If you're passionate about ethical travel or diving deep into the sentient minds of wild creatures, an Elephant Watch Safari is the best place to start. From the luxurious comfort of your new home-in-the-wild at Elephant Watch Camp, Samburu, we offer expert conservation-led safaris that engage in the most authentic and thoughtful way with traditional nomadic cultures and specialise in profound encounters with elephants and other wild life.
Our warrior-ambassadors from the local nomadic community immerse you in Kenya's last great frontier, introducing you with reverence and the gentlest etiquette to the 1000+ wild elephants that roam feely across this vast landscape. Their astute understanding of the wild is gleaned from long experience and draws on chasmic reservoirs of traditional knowledge.
Tracing ear patterns and tusk shapes, learn to ID elephants and feel their infrasonic calls as they speak to each other. Hear the stories that untangle bloodlines and witness the relationships of each 'person' within an elephant family.
ELEPHANT WATCHING
Elephants playing in the mud, at the Ewaso Nyiro river in Samburu
SAND RIVERS
Explore the dry riverbeds that shape this landscape where hidden water flows, smelt-out and dug-down-to by elephants sustaining both people and wildlife, forever a quiet symbol of Samburu's resilience.
INSECTS & BIRDS
Slow down and look closer. From tiny insects (madudu) to a kaleidoscopic variety of birdlife (ndege), discover the miniature creatures that are the bedrock of a healthy environment and make Samburu shimmer with life.
OUR CAMP
A home in the wild. In the midst of an enchanting acacia forest
OUR CAMP
SUNDONA
As the day draws to a close we tend to take a pause with drink in hand to salute the setting sun, and watch the distant hills shift in hue and colour. A ritual made more special by the iconic setting.
SKY ISLANDS
Rising from an ocean of semi-arid desert, the sky island mountains of north Kenya have been isolated for millennia, preserving unique endemic species among plants once enjoyed by dinosaurs. Many are sacred sites for the nomadic people, that one can only access on foot or with a helicopter.
OWL TENT
A pair of giant Verreaux eagle owls roost in the trees above 'Lugut', that serves either as a luxury single, double or twin.
SUNSET HIKES
As the heat of the afternoon fades, short hikes at the golden hour up gentle hills or rock kopjes get one's blood moving and slough away the creakiness of the day, with 360° views of sweeping sunset vistas.
MOON RISES
We celebrate each celestial moment, from first light to sun set, always making time to bow to the first smile of a new moon or basking in the glory of a rising lunar orb on the distant horizon.
RIVER RUNS
When its hot, the water shallow and crocs easy to spot, go with the flow at a gentle run, grab a game of river rugby or enjoy a cooling dip. It's a chance to connect with Samburu's most sacred of lifelines, Ewaso.
NOMADIC ADVENTURES
Cross the expansive Laikipia plateau on horseback, sleep under the stars, visit the cradle of mankind and swim in the Jade Sea. Or walk for days through the bush in the company of camels and nomads, via Samburu's most sacred places, for a timeless way of life that sets exactly the right pace for the soul.
PORCUPINE TENT
At night you might hear the soft clickety-shuffle of a porcupine by 'Iyay', that serves as a luxury single, double or twin.
MEDICINAL PLANTS
Learn about healing medicines, weaving, spear making, fire-lighting and even tooth-brushing, using native plants whose secret botanical properties are taught with reverence to each generation.
RENYATTA
Renyatta is a life celebration led by Samburu warriors. Rhythmic chants, trance dances and goat-meat feasts embed today's stories in a long tradition of oral history. A way to experience the nomadic spirit in its most vibrant form.
STAR SAFARIS
In the dark of night, free of polluting light, Samburu's constellations, planetary moons and distant galaxies can be seen with extraordinary clarity. A moment to get lost in the vast expanse of the Universe.
MONSOON COAST
Explore East Africa's coast, from the 1000 year old ports in the Lamu Archipelago and Zanzibar to the Comores - an archipelago of islands like a necklace of pearls between Madagascar and Mozambique - each shaped by the seafaring traders of the Monsoon winds, where you can see turtles hatch on remote beaches, dive on coral reefs, feast on seafood, and relax in the warmth of the sun and ocean currents.
CROCODILE TENT
An 8ft crocodile once sought refuge on the verandah of 'Lkinyang', that serves as a luxury single, double or twin.
WARRIOR WAYS
Responsible for livestock from an early age, nomadic children learn how to survive in the bush from day one, so who better to teach your kids about resilience, bush lore and discipline than Samburu warriors.
GORILLAS IN THE MIST
Visit Rwanda’s ‘thousand hills’ for sublime encounters with gorillas or as guests of great ape researchers in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Uganda. Walk with chimpanzees in the Kibale Forest or Chambura Gorge in Uganda, or Mahale Mountains of Tanzania. Top and tail Uganda with visits to Kidepo, Murchison Falls or the Mountains of the Moon, and Akagera or the Rugezi wetlands of endangered crowned cranes in Rwanda
MONKEY TENT
Troops of vervets in joyful play will skitter through 'Ldere', that serves as a luxury single, double or honeymoon retreat
VILLAGE VISIT.png
Migrating with the rains, nomads strip their lives down to minimal possessions. Visits to seasonal settlements are based on long term friendships with certain families. Respect and authenticity are paramount, offering a chance to listen, learn & connect.
Step into the world of elephant research and conservation. Meet the team on the front line, discover their decades of groundbreaking work, and gain insights into the science and solutions securing a future for elephants.
BUSH DINNER
Dine under the open sky by a dancing fire, surrounded by the sounds of the wild. Bush dinners combine delicious fire-cooked food, cocktails and wine, fascinating stories, and the eternal joy of good company.
CREPUSCLAR CATS
Dine under the open sky by a dancing fire, surrounded by the sounds of the wild. Bush dinners combine delicious fire-cooked food, cocktails and wine, fascinating stories, and the eternal joy of good company.
ELEPHANT TENT
Elephants love to scratch on the rough-barked tree by the entrance of 'Ltome', that serves as a family room or luxury twin.
Dine under the open sky by a dancing fire, surrounded by the sounds of the wild. Bush dinners combine delicious fire-cooked food, cocktails and wine, fascinating stories, and the eternal joy of good company.
OUR CAMP
A home in the wild
GENET CAT TENT
A favourite haunt of the arboreal genet cat and her kittens, 'Sumangorr' serves as a luxury single, double or twin.
OUR CAMP
ELEPHANT WATCHING
Elephants mud bathing in the Ewaso Nyiro river, in Samburu
Founded by Dr. Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Save The Elephants stands at the forefront of elephant research and conservation in Africa, using cutting-edge science to give elephants a voice, and to secure their future in a rapidly changing world.
Through innovative collaborations, STE has played a pivotal role in combating the illegal ivory trade. A decade ago, poaching threatened to wipe out Africa's elephant population within a generation. Today, thanks in part to STE's efforts culminating in China's 2018 domestic trade ban, elephant populations are rebounding.
STE has conducted daily monitoring of the elephants in Samburu & Buffalo Springs National Reserves since 1997, making these north Kenyan elephants one of Africa's most studied populations. The relatively peaceful relationship between Samburu's people and wildlife, has been a further remarkable further discovery .
Leading international institutions and expert Samburu field researchers partner to investigate the world of elephants, revealing them as highly intelligent, self-aware creatures capable of complex emotions and social bonds, challenging us to reconsider our understanding of consciousness
Ebola Outbreak & Middle East Airspace: Guidance & Industry Updates
A dedicated Ebola Outbreak & Middle East Airspace section is available on the Member Homepage, providing timely information on major global developments that may impact African travel and tourism. Members are encouraged to check this resource regularly to stay informed on Africa-related and other significant events.
