A private paradise in the heart of Kenya

When you go off the beaten track in East Africa, you don’t just discover new places – you also glimpse alternative facets to this diverse region. Away from the major parks there’s a world of surprises, unique wildlife encounters and stunning luxury camps to be discovered.

Our recent stay at Ekorian’s Mugie Camp in Kenya’s Laikipia region was a prime example of this. Located in the Mugie Sanctuary, this camp is surrounded by a bewildering array of wildlife. During our visit, some of the most memorable sightings happened just a walk away from camp, at the nearby Mugie Dam. We watched as large herds of elephants gathered here for their daily drink at noon and we spent an evening watching a cheetah stalk her prey. We even spotted a leopard, which, as one of Africa’s more secretive creatures, always provides a moment to savour.

The mess tent at Ekorian's Mugie Camp

The dam and the wider Mugie Conservancy are home to countless more species too. Lions, buffalo, giraffes, zebras and warthogs are among the area’s impressive mammal population. And it’s a dream for bird-watchers, with over 280 species attracted to the dam alone, including migratory birds from as far away as Siberia.

As for the Ekorian’s Mugie accommodation, it’s everything you’d want from a wilderness camp. Simple decked tents, rustic log supports and thatched roofs create a calm, natural look but step inside and details like the stylish furnishings and comfy beds bring comfort and luxury. Plus, providing running hot water and flush toilets is no mean feat in such a remote setting. On top of all this, the camp manages to be a certified eco-lodge, thanks to its solar power and environmentally sensitive construction.

A bedroom tent opening up to the stunning Mugie Sanctuary beyond

The passion and dedication of the couple who run Ekorian – Josh and Donna Perrett – make for fantastic service. The food is fresh and delicious and the owners take time and care to make guests feel at home. It’s even the ideal spot to take young children. Living out here with kids of their own, the Perretts are more than qualified to tailor for younger African adventurers. And with countless activities on offer – swimming, kayaking, golf, cultural visits, bush walks and camel rides to name but a few – there’s a feast of adventure to be had here for guests of all generations.
 
Why not include a trip to Ekorian’s Mugie Camp as part of your next safari? As well as getting a definite thumbs-up from Africa House following our own highly enjoyable stay there, it’s also a chance to explore a lesser travelled but beautiful and wildlife-rich area deep in the Kenyan wilderness.

Out on its own

A long way from the familiar National Parks and Reserves, in Kenya’s remote Northern Frontier lies Sarara, a small, intimate tented camp surrounded by wilderness. The only accommodation for miles around, this is truly wild and immersive. It also happens to have style, luxury, amazing food and exemplary eco credentials.
 
Wild and free

Being off the beaten track has its benefits. While the major wildlife regions such as the Masai Mara and Amboseli offer the must-see thrills of abundant game viewing in classic safari country, delving deeper into the more mysterious northern parts of Kenya reveals a whole other aspect to Africa and one which many guests find intensely rewarding.
 

Sarara's infinity pool and the mountain view beyond

One obvious benefit of a location like this is experiencing the space and beauty of Africa with relatively few other people around. The quietness brings out the timeless quality of Africa’s wilderness and can be powerfully moving.
 
Another great advantage of Sarara’s particular location on the Namunyak Range in Laikipia, is that despite having less wildlife than the big safari regions, it’s brilliant for spotting some of Africa’s more unusual and elusive species. Guests at Sarara often enjoy sightings of leopards, African wild dogs, lesser kudus and aardwolves, to name but a few. And unlike in the big parks, there’s the distinct bonus of being allowed to wander on foot in bush walks.
 
The wildlife is far from being the only spectacle to take in here. The dramatically pointed mountains of Mathews Range make a stunning focal point, and rugged bushland unfold all around.

Comfort and charm

With such beautiful surroundings, the Sarara camp has a lot to live up to – and obligingly, it delivers in abundance. Comfortingly rustic camping charm combines with chic touches, high-ceilinged tents and great personal facilities (basics like running water, electric lighting and indoor flushing toilets become assets that you can suddenly appreciate in a place so remote).
 

Rustic luxury - one of Sarara's bedroom tents

A real treat is a natural rock infinity pool with in which you can gaze out at the splendour of the mountain range beyond. The pool also overlooks the nearby watering hole, so while you lounge in the water, you might be entertained by elephants or kudus as they drop off daily for a drink.
 
An eco dream

Sarara’s thoughtful regard to its relationship with the environment and local community add yet further points to its sizeable list of merits. Much of its food is grown organically on-site. Its water is supplied by is a gravity-fed system from the mountains. Building materials have been locally sourced with minimal impact.
 
But the wider picture is the success of the community conservation project in which Sarara Camp plays an important part. Working together with the local Samburu community, the Namunyak Wildlife Conservation Trust has transformed this region, helping to protect wildlife and halt the elephant poaching which had previously been rife here. Sustainable tourism practised by the likes of Sarara has been crucial in incentivising this environmental protection.
 
Sarara offers pure eco luxury and is a testament to how good tourism can be when it’s small-scale, high-quality and delivered with passion and conviction. We’d happily stay there time and time again. And if this fits with your own dream of Africa, we’d love to take you there too.

Embracing responsible tourism

The chance to travel to remote reaches of the planet is one of modern life’s great privileges. Escaping for a week or two to immerse yourself in places and cultures which are a world away from your own is a unique experience which may be relaxing, invigorating, educational, or even spiritual.
 

Responsible tourism is about
treading lightly.

But there is an increasing awareness that alongside these profound benefits, tourism can also come at a cost to local communities and to the environment. This concern is behind the rising trend towards more ethical forms of tourism.

Being a responsible traveller entails making an effort to minimise the negative impacts of your holiday – both socially and environmentally. It is about interacting meaningfully with the people and places you visit, treading lightly and developing a respect for and an understanding of the cultures and environments you encounter.

More than just business

Small, bespoke travel operators like us at Africa House Safaris have ethical principles embedded in the way we operate. For a start, we’re based in East Africa, so the places to which we take our guests are home to us. And our relationships with our guides and with the owners of the lodges and camps we use are personal, lasting friendships – rather than just business arrangements based purely on profit and gain.

The camps we use are friendly and personal,
allowing guests to get to know their hosts.

One of the ways we like to foster a connection between our guests and local communities is through arranging stays at the homes of some of our friends here in East Africa. These occasions afford an intimate insight into the culture and lifestyle of people who live and work here — and are a far cry from the custom of package holiday tourists descending on communities en masse to scrutinize them. In home stays, the onus is on authenticity and mutually respectful connections.

Sustainable destinations

At Africa House, we’re keen to take guests to lodges and attractions which are run with sustainability in mind. A great example of this is the Ol Malo Trust, a private game sanctuary in Kenya. Ol Malo is engaged in a number of projects aimed at empowering the Samburu people in terms of education, employment, sustainable environment practices and health. Notably, the Trust has enhanced the lives of hundreds of local families by treating and helping to prevent trachoma, an eye disease which is common in the region.


A guest at Ol Malo, Kenya, a game sanctuary
with positive social and environmental aims.

Our forthcoming special tours also feature visits to important social and environmental projects. For example, guests on next month’s Spring Break Safari will pay a visit to Daphne Sheldrick’s Elephant Orphange. In late June, our Painting Safari will include a trip to the Lumo Community Wildlife Sanctuary, which is doing valuable work in protecting its rich biodiversity. Going to places like these serves the dual purpose of providing a valuable insight into the cultural and natural heritage present in East Africa, and in supporting the very projects which help to protect it.



Eco credentials

For guests who’d like the full eco-experience, we can incorporate accommodation with the very highest green credentials when we design your safari itinerary. A striking example of this is Lemarti’s Camp, in Laikipia, which we featured in last month’s newsletter. With its use of locally-sourced, eco-friendly products and materials, natural construction and low energy demands, it’s hard to imagine a more sustainably run camp.

Guests enjoy opportunities for cultural insights
through spending time with tribespeople.

Even with the best intentions to travel with ethical principles, one sadly inevitable impact for most people visiting Africa is that of air travel. At Africa House, we do what we can to offset the contribution to climate change caused through aviation emissions through our tree planting pledge. To help reduce our carbon footprint we are planting ten trees for every guest we take on safari this year.

Travelling to somewhere as beautiful as East Africa can never be enjoyed without some impacts. But at Africa House we believe we minimise these effects through the choices we make in supporting the people and places which are run sensitively and sustainably. We think that the opportunities for mutual understanding brought by the interaction between our guests and the communities and natural wonders they visit can even be a force for good.