Adventure ToursI woke up at 5am in a fly camp on the western slope of the Chyulu Hills with dew on the canvas above my face. No zipper, no wall, just a mosquito net and open sky. Somewhere below camp a hyena was calling. That is the part nobody puts in the brochure.
A Chyulu Hills fly camping safari is what you graduate to once you have already done the Mara from a permanent lodge. Here Kenya gets quieter and more personal. This green volcanic range sits between Tsavo West and Amboseli, and it is one of the few places in the country where a proper fly camping night is still on the menu.
What a Chyulu Hills Fly Camping Safari Actually Means
A permanent tented camp has a concrete base, plumbing, and staff who live on site year round. Fly camping is different. Crews truck in canvas tents, a simple long-drop toilet, and a bucket shower, then set them up at a fresh spot for one or two nights before moving on.
There is no wifi. Phone signal is patchy at best and often nonexistent. Charging happens back at the main lodge, not in your tent. If you need to stay connected for work, this is not that trip. If you want to hear the bush at night instead of a generator, it is exactly that trip.
Meals still happen properly. A folding table, a lantern, and a three course dinner cooked over coals a few meters from your tent. Breakfast gets packed away fast once the sun is up, so if you want a slow coffee, say so the night before.
Where You Can Fly Camp: Campi ya Kanzi or ol Donyo Lodge
There are really only two operators doing this well in the Chyulu Hills, and that limited choice is worth knowing before you book.
Campi ya Kanzi sits on the Kuku Group Ranch, a Maasai owned conservancy on the western side of the hills near Kimana. It is a genuinely small, owner run camp with six cottages plus fly camp options on the hillside above. The owners helped found the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust, which funds schools and anti poaching rangers on the ranch.
ol Donyo Lodge, run by Great Plains Conservation, sits on the Mbirikani Group Ranch on the northern flank of the hills. It is larger and more polished, known for its star bed platforms, and it runs fly camping excursions as an add on to a standard stay rather than as the main product.
Neither camp works well as a walk in booking. Both require advance planning through a tour operator, partly because vehicle and staff logistics for a fly camp have to be arranged days ahead.
Getting There: Charter Flight or Road
Most visitors fly. A charter from Wilson Airport in Nairobi to the airstrips near Campi ya Kanzi or ol Donyo takes about 45 to 60 minutes. Driving covers roughly the same ground in far more time, and the last stretch of murram road can be slow after rain.
| Route | Distance | Typical time | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nairobi (Wilson Airport) to Chyulu airstrips | approx. 220 to 250 km by air | 45 to 60 min flight | Most common option, shared or private charter |
| Nairobi to Kuku / Chyulu Hills by road | approx. 230 km via Emali | 5 to 6 hours drive | Tarmac to Emali, then murram track, slower after rain |
| Chyulu Hills conservancies to Amboseli gate | approx. 60 to 70 km | 1.5 to 2 hours drive | Easy to combine both in one itinerary |
| Chyulu Hills to Tsavo West (Chyulu gate) | adjacent border | 20 to 40 minutes drive | Shares an ecosystem boundary with the hills |
Tariffs, Fees and What You Actually Pay
Pricing at both camps is all inclusive, meaning meals, drinks, laundry, and most activities are bundled into the nightly rate. As of mid 2026, indicative per person sharing rates run roughly $700 to $950 a night at Campi ya Kanzi and $900 to $1,200 a night at ol Donyo, before a fly camping supplement of roughly $150 to $250 per person per night. Confirm current figures when you book, since both camps adjust seasonally.
On top of the lodge rate, expect a conservancy fee, often $80 to $100 per person per night. This is not a hidden extra. It is the conservancy fees that fund the Maasai-owned land around Chyulu Hills, paying for grazing rights, schools, and the ranger teams who patrol against poaching. If you actually visit Chyulu Hills National Park itself rather than staying only on conservancy land, Kenya Wildlife Service charges a separate park fee, typically around $25 per adult per day.
A Night in Fly Camp: Setup and Teardown
What struck me most was the choreography. A crew drives out ahead of the guests, picks a spot with shade and a view, and has tents up, beds made, and a fire pit ready before anyone arrives. Walking into camp after dark, guided only by paraffin lamps along the path, feels a little theatrical the first time and completely normal by the second night.
The next morning, the whole thing comes down again. If you want to see how a fly camp is actually set up and struck each day, ask your guide if you can watch the crew work. Most are happy to explain it while they pack the kitchen box.
Activities Beyond the Game Drive
Both conservancies allow far more than driving loops looking for lions. Campi ya Kanzi and ol Donyo both offer horseback riding for competent riders, guided hikes up into the Chyulu Hills forest, and mountain biking along ranch tracks. Birders do well here too, with over 400 species recorded across the Chyulu ecosystem.
The real standout is night driving. Because these are private conservancies rather than national park land, they are one of the few places in Kenya where night game drives are allowed. A spotlight game drive after dinner turns up genets, aardvarks, and the occasional leopard that a daytime drive would miss entirely.
Wildlife You Will Actually See
Do not expect Mara style density. The Chyulu Hills reward patience over volume. Elephants move through in good numbers, especially near ol Donyo, and lion prides are resident on both ranches. Cheetah sightings happen but are not guaranteed. The bigger draw for repeat visitors is the mix of species you rarely see well elsewhere, including fringe eared oryx, gerenuk, and the elusive striped hyena.
Best Time of Year and Weather
The dry months from late June through October and again from January to March give the clearest skies and easiest access. Rain falls hardest in April and May, when murram roads can turn to mud and some fly camp sites get pulled back for the season. Nights are cool year round in the hills, often dropping to 12 to 15 degrees Celsius, so pack a proper layer.
What to Pack and What to Expect for Safety
Bring warm layers for early morning drives, a headlamp, and closed shoes for walking on volcanic rock. Fly camps run on generators only at the main lodge, so bring a power bank if you need a charge overnight.
Every fly camp night includes an armed ranger stationed near the tents, standard practice across both conservancies. You will be briefed on staying inside your tent after dark and calling out if you need an escort to the toilet. It is a real precaution, not theater, since elephants and hyenas do pass through camp overnight.
Combining Chyulu Hills With Amboseli or Tsavo West
Because the drive to Amboseli’s gate takes under two hours, most repeat visitors pair three nights fly camping in Chyulu Hills with two or three nights in Amboseli for the classic Kilimanjaro backdrop shots. Tsavo West borders the hills directly, making a short add on stop easy if you want more open plains scenery after the greener, hillier terrain of Chyulu.
The BestCamp Safaris Difference
We do not sell Chyulu Hills as a generic add on to a bigger Kenya package. We have slept in these fly camps, walked the conservancy trails with the same rangers who work night drives, and we book directly with Campi ya Kanzi and ol Donyo rather than through a reseller layer that adds cost without adding value. We tell you honestly when the road is bad, when the charter flight is worth the extra cost, and when three nights is plenty rather than pushing you toward a longer stay you do not need.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is fly camping in Chyulu Hills safe at night? Yes, with an armed ranger stationed at every fly camp and clear briefing on tent protocol after dark.
How many nights should I plan? Two or three nights is enough to include one fly camping night plus time for game drives and a hike or horseback ride.
Do I need a guide or can I go independently? Both camps require booking through a tour operator or direct reservation. There is no independent walk in access.
Is there phone signal or wifi at camp? Signal is unreliable and wifi is not available at the fly camp site itself, only sometimes back at the main lodge.
Plan Your Chyulu Hills Nights With Us
If a night under canvas in the Chyulu Hills sounds like the trip you have been missing, we would like to help you plan it properly. Visit our contact page to start building an itinerary around Campi ya Kanzi, ol Donyo Lodge, or a combined Chyulu Hills and Amboseli safari.
