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. Closed 16Apr-31May 2012
PRICE:
From US $965 (3 days) excluding flights
MORE INFO:
Extra nights US $400 - US $515. Single supplement US $100. 25-40% discounts for children under 16yrs (No children under 8 years)
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Amboseli luxury safari camp
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Amboseli luxury safari camp

How this vacation makes a difference

Environment

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. 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.

Tourist numbers are limited to the area in order to preserve the natural landscape and wildlife.

Community

The local Maasai 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.

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Story of the vacation provider

Having grown up in Africa, the founder of this Kenyan safari company realised he could help local families owning plots of land which adjoined the overcrowded National Parks. He asked if they wanted to help create wildlife-rich conservancies and safari camps which would generate them income and offer tourists a real off-the-beaten-track experience. It was a risk but the Maasai people got behind the idea and helped make it a success. As they are private, these conservancies have fewer restrictions than the parks, meaning visitors can do walks and night-game drives and benefit from the first-hand knowledge of the guides.

Vacation provider no: 117

Tent interior
Game drive
Educational Bush Walk

Amboseli luxury safari camp

Reviewed 29 Jan 2008 by Rion Owens3 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?


a) Visit to a Maasai village. b) Game drives with highly knowledgeable drivers and spotters, with the sight of elephants, giraffes and water buffalo (very close to, in some cases) being the highlights. c) Surprisingly well appointed tent accommodation.

2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?


The phone and e-mail connections can play up in Kenya in general, so cut the admin staff some slack when booking. They apply a lot of ingenuity when let down by the system. The main road to Mombasa is at present very poor and takes a lot of traffic, so I am tempted to say take a flight from Wilson airport to transfer from Nairobi to the camp. However, the driver we had was first class, both as a driver and commentator on what we saw. And we saw a lot of Kenyan life that we would have missed by flying. We stayed in Nairobi for a night before and after the safari. I would recommend this if doing the road transfer. Remember, there is three minutes of hot shower water per tent, available just before dinner; but it's amazing what you can do with judicious use of the tap.

3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


Yes. A substantial number of Maasai men were employed in the camp and as game spotters. We were able to donate cash to the people of the Maasai village for showing us their way of life. Water is like gold dust, and the emphasis is very much on water conservation.

4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?


I would rate it at four stars, were it not for the fact that we were unable to catch sight of any big cats. Otherwise, the game drives, the accommodation, the friendliness and efficiency of the staff were all excellent. A word also for the admin staff in Nairobi who gave us sterling service. I feel I now have a small stake in the country, and the current troubles are just a dreadful blow.

Reviewed 29 Nov 2007 by Louise Race5 star rating

1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your vacation?


It is hard to pick out one event - Kilimanjaro shedding her clouds on the morning of our wedding anniversary? - spotting a few-days-old elephant cub? - as the most memorable. In addition, the guide, spotter and other staff at our camp were so professional, friendly and delightful that the experience was enhanced hugely by their company.

2. What tips would you give other travelers booking this vacation?


Take a tape recorder. The sounds of Kenya - the singing of the Masai women, the dawn chorus - were magical and I wished I had been able to record them.

3. Did you feel that your vacation benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?


I felt this vacation 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, and earned some hard currency in a country in which the average wage is disturbingly low.

4. Finally, how would you rate your vacation overall?


Before we left, we were planning our return. We would definitely go with this operator again and are recommending the outfit to all our friends. (Also, the responsibletravel.com website.)
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Vacation Reviews

We invite every traveler who books a vacation via us to send in a review. Because we don't run the vacations they're completely independent and unedited... remember to read between the lines though, as two people on the same vacation can have different views!

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Tent interior
Game drive
Educational Bush Walk
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