Masai Mara safari & beach vacation, Kenya

Planet

We are dedicated to preserving East Africa's rich biodiversity. If the great game reserves and national parks are to be maintained for future generations, it is vital that the local inhabitants are involved in wildlife and tourism management issues and that they share in the economic return from this kind of land-use.

Environmentally responsible tourism is vital to the fate of both the wildlife and the local cultures. We therefore work closely with the local Maasai regarding the development and operation of the camp, and a portion of the profits are ploughed back into the local community in the form of support for schools and tree-planting.

We have taken the initiative to cooperate with the environmental organisation Friends of Conservation. The camp is built and operated according to environmental principles. We aim to set an example for other tourist ventures, and inspire others to follow in our footsteps. We believe our environmental commitment will further enrich your experience. By choosing us as your destination you will be contributing towards the development of a long-term pact between humans and the unique nature of Maasai Mara.

People

Over 95% of camp staff are from the local Maasai community, therefore, your vacation empowers and enriches the community within which we operate our camps. The local community receives income from tourism activities in the Mara Talek and Mara Naboisho Conservancies.

Fair-trade: we promote better trading options for a women’s group from the local Maasai community in developing and retailing exquisite beaded and leather merchandise. Purchase a 'product' from our gift shops and receive a personalized message from the woman who designed the merchandise.

We promote empowerment and awareness through scholarships in local schools and the Koiyaki Guiding School (the only guiding school in Mara). Our long history of close co-operation with the Maasai community distinguishes us from other tourism operators in Masai Mara.

Our mutual bond climaxed in 2010 when we successfully established the community-owned nature conservancy (Naboisho Conservancy), named after the Maa expression of ‘coming together’, chosen by the Maasai to epitomize how the Maasai community came together to face the alarming issue of decreasing land. By establishing a community owned nature conservancy, we provided the Maasai with an alternative to selling their land to outsiders and helped protect vital wildlife territory.

We have established the Enjolaata Centre in the midst of Basecamp Explorer’s birthplace – Basecamp Masai Mara in Talek. The Enjoolata Center is an education and entertainment center which aims to inspire the Maasai community to come together to make a difference through awareness creation.