July through September brings the elephant breeding herds in full force: these are the months when the great matriarchs lead their families to the swamps in their hundreds, creating scenes of natural spectacle that have made Amboseli one of Africa’s most celebrated destinations. Predator sightings intensify as prey animals cluster around permanent water.
January and February offer the dry conditions of the short dry season following the short rains, with excellent visibility, warm temperatures and the lightest tourist volumes of any prime-wildlife month. This is a particularly rewarding time for birdwatchers — migratory species are still present from their November arrivals.
The long rains of April through June transform the ecosystem into a vivid green landscape of extraordinary beauty. The air is clean, the light impossibly soft, rates are at their lowest, and the private Kilitome Conservancy — with its exclusive game driving rights away from park traffic — ensures that wildlife encounters are as intimate as ever. A journey to Tawi in the green season is for the discerning traveller who values solitude and a different kind of splendour.
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Rates & Seasons
Rates are per person per night and inclusive of accommodation and meals as specified. All rates in USD.
| Season | Per Person Sharing | Single Supplement |
|---|---|---|
| Jul-Oct (High Season) | $650 | $300 |
| Aug-Sept, Christmas, New Year (Peak Season) | $800 | $400 |
| Nov, Jan-Mar (Mid-season) | $450 | $200 |
| Apr-Jun (Green Season) | $350 | $160 |
* Rates subject to change. Conservation fees may apply. Please enquire for current availability.
Location & Getting Here
Destination
Amboseli, Kenya
Conservation Area
Kilitome Conservancy / Amboseli National Park
Nearest Airstrip
Tawi Lodge Private Airstrip (on-site) or Amboseli Airstrip (ASV)
Transfer Time
45–60 min by scheduled or charter flight from Wilson Airport, Nairobi. 5 min drive from Tawi's private air
Getting Here
Daily scheduled flights from Wilson Airport (WIL) to Amboseli operate with Safarilink and AirKenya. Private charter from JKIA direct to Tawi's airstrip is available. Road access via Nairobi–Namanga–Kimana or via Mombasa Road and Emali. SGR train to Emali, then lodge transfer (pre-arranged), is a scenic overland alternative.
Safaris That Include This Lodge
Explore handcrafted itineraries where Tawi Lodge forms part of the journey.
