Masai Mara conservancies

Well now you can. In 2010, 500 Maasai families set aside 50,000 acres of their lands in a unique partnership with five highly responsible safari companies, led by Basecamp Explorer, to create a conservancy called Naboisho. This vast area, with some of the highest density of lions in the entire Mara ecosystem, enables small numbers of tourists to experience the Mara in a very different way.

Naboisho means 'meeting' or 'gathering place' in Maasai. This a place where the paths of the wildlife, fellow travelers and the Maasai community - whose ancestral lands you are visiting - come together. The Maasai are equal partners in this new form of tourism, in which the Norwegian Government, via Norfund, has also invested. The Maasai guide you, manage some of the camps, and often join you for dinner. You'll get to know a little about them, their lives and culture and there is nobody better to help you find and understand the wildlife. Income from your visit, paid in the form of guaranteed leases from each of the safari companies, supports their community, education, clinics and conservation.

I stayed at Basecamp Explorer's Wilderness Camp in Naboisho, a member of Responsible Travel. My wife and I enjoyed it there almost as much as Barack Obama did on his visit judging by the smile on his face in the photos. It's very small, just five luxury tents, and the service is informal but first class - just how we like it. The walking safari guide, Derrick, who trained at the Koyaiki Guiding School nearby, is superb. We were also privileged to witness the Maasai fire ceremony to launch Naboisho.