Loisaba Star Beds

What if you could spend the night in the middle of hundreds of acres of wild scrubland—where large herds of elephant graze, gazelles bound, and elusive leopards patrol—with nothing between you and the canopy of stars but a thin black mosquito net? The Star Beds at Loisaba Conservancy in northern Kenya offer a quirky and spectacular place to wonder at the universe all night long. The camp’s comfortable beds are rolled out onto a private open deck in the evening, allowing guests to watch the darkness set in and the glittering wonder of the galaxy awaken overhead.

On an unfenced 56,000-acre ranch supported by the Nature Conservancy, the new Elewana Loisaba camp sits along a key migratory corridor in northern Kenya, home to one of the country’s largest elephant populations. Its six tents are spacious retreats with polished wood floors and views of the plains; two are family units with shared walkways. But the four Kiboko Starbed rooms, set on raised wooden platforms over a busy watering hole, are the real draw here. Come nightfall, beds are rolled out onto private verandas so travelers can sleep beneath the stars. Doubles from $490 per person; Kiboko Starbeds from $300.

At Loisaba, you should spend at least one night sleeping in a four-poster bed, open to the Africa sky where you can see all the constellations. Take advantage of the variety of activities, such as mountain biking, fishing, horseback riding, or camel riding across the plains with a local Samburu guide who can explain the diversity of this area.