Amboseli luxury safari camp
| country: | Kenya |
| location: | Amboseli National Park |
| departures: | This trip can depart at any time to suit your requirements. It follows a set itinerary and you are likely to be with other people during the trip. |
| price: | From US $890 - US $1040 (3 days) excluding flights. Extra nights US $400 - US $485. Single supplement US $170. 25-50% discounts for children. We can arrange flights from the UK |
| vouchers: | Gift vouchers can be used with this holiday |
read 2 travellers reviews
"Being a huge animal lover and having only ever seen animals such as lions, elephants and giraffes in zoos means this trip would be a once in a lifetime for me. I can only imagine that to see these animals in their natural habitat would be a very humbling experience and to be camping amongst them would be thrilling if not slightly terrifying."
- Lisa, responsibletravel.com
- Lisa, responsibletravel.com
the amazing things you'll be doing
Our camp is located in the Selenkay Conservation Area, a 15,000-acre private game reserve within a vast tract of land owned by the Kisonko clan of the Maasai people and bordering the northern boundary of Amboseli National Park. The Conservation Area is an important dispersal area for wildlife moving in and out of Amboseli and actually holds a wider diversity of species than is found inside the park. The area is well off the beaten track and has not been visited by tourists until now. It lies in the heart of Maasailand and the animals are truly wild and not yet habituated to the presence of vehicles.
The numbers of tourist visitors are being limited to a maximum of 12 per day to retain the wild and unspoilt nature of the area and to minimise the impact on the environment. Within the Conservation Area the following animals have been seen in recent months: elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, Thomson's and Grant's gazelles, gerenuk, impala, oryx, lesser kudu, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, warthog, striped hyena, jackals, bat-eared fox, African wild cat, serval cat, genet cat, mongoose, ostrich, honey badger and porcupine. Birdlife is prolific especially birds of prey.
The camp consists of six spacious tents, sited among shady Acacia Tortilis trees, in a spot once favoured by big game hunters. The camp is small and exclusive, accommodating a maximum of 12 guests. It is set up along the lines of the traditional hunting safari bush camp, so there are no permanent structures like bar or restaurant or swimming pool – this is real camping in the bush, but with much more comfortable bathroom arrangements than were available to the hunters of earlier years! The tents are large and comfortably furnished, each with a double and a single bed, solar-powered electric lights, and en suite bathroom with shower, washbasin and flush toilet. Meals are taken under the shade of an Acacia tree and after dinner we can sit around the campfire and listen to the sounds of the African night. The camp is staffed by members of the local Maasai community and managed by a young couple who are experienced safari guides and act as your hosts throughout your stay.
The numbers of tourist visitors are being limited to a maximum of 12 per day to retain the wild and unspoilt nature of the area and to minimise the impact on the environment. Within the Conservation Area the following animals have been seen in recent months: elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, Thomson's and Grant's gazelles, gerenuk, impala, oryx, lesser kudu, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, warthog, striped hyena, jackals, bat-eared fox, African wild cat, serval cat, genet cat, mongoose, ostrich, honey badger and porcupine. Birdlife is prolific especially birds of prey.
The camp consists of six spacious tents, sited among shady Acacia Tortilis trees, in a spot once favoured by big game hunters. The camp is small and exclusive, accommodating a maximum of 12 guests. It is set up along the lines of the traditional hunting safari bush camp, so there are no permanent structures like bar or restaurant or swimming pool – this is real camping in the bush, but with much more comfortable bathroom arrangements than were available to the hunters of earlier years! The tents are large and comfortably furnished, each with a double and a single bed, solar-powered electric lights, and en suite bathroom with shower, washbasin and flush toilet. Meals are taken under the shade of an Acacia tree and after dinner we can sit around the campfire and listen to the sounds of the African night. The camp is staffed by members of the local Maasai community and managed by a young couple who are experienced safari guides and act as your hosts throughout your stay. facilities & activities
- Spacious insect-proof tents comfortably furnished with proper beds.
- En suite bathrooms with showers, washbasins and flush toilets.
- All meals.
- Free mineral water, soft drinks, beer and house wine.
- Custom-built open-sided four-wheel-drive safari vehicles for all game drives.
- Expert driver-guides.
- Morning and evening game drives in the Selenkay
- Night game drive.
- Escorted walk with Maasai trackers and guide.
- Visit to a Maasai village
- Sundowner at a scenic look out
- Picnic lunch.
- Full morning in Amboseli National Park
- Transfers by road from Nairobi
day-by-day itinerary
| Day 1: | Depart Nairobi and drive south to Selenkay Conservation Area (a 3 hour journey of 102 miles), arriving at Porini Camp before lunch. Following afternoon tea, you will be escorted on a walk by Maasai warriors to a village to get an insight into their fascinating culture and way of life. Return to camp for a shower, dinner and overnight. |
| Day 2: | Awake to the noisy calls of the birds. After an early breakfast, we drive through the bush on our private track into Amboseli National Park, for a full morning of game viewing. Following a picnic lunch in the park, we return to Porini Camp later in the afternoon. In the evening you will go on a game drive in Selenkay Conservancy, stopping for a sundowner at a scenic viewpoint, followed by a night game drive to look for nocturnal animals such as aardvarks, serval cats, caracals, bat-eared foxes, African wild cats, and other species. Return to camp for dinner and overnight. |
| Day 3: | Early morning game drive in the Conservancy followed by breakfast. Then depart on the transfer back to Nairobi, arriving around 1 pm. |
travellers' tales
I felt this holiday was a win-win way of supporting African people. We got to see one of the most beautiful countries on earth and gained an insight into Kenyan culture, the local people gained employment and an incentive to protect the game life. (more)
award winner
This tourism business won an Award in our 2008 Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Awards - organised by responsibletravel.com in association with The Daily Telegraph, World Travel Market, Geographical Magazine, of the Royal Geographical Society and BBC World News.Since 2004, the Awards has recognised individuals, companies and organisations in travel making a big commitment to the culture and economies of local communities and helping to conserve biodiversity.
how this holiday makes a difference
 In May 1997 we agreed with the local Maasai community to set aside the area as a reserve for wildlife so that the habitat could be protected and wildlife conserved. The community are receiving a rent for the lease of the area by us plus an entry fee for each tourist visitor. We have also been involved in assisting the community in repairing their windmill pump, in providing uniforms for the Community Game Scouts, in donating funds towards developing the primary school and nursery school and in deepening an existing watering hole for the community livestock.  Employment opportunities have also been provided for the local Maasai people as game rangers, trackers, and camp staff. Apart from the management couple and Head Cook, all other staff in the camp and Conservation Area are members of the local community.The 70 kms of roads in the Conservation Area were constructed using local labour so that members of the community gained employment. As a result of the establishment of the Conservation Area, wildlife numbers have recovered significantly in recent years and elephants are now seen frequently after an absence of nearly 20 years. Selenkay Conservation Area lies in the heart of Maasailand, well off the beaten track, and has not been visited by tourists until very recently. The animals are truly wild and tend to behave more naturally than those in the parks, which are often habituated to the presence of vehicles. |
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