Segera Retreat Review: Why Our Founders Want to Go Back

During their luxury safari through Kenya, Ubuntu Travel Co-founders Kyle and Leah spent two nights at Segera Retreat, one of several lodges they visited in Laikipia before continuing south to the Masai Mara.

It quickly became one of their favorite stays of the trip thanks to its striking architecture, contemporary African art, exceptional dining, wellness facilities, and conservation work. Traveling as a couple, Kyle and Leah found themselves imagining a return with the family, especially after seeing Segera’s larger villas.

“Kyle and I were just dying to bring his parents and our kids back,” Leah recalled.

This guide explains what made Segera Retreat stand out for them, along with practical details on the villas, dining, wildlife, art exhibits, conservation, and who the lodge is best suited to on a Kenya safari.

Segera Retreat: Luxury, Conservation and Art in Laikipia

Segera Retreat is a luxury safari lodge set within the 50,000-acre Segera Conservancy on Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau, northwest of Mount Kenya.

Alongside the Masai Mara, the Laikipia region is considered one of Kenya’s premier safari destinations, thanks to its healthy populations of elephants, lions, black rhino, reticulated giraffe, buffalo, and Grevy’s zebra. Segera Conservancy is privately owned and was restored and developed by entrepreneur and conservationist Jochen Zeitz, transforming a degraded former cattle ranch into a protected wildlife landscape.

Segera combines wildlife viewing with opportunities to understand the conservation work taking place across the conservancy. Guests can meet the anti-poaching team, learn how conservation dogs are used, and hear about the reintroduction of black rhino.

There are also opportunities to visit community projects supported by the ZEITZ Foundation. For Kyle and Leah, visiting the conservation center during their first game drive helped put that work into context.

What Makes Segera Retreat Different?

After staying at several of Kenya’s best safari lodges, Kyle and Leah expected Segera to deliver exceptional wildlife, beautiful accommodation, and outstanding service. It did, but what stood out was how much more they could experience throughout their stay. 

Many safari lodges are built around morning and afternoon game drives, with guests relaxing at camp between outings.

At Segera, the retreat itself becomes part of the experience. Whether it’s exploring the art collection, spending an evening at the Wine Tower, sleeping in the Bird Nest, or simply enjoying the privacy of the villas, there are enough experiences here to fill several days. That changed the pace of their stay.

“I think it’s a place you can go with a family and spend more than three days easily, without feeling like you’re on game drives the whole time, because there’s so much for people to do,” Kyle said.

What Is It Like to Stay at Segera Retreat?

Segera Retreat offers a collection of ten individually designed villas and houses, with accommodation ranging from one-bedroom Garden Villas to larger residences suited to families and groups.

Kyle and Leah stayed in one of the Garden Villas, which sit on raised wooden platforms overlooking the surrounding savannah. Each has a private deck, outdoor bath, en-suite bathroom, and views towards a waterhole and salt licks that regularly attract wildlife.

One afternoon, they spent time watching a herd of elephants from their private deck.

Larger properties, including Family Garden Villa, Farm House, Villa Segera and Segera House, offer private pools, spacious indoor and outdoor living areas, and multiple en-suite bedrooms, making them ideal for families or groups traveling together.

Although every villa is different, they share the same attention to detail. Handcrafted furniture, contemporary African art, and locally sourced natural materials create spaces that feel distinctly Kenyan rather than interchangeable with those of luxury hotels elsewhere

For Leah, the accommodation was one reason Segera felt particularly well suited to families.

“The rooms were super unique, on these big stilts, with huge bathtubs and amazing amenities. They also had a couple of multi-bedroom units where Kyle and I were just dying to bring his parents and our kids back.”

Unique Experiences at Segera Retreat

While game drives remain an important part of any stay, Segera offers enough experiences to fill several days without ever feeling repetitive.  Let’s take a look at some of them.

Spend a Night in the Bird Nest

One of Segera’s signature experiences is the Nay Palad Bird Nest, a raised wooden structure inspired by weaver birds’ nests.  Guests arrive in the evening for a private dinner before settling into the rooftop sleep-out bed beneath the stars.

Guests spend the night outdoors with uninterrupted views of the sky and fall asleep to the sounds of the African bush. If the weather changes, or you simply prefer to sleep indoors, an enclosed bedroom is located on the level below. The following morning, breakfast is served before you return to the retreat.

Explore the Night Sky

Segera’s remote location on the Laikipia Plateau makes it an excellent place for stargazing. Away from towns and cities, the skies are exceptionally dark, with thousands of stars visible on a clear night. Guided stargazing sessions help guests explore the night sky.

Slow Down Between Safari Activities

Between game drives, you can spend time by the pool or stroll through the gardens, where sculptures from Segera’s contemporary art collection are displayed among the plants. The spa offers botanically inspired treatments and massages, alongside a cold plunge, infrared sauna, and salt room.

The spa, gym, and meditation room share a courtyard with sculptures and a reflective water feature.For guests who want to keep up their exercise routine, there’s a fully equipped gym and yoga equipment available to use. Guided yoga and meditation sessions can also be arranged.

Visit the Wine Tower

The Wine Tower is one of Segera’s most recognizable buildings. It houses Segera’s wine collection and provides a distinctive setting for guests interested in African wines.

Wine tastings can be arranged during your stay, making it an enjoyable way to discover the growing reputation of African winemaking while learning more about the regions and producers behind each bottle.

An Evening at the Chef’s Table

The Chef’s Table in the Paddock House was a highlight of Kyle and Leah’s stay. As each course is served, the chef talks guests through the ingredients and preparation, with wines paired throughout the evening.

Their meal included coal-toasted breads, flame-roasted vegetables, and chocolate pudding. The evening unfolds at your pace, with time to ask questions and hear the stories behind the dishes.

Why Segera’s Food Stood Out to Leah

Leah is certainly the foodie of the Ubuntu Travel team, and she was particularly impressed by the fresh produce, variety of dishes, and attentive butler service at Segera.

“It was the best food we had on the trip. Every meal was over-the-top amazing,” she said.

Much of the produce comes from the Segera Retreat’s own vegetable gardens, with other ingredients sourced from local producers across Kenya. The menus draw on both Kenyan and international influences, with chefs adapting dishes to guests’ tastes and dietary requirements.

The setting changes throughout your stay, too. Breakfast might overlook the conservancy, lunch could be served in the gardens, and dinner might take place in the restored stables. For Kyle and Leah, not always knowing where the next meal would be served became part of the enjoyment.

Discover the Conservation Work Behind the Safari

If you’d like to learn more about the work happening beyond the game drives, Segera offers several experiences that explore how the conservancy is managed and the role tourism plays in supporting it.

Learn About the Return of Black Rhinos

In 2025, eastern black rhinos returned to Segera after a 60-year absence. Their release established a founding population in the Segera Rhino Sanctuary, marking a new chapter in the conservancy’s restoration.

The sanctuary forms part of a wider Kenyan effort to protect this critically endangered black rhino by expanding its habitat and supporting genetic diversity. Segera plans to introduce more rhinos and connect further wildlife corridors as its conservation work develops.

Kyle and Leah saw these introduced black rhino during their stay. A visit to the conservation center also gave them a closer look at the work behind wildlife protection, including the anti-poaching teams and the technology they use.

Join the ZEITZ Foundation Tour

The ZEITZ Foundation tour introduces guests to the thinking behind Segera Conservancy and its long-term conservation projects. 

Guided by team members, guests can learn how wildlife protection, habitat restoration, local businesses, and community initiatives are connected through the retreat’s 4Cs philosophy: Conservation, Community, Culture, and Commerce.

See Habitat Restoration in Action

One of Segera’s most ambitious projects is its Tree of Life program, which aims to plant three million indigenous trees across the conservancy. The project is restoring areas that were once used for cattle ranching, creating new habitat for wildlife while helping improve biodiversity. 

Depending on your itinerary, guests may have the opportunity to learn more about the program and the work underway across the conservancy.

Visit Local Community Projects

Conservation at Segera extends beyond wildlife. Guests can also visit community initiatives supported by the ZEITZ Foundation, including schools, sustainable farming projects, and local enterprises. 

These visits provide an opportunity to meet the people involved and see how tourism supports local education, employment, and environmental initiatives.

Why Is Art Such an Important Part of Segera?

Segera’s owner, Jochen Zeitz, is a collector of contemporary African art and co-founder of Cape Town’s Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa, known as Zeitz MOCAA. Before the museum opened, he was already sharing works from his collection at Segera.

Art is part of everyday life at Segera. Sculptures stand among the gardens, paintings hang in the villas and shared spaces, and installations appear in unexpected corners of the property. You’ll encounter the collection naturally throughout your stay.

Guests can also explore the Gallery of Contemporary African Art, housed in Segera’s restored horse stables. Each former stall displays work by a different artist from the Zeitz Collection, which features contemporary art from Africa and its diaspora. 

Guided art tours offer a closer look at the artists and the ideas behind their work.

Few safari lodges give guests this kind of access to contemporary African art. For Leah, exploring the Zeitz Collection was one of the experiences that set Segera apart. 

“The main part when you walk in is an old horse stable, and they’ve kept the stables intact. Inside each stall is a different art exhibit from a different artist. The art is just intertwined everywhere, and it’s really impressive… very, very unique.”

Is Segera Retreat Right for You?

Segera Retreat sits at the premium end of Kenya’s luxury safari options. For 2027, the Garden Villas Kyle and Leah stayed in start at US$1,980 per person per night, plus a US$250 conservation fee per adult per night. 

At this price, the details matter. 

Segera Retreat is a great fit if your idea of a memorable safari includes excellent game viewing, dinner spent talking with the chef, and an afternoon watching elephants from your private deck. 

We’d recommend making time for the art collection and conservation visits, too, which were highlights of Kyle and Leah’s stay.

The villas make it equally appealing for a couples retreat, a family trip, or a stay with friends. You can enjoy the privacy of a Garden Villa or bring everyone together in one of the larger houses, with space to spend time together and choose different activities during the day.

Kyle and Leah came as a couple and left wanting to bring their family back. That’s perhaps their clearest recommendation: Segera was somewhere they could already picture enjoying again, with the people closest to them.

Visit Segera Retreat and Experience Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau

If you’re considering adding Segera to your Kenya itinerary, Ubuntu Travel can help you decide whether it’s the right fit. Having stayed at Segera Retreat themselves, Kyle and Leah can offer honest advice on how it compares with other luxury lodges in Laikipia and recommend an itinerary that matches your interests, travel style, and budget. Get in touch with Ubuntu Travel to start planning your tailor-made Kenya safari.

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