Exclusive Use Safari Houses Kenya: 7 Best Private Villas With Your Own Guide (2026)

Breakfast is laid on the veranda, but only for you. Your guide is waiting by the vehicle, your vehicle, and asks whether you want rhinos first or a slow coffee by the pool. Down on the plains, a herd of zebra drifts past. Nobody else is booked into the house tonight. Nobody else will be.

Exclusive use safari houses Kenya offers are private homes in the wild, rented as a whole, with your own guide, vehicle, chef and staff. The best include Cottar’s Bush Villa in the Mara, Arijiju, Lengishu and Laragai on Borana, Sirikoi House on Lewa and the villas of Ol Lentille in Laikipia. Expect to book three nights or more.

Sense of Adventure is a Nairobi-based safari company at Mountain Mall on Thika Road, licensed by Kenya’s Tourism Regulatory Authority (TRA1/47/C01/77087). We plan luxury Kenya safaris and private Kenya safaris for families, friends and celebrations. This guide compares the houses we can verify, what exclusive really means at each, published rates, the people who run them and how to plan your stay.

✅ Exclusive Use Safari Houses Kenya: The Quick Answer

• Top pick overall: Arijiju on Borana Conservancy, a sculpted stone house for up to 10 with a pool, spa treatments included and rhino tracking.
• Best for couples: Sirikoi House on Lewa, three bedrooms with a private heated pool, guide and vehicle, ideal for two couples or a small family.
• Best for families: Cottar’s Bush Villa in the Mara, five bedrooms, a 25 m pool, children of all ages and a free nanny on request.
• Best value luxury: Laragai House on Borana, eight bedrooms for up to 16, so the cost shared across a big group drops fast.
• Best time to go: late June to October and mid-December to March, the drier months, with Laikipia good all year.

What Are Exclusive Use Safari Houses in Kenya?

Exclusive use safari houses Kenya hosts are private homes you rent as a whole, so the house, staff, guide and vehicle serve only your group.

Unlike a lodge, exclusive use safari houses Kenya hosts have no other guests at dinner, no fixed meal times and no shared game drives, unless a house says otherwise. You choose when to wake, where to eat and how long to sit with a leopard. Most exclusive use safari houses Kenya offers sleep 6 to 16 people and set a minimum stay.

There is an important catch. Not every property sold alongside exclusive use safari houses Kenya lists is private. Elewana Kifaru House on Lewa, for example, sells rooms per person with scheduled, shared game drives, and Lewa House is a group of cottages around a shared main house. Both are lovely, but they are not private.

Expert tip from our Nairobi team: always ask three questions before booking: is the guide only for us, is the vehicle only for us, and can anyone else be booked into the property? A true exclusive use lodge says yes, yes and no.

The Best Exclusive Use Safari Houses Kenya Offers in 2026

These are the exclusive use safari houses Kenya travellers ask us about most, all checked on their official websites in November 2026.

1. Arijiju, Borana Conservancy: Best Overall Private Safari Villa Kenya Offers

Why we love it: Arijiju is a sculptural stone house on Borana, with three suites in the main house and two cottages, sleeping 10. It has a pool and a spa where up to six treatments a day are included with the house. Of all the exclusive use safari houses Kenya has, it is the most architectural, and a private safari villa Kenya visitors rarely forget.

Best for: celebration groups, multigenerational families and design lovers. The moment you’ll remember: tracking black and white rhino with Borana rangers, then riding back across the plateau as the light turns gold.

Practical facts: activities include walking, riding, mountain biking, game drives, heli-fishing on Mount Kenya and the Ngare Ndare canopy walk. All ages are welcome, though babies under three are not recommended on drives. Guests fly to Borana Airstrip, about 10 minutes away. Published 2026 rates start from about USD 16,000 per night for the house for up to six guests (off-peak, plus conservancy fees), with a three-night minimum.

2. Lengishu, Borana Conservancy: A Family Safari House With Space

Why we love it: Lengishu is an exclusive-use house with six en-suite bedrooms for up to 12 guests, plus a children’s bunk room, a heated infinity pool and a gym. It is open year-round and sits on the same rhino-rich conservancy as Arijiju.

Best for: families with children and groups of friends. The moment you’ll remember: following rhino tracks on foot with a ranger, then a night drive back to the house for dinner on the terrace.

Practical facts: rhino tracking, day and night drives, riding, mountain and e-biking and in-house massage. All ages are welcome and under-fives stay free. Private charters land at Borana Airstrip, 15 minutes away; scheduled flights go to Lewa Downs, a 90-minute drive. Lengishu’s rates page lists whole-house rates from USD 14,000 for up to six guests in standard season, with a three-night minimum.

3. Cottar’s Bush Villa, Olderkesi Conservancy: Exclusive Use Lodge in the Mara

Why we love it: Cottar’s Bush Villa has five en-suite bedrooms sleeping 10, with a dedicated guide, an exclusive 4×4, a private chef, butler service and a 25 m pool, hot tub and treatment room. It gives access to the 7,600-acre private Olderkesi Conservancy on the Mara’s southern edge.

Best for: families, seniors and first-time safari groups who want the Mara’s big cats. The moment you’ll remember: a bush walk with a Maasai guide and an armed ranger, then a swim as the sun drops over the plains.

Practical facts: children of all ages are welcome, under-threes stay free and a nanny is available with notice. Children’s programmes include Mara Minibeasts and the Warrior School. Balloon flights are offered (no children under four), plus spa treatments and night drives in high season. Rates are on request, so message us for current rates.

4. Sirikoi House, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy: Small and Private

Why we love it: Sirikoi House is available on an exclusive basis only. It has a master suite and a two-bedroom cottage, a private heated pool, a chef and staff, and a private vehicle and guide. Lewa is one of Kenya’s great rhino strongholds.

Best for: honeymooners travelling with friends, two couples or a small family. The moment you’ll remember: a night drive on Lewa with your own guide, looking for aardvark and leopard.

Practical facts: children aged six and over are welcome. Lewa Downs Airstrip is about 50 minutes from Nairobi by air, then a 20-minute drive, and helicopters can land at Sirikoi. Rates are not published, so message us for current rates. See our Lewa Wildlife Conservancy lodges guide for neighbours.

5. Laragai House, Borana Conservancy: Best for Big Groups

Why we love it: Laragai House is an exclusive-use house with eight bedrooms that sleeps 16, with a pool and a tennis court. It is the largest of the exclusive use safari houses Kenya has on Borana, so it suits big family reunions.

Best for: celebration groups and large families. The moment you’ll remember: a long lunch on the lawn after a morning horse ride, with three generations around one table.

Practical facts: guided bush walks and one horse ride per person are included. Its rates page describes game drives as shared day and night drives, so ask us if you want a private vehicle. Under-fives stay free and the Borana child conservancy fee is listed at USD 110 for ages five to fifteen. Message us for current house rates.

6. The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille, Laikipia: Private Villas or the Whole Lodge

Why we love it: The Sanctuary at Ol Lentille sits on a 40,000-acre community conservancy in northern Laikipia. Its Boscia villa has three bedrooms for six, with a dedicated Maasai guide and 4×4, house staff and a plunge pool. You can also reserve the whole lodge, eight rooms for up to 16 adults and four children, for the price of 12 adults.

Best for: families and groups who want community conservation at the heart of their stay. The moment you’ll remember: a camel walk at dawn, then climbing Mount Lentille for the view north.

Practical facts: 2026 rates are all-inclusive in your own villa, with private day and night drives and walks. The community conservation fee is USD 145 per adult. A charter from Wilson takes about 50 minutes, then 15 minutes by road. See our community conservancy lodges guide for the background.

7. More Exclusive Use Safari Houses Kenya Offers

Borana also lists Sirai House as exclusive use for up to 12 guests in six rooms, though its own site gives few details. In Laikipia, the Laikipia luxury lodges guide covers lodges that can be booked out for groups. We confirm details directly before suggesting any of the exclusive use safari houses Kenya lists that we cannot fully verify online.

Exclusive Use Safari Houses Kenya Compared

This table compares the exclusive use safari houses Kenya travellers book most, with style, size and price band side by side. Price bands run from $ (simple) to $$$$$ (top end).

House	Setting	Style and size	Best for	Signature experience	Price band
Arijiju	Borana Conservancy, Laikipia	3 suites + 2 cottages, sleeps 10	Celebrations, design lovers	Rhino tracking, spa included	$$$$$
Lengishu	Borana Conservancy	6 bedrooms + bunk room, up to 12	Families, friends	Rhino tracking on foot	$$$$$
Cottar’s Bush Villa	Olderkesi Conservancy, Mara	5 bedrooms, sleeps 10	Families, Mara first-timers	Bush walks, 25 m pool	$$$$$
Sirikoi House	Lewa Wildlife Conservancy	3 bedrooms, heated pool	Two couples, small families	Private night drives	$$$$$
Laragai House	Borana Conservancy	8 bedrooms, sleeps 16	Big groups	Horse riding, tennis	$$$$
Ol Lentille villas	Northern Laikipia	Villas or whole lodge, up to 20	Families, community focus	Camel walks	$$$$$

📅 Check Availability at These Lodges

Exclusive use safari houses Kenya hosts take only one booking at a time, so the best weeks go early, especially at Christmas and in August. ✉ Send Us Your Dates on WhatsApp

The People Behind the Stay

The magic of exclusive use safari houses Kenya hosts comes from small, dedicated teams of guides, rangers, chefs and house staff who work only for you.

At exclusive use safari houses Kenya travellers love, your guide is the heart of the stay. At houses like Cottar’s Bush Villa and Ol Lentille, guides are often Maasai or Samburu men and women who grew up on the land and read tracks, weather and animal behaviour with ease. Because they are yours alone, they shape each day around your interests.

Behind them are chefs who cook to your tastes, housekeepers, drivers and the rangers who protect rhinos on Borana and Lewa.

Conservation and community fees are built into exclusive use safari houses Kenya conservancies host. Arijiju lists a Borana conservancy fee of USD 235 per adult, and Ol Lentille a community conservation fee of USD 145 per adult. These fees help pay for rangers, schools, health and land leases that keep wildlife areas open.

Expert tip from our Nairobi team: at exclusive use safari houses Kenya hosts, tell your house team about allergies, celebrations and special interests before you arrive. With only your group to look after, they can plan surprises a busy lodge never could.

Why Book an Exclusive Use Lodge?

An exclusive use lodge gives you privacy, flexibility and, for larger groups, surprisingly good value per person.

Privacy and Flexibility

At exclusive use safari houses Kenya offers, with your own guide and vehicle, you set the pace. Stay out all day with a picnic, come back early for a nap, or go on a night drive. Children can be noisy, teenagers can sleep in, and grandparents can rest by the pool.

Value for Groups

Rates for exclusive use safari houses Kenya publishes look high, but they are shared. For example, Arijiju’s published off-peak rate for up to six guests works out at roughly USD 2,700 per person per night before conservancy fees, with up to six spa treatments a day included.

A Family Safari House Done Right

A family safari house removes the stress of shared dinners and strict child policies. Many exclusive use safari houses Kenya offers welcome all ages, offer babysitters or nannies and run activities for children, such as Cottar’s Mara Minibeasts bug hunts and Warrior School.

Choosing Exclusive Use Safari Houses Kenya by Traveller Type

The right choice among the exclusive use safari houses Kenya has depends on your group size, ages and what you want to see.

• Honeymooners and couples: Sirikoi House for privacy and a heated pool; see also our best honeymoon lodges in Kenya.
• Families: Cottar’s Bush Villa or Lengishu, where all ages are welcome.
• Photographers: any house with a private vehicle, so you can wait for the light; Borana and Lewa for rhinos.
• Seniors: Cottar’s Bush Villa or Sirikoi, with short flights and gentle activities.
• Celebration groups: Laragai House or Arijiju for birthdays, anniversaries and reunions.

Weighing canvas against bricks? Our tented camp vs lodge guide explains the styles, and our horseback safari Kenya guide covers riding on Borana.

How We’d Plan It: 5 Nights, Two Private Houses

Most of the exclusive use safari houses Kenya offers pair well, so we often combine a Laikipia house with a Mara one.

1. Day 1: fly from Wilson Airport to Borana or Lewa and settle into Arijiju, Lengishu or Sirikoi.
2. Day 2: rhino tracking on foot, a picnic lunch and a night drive.
3. Day 3: horse riding or a helicopter outing, then spa time or a pool afternoon.
4. Day 4: fly to the Mara and move into Cottar’s Bush Villa.
5. Day 5: full day with your own guide, with a bush walk and a sundowner.
6. Day 6: balloon flight if you wish, then fly back to Nairobi.

Prefer a ready-made route? Our multigenerational family fly-in safari to Laikipia and the Mara starts from USD 4,400, and our 12-day luxury fly-in safari from USD 8,900, both on their trip pages. We can build any of these houses into a tailor-made trip, subject to availability. See also Masai Mara safari packages and Kenya safari from Nairobi.

Best Time to Book Exclusive Use Safari Houses Kenya

The best time for exclusive use safari houses Kenya hosts is late June to October and mid-December to March, though Laikipia is good all year.

• January–March: dry and warm; excellent in Laikipia and the Mara.
• April–May: the long rains; some houses offer lower off-peak rates.
• June–October: peak season and the Mara migration months; book a year ahead.
• November–mid-December: short rains, green scenery and quieter weeks.
• Christmas and New Year: longer minimum stays apply at some houses, such as five nights at Arijiju.

Our Kenya weather by month guide shows how the seasons affect exclusive use safari houses Kenya offers.

Getting There, Fees and What Is Included

Almost all exclusive use safari houses Kenya offers are reached by light aircraft from Nairobi’s Wilson Airport, with short road transfers.

Flights and Luggage

Lewa and Ol Lentille say they are about 50 minutes by air from Nairobi, and Borana is next door to Lewa. Light aircraft have strict soft-bag limits, so read our safari luggage weight limits guide.

Conservancy Fees

Private conservancies charge their own fees rather than KWS park fees, as shown above for Borana and Ol Lentille. If you add a national park, see our Kenya national parks entrance fees 2026 guide.

What Is Included

Most exclusive use safari houses Kenya offers include full board and many activities, and most give you a private guide, but drinks, spa, flights, helicopter time and private vehicles vary. Our full board vs all-inclusive guide explains the terms. Pack soft bags, layers for cool mornings in Laikipia and swimwear for the pool.

Exclusive use safari houses Kenya hosts are often far from hospitals, so take insurance with emergency evacuation cover and read the UK government Kenya travel advice. For conservancy background, see Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.

Exclusive Use Safari Houses Kenya FAQs

Related Safari Guides

• › Laikipia Luxury Lodges
• › Lewa Wildlife Conservancy Lodges
• › Community Conservancy Lodges in Kenya
• › Mahali Mzuri Guide
• › Best Honeymoon Lodges in Kenya

Official travel & park resource: Kenya Wildlife Service ↗ · Lewa Wildlife Conservancy ↗ · Borana Conservancy ↗