The premier upmarket tented camp in Tsavo East National Park, Galdessa has an isolated and wild setting on the palm-lined southern bank of the Galana—Kenya's second largest river—about 20 km northwest of Manyani Entrance Gate on the Nairobi-Mombasa Highway.
Unaffiliated with any chain, it has been one of the most highly praised bush getaways in Kenya for the best part of a decade, though it is notable more for its remote location and amazing riverine setting that for the sort if volumes of wildlife you might see in other reserves.
The path between the sandy parking lot and reception isn't very long, but you are advised to wait until a porter comes to meet you, just in case the camp's semi-resident elephant is lurking in between.
Having navigated that potentially thrilling obstacle, you'll reach the main building, a fairly typical safari construction with a makuti roof and open sides offering riverine views and rustic wooden furnishing with soft cushioned sofas.
The bar and restaurant are both here, the latter serving tasty three-course meals with a Swahili and Italian influence.
Plenty of game passes through camp, notably a few semi-resident elephants, and the river supports hippos, crocodiles and varied birdlife. Games drives through the dense semi-arid scrub that surrounds the camp can be hit and miss, but the area can be very good for elephant and buffalo, as well as more localized species such as lesser kudu, gerenuk and fringed-eared oryx. You are almost guaranteed to have any sighting to yourself.
More than 50 endangered black rhino are resident in the area around Galdessa, too. A short distance downriver, at Lugard Falls (or more accurately rapids), the muddy red waters of the Galana pass across heavily striated quartzite rocks before emptying into a large palm-ringed hippos pool.
The bizarre Mudanda Rock, overlooking a waterhole where hundreds of elephant sometimes congregate, is a worthwhile goal for a half-day trip.
Accommodations are in furnished tents spaced widely along the lushly vegetated riverbank. Each tent has a private wooden platform with a balcony, table and chairs sometimes offering good game viewing in situ, and a shady makuti (thatch) roof.
Twin or double beds are protected by walk-in mosquito nets, and a bedside table and lamp are solar-powered. The simple ethnically inspired decor extends to the spacious en suite bath.
This stylish small camp combines a genuine bush experience with world-class safari decor, cuisine and service. A visit here is arguably as much about the untrammelled bush setting as it is about checking off wildlife sightings, and as such it is possibly best left to the end of a safari, when you are more likely to be in a mood to chill out and enjoy a more holistic bush experience.
