Welcome
Rhino River Camp
60 acres of exclusive forest luxury on the backdrop of legendary Elsa’s hunting grounds
Camp overview
| Location: | Meru | |
| Type: | Tented Safari Camp | |
| No. of Tents | 3 river guest suites (2 with zen area), 2 river family rooms, 2 forest tents | |
| Check-out Time | 10:00 a.m. with afternoon departure options at extra cost | |
| Spoken Languages | English, Swahili | |
| Special Interests |
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Rhino River Camp is situated east of Mount Kenya in Meru National Park which is over 5,000 square kilometers and part of the second largest conservation area in East Africa after the two Tsavos. Rhino River Camp is a collection of five beautiful tents built out of sumptuous caramel canvas and sustainable wood, raised on platforms above the Kindani River along with two forest tents located in the indigenous forest. The Camp has a large central area with a bar, lounge and a library with views over the river and forest.
Situated in sixty acres of privately owned wilderness, Rhino River Camp offers the chance to connect with nature and delight in the senses of the bush. Meru National Park hosts a large population of black and white rhino, elephant, hippo, buffalo, lion, cheetah and leopard. Activities include game drives, bush walks, hiking, mountain biking and fishing. Guests can also take the opportunity to visit the local villages and learn about the culture of the Meru people and their traditions.
Whether it’s spotting the big game or delicate bird species that only the Kenyan wilderness can offer, or letting all those little stresses melt away with a dip in the pool or a therapeutic massage, a stay at Rhino River Camp can fill every moment with pure enjoyment.
Amenities
Facilities & Activities
Activities
- Shared day game drives
- Picnic breakfast (at extra cost except for ground packages)
- Bush lunches (at extra cost except for ground packages)
- Guided nature walks
- Bird walks
- Safari weddings
- Sundowners
- Star gazing
- Fishing
- Visit of Elsa’s resting place
- Young visitors below the age of 8 years are welcome
Camp facilities
- 24 hours security
- Low eco-foot-print
- Phone charging in central location
- Phone charging in all tents/ rooms
- Complimentary limited laundry service
- WiFi area in lounge
- Airstrip/ airport transfers from/to Kinna airstrip at extra cost except for ground packages
- Pool
- Dedicated dining tent
- Dedicated lounge area
- Board games
- Library
- Credit card payments accepted
Room facilities
- Ensuite bathroom with flushing toilet
- Showers with running hot water
- Running hot water
- Room SPA services/ massages
- Baby cot (subject to availability, please note requirement when booking)
- Writing desk
Location
Meru
The Meru Conservation Area with its many endemic species and unique landscapes spotted with unexpected doum palm trees is today one of the most biodiverse areas in the country. This is the result of a conservation success story that started 20 years ago. The Meru National Park has a chequered history and fared terribly during the late 1980’s when poaching became rife and the entire white rhino population which had been introduced into the park was annihilated. The Kenyan government responded decisively and drove out the poachers and restored strong security/
Although tourist numbers are still down on the pre-poaching era, wildlife numbers are encouragingly on the increase. The Kenyan Wildlife Service relocated elephants from the Laikipia plateau to Meru in 2001. This success led to the relocation of a number of other species during that decade and you can now see both black and white rhino as well as healthy herds of reedbuck. Today, the Meru Conservation area offers a game rich wilderness experience away from the crowds with many bird and plant species that are endemic to the area.
Map
Biodiversity
Meru Ecosystem
The park has 13 rivers and a myriad of mountain streams that feed into the Tana river. Hundreds of bird species have made the park their home – among them the Pel’s Fishing Owl which can be heard hunting at night by the river and the rare Peter’s Finfoot. Being extremely secretive these duck-like birds are usually spotted hugging the tree-sheltered water’s edge. Keen birdwatchers should also keep their eyes peeled for the relatively rare Palm-Nut Vulture which feeds on a mixture of carrion and, not surprisingly, palm nuts.
Mammals inhabiting the park include leopard, cheetah, elephant, lion, both Grevy’s and plains zebra, hartebeest, hippo, reticulated giraffe and some decent sized herds of buffalo. The big cats can sometimes be difficult to spot due to areas of tall grass cover and dense bushland.
2025 Prices:
| DATES FROM | DATES TO | PER PERSON SHARING| 2 NT PACKAGE | SINGLE SUPPLEMENT| PACKAGE | ONE CHILD 3-16 YEARS SHARING| PACKAGE | PER PERSON| EXTRA NIGHT |
| FOREST VIEW TENTS | |||||
| 01-Mar-25 | 31-May-25 | 1368 USD | 234USD | 1033 USD | 379 USD |
| 01-Jun-25 | 30-Jun-25 | 1568 USD | 246 USD | 1139 USD | 479 USD |
| 01-Jul-25 | 21-Jul-25 | 1884 USD | 410 USD | 1337 USD | 637 USD |
| 22-Jul-25 | 30-Sep-25 | 2024 USD | 468 USD | 1431 USD | 707 USD |
| 01-Oct-25 | 31-Oct-25 | 1614 USD | 246 USD | 1161 USD | 502 USD |
| 01-Nov-25 | 19-Dec-25 | 1556 USD | 234 USD | 1139 USD | 473 USD |
| 20-Dec-25 | 02-Jan-26 | 2034 USD | 468 USD | 1431 USD | 707 USD |
| RIVER VIEW TENTS | |||||
| 01-Mar-25 | 31-May-25 | 1498 USD | 234USD | 1103 USD | 3444 USD |
| 01-Jun-25 | 30-Jun-25 | 1696 USD | 246 USD | 1231 USD | 4543 USD |
| 01-Jul-25 | 21-Jul-25 | 2012 USD | 410 USD | 1419 USD | 701 USD |
| 22-Jul-25 | 30-Sep-25 | 2164 USD | 468 USD | 1501 USD | 777 USD |
| 01-Oct-25 | 31-Oct-25 | 1732 USD | 246 USD | 1243 USD | 561 USD |
| 01-Nov-25 | 19-Dec-25 | 1684 USD | 234 USD | 1219 USD | 537 USD |
| 20-Dec-25 | 02-Jan-26 | 2164 USD | 468 USD | 1501 USD | 777 USD |
Prices include:
Return Flights Nairobi, Wilson – Meru – Nairobi, Wilson, Return Meru Airstrip Transfers, 2 Nights Full Board Accommodation, Soft Drinks, Beer, House Wines, Gin & Tonic, Game Drives, Picnic Breakfast And Lunch, Sundowners In Camp, Fishing Rods At Camp, Bird Walks Around The Camp Grounds.
Prices Exclude: Nairobi Transfers, Exclusive Vehicle Use During Game Drives
Camp inquiry
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Guest Testimonials
My wife, 17-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter stayed at the Rhino River Camp for two nights in mid-June 2022, and it was an amazing experience. First class accommodations, top-notch food; and well, trained, friendly and professional staff. The place is a hidden gem, on private land right outside Meru National Park, one of Kenya’s best, if not best wildlife national parks.
A beautiful location by the entrance to the rhino conservancy and set in a lush space by a river. The staff are all friendly. The food was good. We had a lovely tent with a private gazebo terrace ….the frogs were so loud at night! The Park is beautiful … a very natural environment but very quiet …we only saw one other safari jeep! The birds are amazing but we also saw 6 white rhinos, elephants and giraffes … a very different experience to Samburu. Our guide was fantastic ….if you are looking for a true experience with animals and not just box ticking I would highly recommend
My first time to Rhino River. The location is great- right on the river and huge beautiful trees all over. The sounds are incredible – from all the monkeys to frogs and so many birds. The food was really fantastic – being a vegetarian, I never know what I’ll get- but the variety was great. Thank you to all.
Meru National Park is far enough north that it had more rain than the parks further south. Everything was so lush and green in the area. This camp has creek with a waterfall and a swimming pool! The tents are spaced far enough for total privacy. The food was amazing and the staff is very polite, kind and attentive. At night during cocktail time, the bush babies come for the bananas that you could feed them. At night there were so many sounds of nature. This is a true piece of paradise!
Very nicely located on a river, but therefore quite noisy at night. The manager and the team were outstanding and very friendly and were always available for any questions. Dont forget the maintenance of the lodge in the near future.