Tsavo
Owned and operated by the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, Galdessa delivers something genuinely different in the Tsavo safari landscape - exclusive-use accommodation that's self-catering but fully staffed with a resident chef. Rebuilt in 2018 whilst preserving its 1980s old-world charm, the camp sits beneath doum palms on the Galana River's southern bank, 15km upstream from Lugard Falls and facing the Yatta Plateau (the world's longest lava flow, for those keeping score). Ten guests spread across five thatched bandas enjoy this remote slice of Tsavo East almost entirely to themselves, with barely another vehicle for miles around. The real draw? Foster parents of Sheldrick elephants get exclusive access to the nearby Voi Reintegration Unit, watching orphaned elephants take their afternoon mud baths alongside their wild cousins.
The main area sprawls beneath a high thatched roof, all driftwood beams and palm leaves blending into the Tsavo landscape. It's open-sided to maximise those Galana River views, furnished with comfortable seating where you can watch wildlife parade past whilst nursing sundowners. The design nods to Kenya's coast with its Galana stone floors and breezy atmosphere, helped along by gentle winds drifting down from the nearby Yatta Plateau. Meals happen wherever takes your fancy - the riverside dining area, under stars around the campfire, or at that secret spot where Mount Kilimanjaro appears on the horizon at sunset. There's Wi-Fi (intermittent) and mobile reception (patchy at best), though honestly you're here to disconnect. The camp runs on solar power, operates a water treatment plant and takes its recycling seriously - hardly surprising given the Trust's conservation credentials.
Five bandas scatter along the riverbank beneath makuti-thatched roofs, each elevated on wooden decks and spaced generously apart. Canvas walls and open verandas mean you're never disconnected from whatever's happening outside - elephants bathing, buffalo grazing, hippos wallowing. Inside, large beds draped with mosquito netting sit alongside lounge chairs, whilst neutral tones and natural décor keep things unpretentious. En-suite bathrooms deliver proper hot showers and flush toilets (some with outdoor showers for stargazing whilst scrubbing), handmade organic toiletries and private dressing areas. Solar lighting provides the ambience once darkness falls. The setup acknowledges that sometimes wildlife viewing works best from a horizontal position with a cold drink in hand. A sister property, Galdessa Little, sits just 100m downstream with three additional bandas accommodating six guests - both can be booked together for larger groups wanting total privacy.
Watching Eddie the resident wild bull elephant demolish doum palm fruits from your veranda beats most entertainment.
Request bush breakfasts by the river after morning game drives. The setting - with hippos grunting in the background and crocs sunbathing - transforms scrambled eggs into something rather memorable.
Self-catering means exactly that - you're responsible for bringing all your food and drink (though the Trust provides a comprehensive shopping guide and can arrange catering logistics if asked).
Discover the big cats, dust-red elephants and dramatic habitats of Tsavo East & West.
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