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Kenya Family Conservation and Community

Day 1: Arrive Campi ya Kanzi
Overnight Campi ya Kanzi

Arrive at the Campi ya Kanzi airfield, which is just a ten-minute game drive from Campi ya Kanzi (“camp of the hidden treasure”). The lodge is a community project, run by local Maasai on their group ranch of 400 square miles. The altitude of the ranch ranges from 3,000 to 6,900 feet, so the land includes a number of different environments-- from the grasslands of the savannah to green river woodlands to cool mountain forests. The volcanic Chyulu Hills flank the property. These are the Green Hills of Africa so much loved by Hemingway. Campi ya Kanzi is located in an area of outstanding natural beauty.

The camp is centered around Tembo House, constructed of local materials such as lava rocks and grass for the roof, collected locally with regard for the environment.

Local and international dishes are all homemade. Fresh organic vegetables are supplied daily from a small vegetable garden watered by recycled water.

Begin your stay with a guided game walk. In just over an hour, you will reach the saddle of Longido -- a massive granite hill with a superb view of Mount Kilimanjaro at sunset.

Drive back to the lodge for an excellent five-course dinner.

Day 2: Acclimating to the Bush
Overnight Campi ya Kanzi

At dawn, take a game drive to the lake to see hippos and crocodiles. Enjoy a sumptuous bush breakfast prepared under the shade of a baobab tree. This drive goes through several different landscapes, from the Chyulu Hills, to the savannah, to the plains bush. You may see many different species of mammals and birds, including giraffe, zebra, eland, hartebeest, wildebeest, impala, buffalo elephant, lion, cheetah, and leopard.

Return to camp for lunch.

Take an afternoon walk to Ol Kiri -- a young volcanic hill with superb views over the savannah. After sunset, enjoy a game drive back to Campi ya Kanzi, where a candlelit dinner will spoil you with dishes such as homemade ravioli, roast meat or fresh lake fish, organic vegetables from the garden, and homemade ice cream or tiramisù, together with vineyard wines.

Day 3: Visit to David Sheldrake Trust for Orphaned Elephants
Overnight Ithumba Camp

Begin your day with the aroma of fresh Kenyan coffee or tea brought to your tent while you overlook majestic Mount Kilimanjaro from the privacy of your veranda. Then take a guided walking safari with local trackers to learn about the rich flora and fauna.

After breakfast, depart for Ithumba Camp in Tsavo East.

This is the base of the David Sheldrick Trust, where rescued baby elephant orphans are released into the wilderness. To visit the project you will have to become a foster parent of an elephant ($50 adoption fee). In the late afternoon, you will visit the elephants and help the attendants feed them milk.

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Kenya Family Conservation and Community Book now! Cost: Upon request (depends on number in party) Beneficiary: Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust Perfect for families and animal lovers of all ages, this Kenya safari offers the opportunity for hands-on experience with orphaned elephants and lion conservation monitoring. This safari takes place on a Maasai-owned trust in a beautiful corner of Kenya near the Chyulu Hills. Your stay here will also include a visit to a Maasai school and will benefit wildlife conservation and the Maasai community.

Kenya Family Conservation and Community

Day 4: A Day with your Adopted Elephant
Overnight Campi ya Kanzi

At 5:30 am you will be awakened with tea or coffee brought to your tent, before returning to the elephant sanctuary to feed and walk your adopted elephant.

Drive back to camp for breakfast.

At 10 am, go to the “mud bath,” where you will once again give milk to “your elephant” and enjoy watching him/her and the others splashing into the water!

After lunch, fly back to Campi ya Kanzi, passing over the Tiva River and the wilderness of Tsavo. Just before landing , you will fly over the amazing art work of Andrew Rogers, visible from space.

Enjoy a game drive to Okoikuma (“tortoise” in Maa) -- a look out hill with a superb view of Kilimanjaro. Drive back after sunset, enjoying a night drive, during which it is not unusual to see cats, inclusive the elusive leopard.

Day 5: Lion Monitoring
Overnight Campi ya Kanzi

Today is lion day. At camp, your guide will explain how “Wildlife Pays” -- the compensation program funded by the lodge and run by Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust -- protects the predator population.

After breakfast you will start your first monitoring safari, driving out with your guide and using a VHF radio to locate different groups of collared lions.

Out of the current population -- an estimated 55 lions -- only three have radio collars, all in different groups. You will have a GPS and will record location coordinates, and dates and times of the sighting of these lions.

Your entire day will be spent on locating the chosen different prides, including the radio-collared ones. The Simba Scouts will teach you their techniques of reading spoors and footprints. Return for lunch and dinner at Campi ya Kanzi.

Day 6: Visit to a Maasai School
Dinner and Overnight Campi ya Kanzi

After breakfast, enjoy a pleasant game drive toward the Maasai village, where MWCT supports a school of more than 700 students. Engage with both the teachers and the students; you can also meet the MWCT doctor at the dispensary supported by the Trust. This visit will provide you with an authentic experience of Maasai culture.

After lunch, enjoy an afternoon game walk or game drive toward the Chyulu Hills on a scenic panoramic road. You’ll see many elands, hartebeests, and giraffes on the way. With luck you could see cats, and often in this game drive we see black serval cats. While on this safari, we’ll continue to monitor the radio-collared lions.

Kenya Family Conservation and Community

Day 7: Wildlife Pays
Overnight Campi ya Kanzi

Spend an entire day witnessing the administration of Wildlife Pays perform the inspection of livestock killed by predators and the consequent issue of credit notes.

If time allows, embark on a late-afternoon safari searching for lions with the Simba Scouts and their radio equipment.

Day 8: Final Day

Take an unforgettable sunrise flight next to Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain of the continent. You’ll be just a few miles away from the snowy peaks; the pink light of the sun’s early rays give a charming color to the glaciers. Fly for an hour and land for breakfast in the bush.

After breakfast, drive to the research camp, where you will be recapping your days spent in the field and sharing all the collected data with the Simba Scouts Coordinator. Enjoy a game drive back to Campi ya Kanzi for lunch, after which you will fly to Nairobi. On arrival in Nairobi, you will be met by your driver. From there, you’ll be transferred to day room at a Nairobi Hotel to enjoy afternoon shopping or to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for your international flight.

Kenya Family Conservation and Community

Location:

280,000-acre private Maasai Reserve in the Chyulu Hills, SE Kenya overlooking Mount Kilimanjaro and bordering Tsavo West, Chyulu, and Amboseli National Parks.

Access:

One hour by private charter from Nairobi, the camp has its own airstrip about a 10-minute drive away.

Lodge:

Campi ya Kanzi is a community project with the local Maasai on a group ranch of 400 square miles. The altitude of the ranch ranges from 3,000 to 6,900 feet, so the land includes a number of different environments from the grasslands of the savannah to green river woodlands to cool mountain forests. The volcanic Chyulu Hills flank the property. The camp is centered around Tembo House, which is constructed of local materials such as lava rocks and grass for the roof, collected locally with high respect for the environment. Tembo House is an open plan dining/living room with a huge vista to many different views. 16 guests are accommodated in six luxury tented cottages and the Hemingway and Simba suites, all set on wooden platforms with thatched roofs and large en-suite bathrooms with hot (solar boiler) and cold running water, special eco-friendly flush toilet, shower, and bidet. The Tembo House has a veranda overlooking Mt. Kilimanjaro and the Tsavo Hills.

Kanzi House
With three doubles and two twins rooms, up to 6 adults and 4 children can be accommodated at Kanzi House. Featuring a 60-foot swimming pool, a Jacuzzi, and a swimming pool cottage, Kanzi House provides a luxurious private experience, while letting guests contribute significantly to the Trust.

Climate:

Temperatures are very comfortable year-round, with daytime highs around 90F/33C and night time lows around 60F/15C. The coolest month is July, with January and February being the warmest. During and just after the short rains of November and April/May, the area is particularly beautiful; everything is green and Kilimanjaro is covered with snow. During this period, the elephant population is at its peak.

Conservation:

The main goal of Campi Ya Kanzi is to make wildlife protection profitable through tourism. The conservation fee charged per person per day is given in full to the Maasai community. This money is used to run conservation programs (e.g. to reimburse the Maasai who have suffered losses because of the wild animals), to provide education and scholarships, and for health services. The camp is one of the most environmentally-friendly camps in Africa, all built with local materials. The 220-volt electricity is provided by solar power, and water is heated with solar boilers. In the kitchen, meals are prepared using special eco-friendly charcoal. Food scraps are composted for use in the vegetable garden. Water, the most precious resource, is cropped from the rains and after use, passes through filters to clean it completely before it goes into two ponds for the wildlife.