Interview: Kenya’s Tourism Minister on Making a Big Bet on Business Travel

Posted by Skift

Workers finish installing a large billboard showing Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta, left, and President Barack Obama, right, in downtown Nairobi, Kenya Thursday, July 23, 2015.  Ben Curtis / Associated Press

A focus on making business travel better can protect Kenya from the more fickle whims of consumer travel trends. 

— Jason Clampet

This week United States President Barack Obama returned to Kenya for the first time since visiting in 2006 when he was a U.S. Senator.

Like a growing number of Kenyan visitors, he’s coming to Nairobi for business, in his case Nairobi’s Global Entrepreneurship Summit. The Summit is just one in a growing number of international business gatherings in Kenya’s capital in the coming year, and signals a renewed focus on the city as one of Africa’s premier destinations for meetings and business.

Last week, Skift sat down with Phyllis Kandie, Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism. She was joined by three colleagues: Anne Kinyua, who is Kenya’s Tourism Secretary; John Kaplich, the group’s Communications Director; and Jacinta Nzioka, Kenya Tourism Board’s Marketing Director.

The group was on a press tour in New York City in hopes of shifting the conversation about Kenyan tourism away from headline-friendly news such as an ongoing concern over terrorism that was best illustrated by the deadly terrorist attack on Nairobi’s Westgate mall in fall 2013. It’s also dealt with a downturn thanks to Ebola fears, despite the fact that Miami, FL is as close to the west African outbreak as Nairobi is.

It’s made recent moves to simplify the visiting experience, such as adding an e-visa option to supplement the existing visa-on-arrival program. It’s also continuing to push its East African shared visa with Kenya, Rwanda, and Uganda.

Skift: When you look ahead either to this year or 2016, what are you excited about?

Minister Kandie: I can tell you with all confidence that we are seeing growth in tourism sector, seeing the numbers coming back over the next one year or so. There’s a new or re-imagined confidence in Kenya as a destination. We’re confident that after this tour that we’ve just had in the U.S. over the past one week, that we’re convinced that trade is excited again. Kenya is back. We’re seeing a growth and for us it’s not just about tourists.

We’re seeing a re-imagined market in terms of business tourists many because there’s a lot of interest in Africa in terms of investment opportunities. Especially after last year’s African summit at the White House a lot of interest in Africa in terms of as the last frontier in terms of investment.

We position ourselves as a country to take advantage of those opportunities. We’re seeing a lot of inquiries and a lot of delegations to come and find out exactly what’s going on and what opportunities are available.

Just this year alone we have the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi that’s happening next week, where President Obama will come. We have the World Trade Organization ministerial summit in December in Nairobi. We have other conferences in between, one of which is the African Travel Association.

Kenya is the transport hub as you know. We’re seeing a new reimagine of tourist that’s coming in. With those two parallels in terms of interest in East Africa as a destination for both investment in tourism, I think we will see the numbers coming back.

Skift: Do you think that business travel replacing some of the leisure travel or is that increasing faster than the leisure travel is returning?

Kandie: I think it’s early days to say it will grow faster but I see a tremendous growth in that area.

What we have done over the past one year is to provide for an East African visa so that we want to ensure that we facilitate the traveler to visit the region. If they’re interested in terms of being an investor then they decide where they want to invest whether it’s in Kenya, Uganda or Rwanda.

Skift: Preferably Kenya.

Kandie: Preferably Kenya, yes. But we quickly saw that opportunity and we’ve responded to that. The other thing that we’re doing obviously is investing in a lot of infrastructure projects or rather providing those opportunities for investors. As you know now infrastructure projects is not confined to one partner state, we’re working as a region. We have huge infrastructure opportunities both in roads and railways in pipelines, in airports, in power generation.

Skift: Can you talk a bit about the investment in airports?

Kandie: I can talk about Nairobi. Nairobi, we just finished a new extension where we been catering for six million passengers as we speak. We’re starting a new field. It will be ready in the year 2017 and it will cater for 20 million passengers. The two projects that are already being constructed. The six million is ready. The one for 20 million is under construction as we speak.

Skift: Do you expect more business travelers there at the beginning because that’s the central place for them to do business there then elsewhere in other countries as opposed to leisure and travelers coming in?

Kandie: Yes, partly that is it because it comes with a whole infrastructure development railway. It’s a whole system all the way from to Lamu to the northern part of Kenya. Lamu is at the coast. It makes it even easier to access that part of the region.

Anne Kinyua: Also to add, even now even when we don’t have a direct flight [from the U.S.] to Kenya, Kenya is still the number two feeder market to Kenya.

Kandie: We expect the numbers to grow.

...

Skift: What’s the one point you’re trying to emphasize about Kenya right now?

Kandie: I think just to reemphasize that really Kenya is back and Kenya is back with a fresh product that has more diversity, that can serve clients from business all the way to leisure.

Kenya is safe to visit with all this investments that are coming through from world leaders like the Pope and Obama and Ban Ki-moon and huge international conferences like WTO and the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.

Kenya is safe to visit and I think that’s very important. We put about 12% of our budget into the security sector. Also, it’s important to say that we have working with our international partners to address these problems, which are global. A lot of it is really intelligence sharing which we are on top of, not only from at the international arena but also community sharing information with governments. We want to believe that we have surmounted the problem. 90% of Kenya is safe, especially to westerners and western companies.

Five Places President Obama Should Visit While in Kenya

Posted by The New York Times

A herd of elephants in the Masai Mara. CreditJames Hill for The New York Times

As President Barack Obama lands in Kenya on Friday, concerns about security during his two-day visit will limit his movements to the capital, Nairobi. The trip, his first there as president, is a homecoming of sorts for Mr. Obama who visited the African nation and the birthplace of his father in 1988 but hasn’t been back since. Given the constraints of presidential security, Mr. Obama won’t have much chance to visit a country that has plenty to offer, including Africa’s second-highest mountain, wildlife reserves and an elephant rescue center.

Here are five places that travelers to Kenya — including President Obama — should consider:

Masai Mara National Reserve

The “Great Migration” has just arrived in Kenya’s Masai Mara National Reserve, and there’s no better time to see the spectacle of some 1.4 million wildebeest, 250,000 Burchell’s zebras and a smattering of trailing Thomson’s gazelles making the yearlong, round-trip trek from Tanzania’s Serengeti to the Masai Mara. Marett Taylor, a travel expert at upscale trip outfitter Abercrombie & Kent who has spent half her life in Kenya, said that a hot-air balloon ride is the best way to take in its magnitude.

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

The Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, a Unesco World Heritage site in northern Kenya, is home to 12 percent of Kenya’s black rhinoceros population and the largest single population of Grévy’s zebras in the world. The best way to discover this is in a mobile tented camp, likely the most authentic form of safari, and a true immersion into the sights and sounds of the bush, said Ms. Taylor.

Daphne Sheldrick’s Orphanage

Daphne Sheldrick’s Orphanage just outside Nairobi is the place to go to see young elephants lovingly interact with their handlers. It is run by the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a pioneering organization that looks after orphaned elephants. These elephants are usually abandoned because members of their herd have been killed by poachers. The organization has rescued more than a 150 baby elephants that might not have survived otherwise.

Lake Victoria

Lake Victoria is the second largest freshwater lake in the world and the largest in Africa. Michael King, the owner of the Kansas City-based Great Getaways Travel and a Kenya specialist, recommends visiting the Chimpanzee Sanctuary on Ngamba Island where 50 of the animals roam around freely. Ms. Taylor said that the lake is home to the Luo tribe who are experts in fishing.

Mount Kenya
Towering at 17,000 feet and Africa’s second highest mountain after Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya is an hour’s flight northeast of Nairobi. The climb up and ascent back down takes about five days. “It’s intense,” said Mr. King, “but the sights from the top are beautiful and you get far less cloud cover than Kilimanjaro.”

World Calendar: Must-Attend Events in August

Posted by National Geographic, Intelligent Travel

The single-humped dromedary has been the mode of transport, and a way of life, for people in the Maralal region in northern Kenya for centuries. Maralal, the town that plays host to the annual camel derby, is home to the Samburu people, an ethnic group closely related to the Maasai. (Photograph by Kenya Tourism Board)

There are some amazing events on tap all over the world, all the time. Here’s a taste of what you can see and do in August: 

• Most of the world’s premier horse races have come and gone by August. But what about other ungulates? See camels vie for the finish line at the Maralal Camel Derby in northern Kenya. The hillside market town of Maralal comes to life for this high-energy event that blends sport and culture for a truly unique experience. (August 19-21)

Five O'Clock Somewhere: On The Heights And Plains At Saruni Samburu, Kenya

Posted by ForbesLife

Sundowners in a ravine, with Kenya’s sacred, flat-topped Mt. Ololokwe hulking before you, is as primal as Five O’Clock gets. On the short Land Rover drive down from Saruni Samburu’s crested perch, you’ll pass cute little dik-dik antelope scurrying in the bush, and gerenuk gazelles standing upright to feed on bushes. You’ll surely stop to let elephants amble across your path. 

You’re not likely accustomed to consuming a cocktail while staring down at lion paw prints in the sand below you. But once you taste the mean limoncello G and T concocted by Saruni’s resident guide-turned-bartender Chris Letu, all hesitation will be gone.

At sundowner time, Grevy’s zebras cross the plains in front of Mt. Ololokwe.—Courtesy Saruni Samburu

With so many suitable spots in which to exhaust all of Saruni’s Five O’Clock possibilities, you’d need to make a week of your stay. The property hangs over a rock outcropping surrounded by plains that stretch forever, with a clear view of massive Mt. Kenya looming in the distance to the south. High on any guest’s list for drink locations, the upper infinity pool is built at the property’s highest and furthest point. Down below, at several waterholes disparate animal species from leopards, to long-horned oryx and Grevy’s zebra gather to drink as the sun sets. Cow bells tinkle on the plains below as herders head home with their beasts.

Head to the Saruni Samburu main building on another evening, however, and you can bask in the rays pouring into the open-air lounge space. Saruni lies right along a migratory corridor between conservation areas, and you’ll soon realize that those dark, moving specks below are herds of elephants passing by. It’s time then to break out the binocs and order a whiskey by the fire pit. Soon enough, a lightening show may well flash as the stars come out.

Saruni’s Moroccan themed main lodge is aglow at sunset. —Courtesy Saruni Samburu

What a surprise in North Central Kenya to be served lunches of focaccia, penne with cheese, linguine with capers, or quiche. The setting may be casual, but the owners are Italian and have a strict chef training program in place. Which ensures that dinner consists of more fine flavors: spinach lasagna one night, lamb in mint, ginger pork, or risotto another. 

In the afternoon, bird calls from any number of 260 species fill the air and breezes flow into your villa as you lie back to watch the cloud play, and lizards lounging on the wall. Later, during your massage in the spa, the local leopard might even pop her head into the door.

On your next sundowner in the bush, guide Chris can explain the use of local plants for tea and medicinal purposes, and share traditional Samburu rituals. At his ”warrior academy” you try your hand at shooting a bow and arrow, and throwing a spear through a hoop rolled in front of you as a target. 

If you clean up later in your villa’s outdoor shower, and keep all the lights off, the long Matthews Range will be silhouetted against the fading light to the west. Who says you can’t enjoy another sundowner right from there. 

Animals as small as a genet cat up to a reticulated giraffe might walk down below, while elephants and lions can be heard in the distance. And late at night, maybe that leopard will growl somewhere outside in the rock outcroppings. Then, you really will need a drink.

Get a wildlife conservancy all to yourself at Saruni Samburu

Posted by Glamping.com

As our tiny plane dipped beneath the clouds and we caught our first glimpse of the arid plains stretched out below, a collective hush fell over the cabin. Before the plane’s wheels had even touched down on the dirt runway in Samburu, Kenya, we could see our guide Chris, dressed in a cerulean shuka and smiling broadly. Joining Chris in the Land Rover, we headed off to Saruni Samburu, a six-villa lodge atop a rocky hill in the Kalama Community Wildlife Conservancy.

The drive from the airstrip to Saruni Samburu doubles as a game drive. Bumping along the craggy road, we ogled giraffes grazing, impala and gerenuk striding across the plains, and sparrow-weavers sitting high above the action. Chris expertly guided the Land Rover up the steep, rocky pass to the resort and delivered us just in time for lunch with the young camp manager James. Saruni’s owners are Italian and its local chef quite skilled at producing classic Italian dishes. Over two days, we happily tucked into fettuccine with zucchini and capers, risotto, and focaccia, with sides like tender roasted vegetables or a fresh avocado and tomato salad. On our first toasty afternoon, we were delighted to see staffers Kennedy and Peter emerge from the pantry bearing house-made coffee ice cream with biscotti.

Of Saruni Samburu’s six villas, four can accommodate families. The whole lodge runs in a zigzag astride a hilltop, with one villa on the descent, just down the path from the main lodge, and the rest, along with the gift shop, on the ascent. There are two pools, one on a path running down from the main lodge and one at the very top of the resort. No matter where we were on the property—whether lying in bed, soaking in the tub, or enjoying the outdoor shower—we were awed by the breathtaking views of Kalama Conservancy and Mount Kenya. All of the villas have private verandahs, ideal for sunset drinks à deux.

Saruni Samburu is the only lodge in the Kalama Conservancy, which covers more than 200,000 acres. Its list of activities reads like a summer camp brochure: bird watching, bush walking, trekking up sacred Mount Ololokwe, visiting ancient caves, bush breakfasts and, as an antidote to all that, swimming. Day-time game drives take place in Kalama Conservancy and neighboring Buffalo Springs National Park and Samburu National Park; on our second day, we were thrilled to park a stone’s throw from a herd of some two dozen elephants, watching as they cooled off in the Ewaso Niro River. Following a sundowner, Saruni runs night game drives, which are allowed only in the conservancy.

We were eager to see a school and the lodge seamlessly arranged for us to go by Kiltimany Primary School on our way to visit the village of the same name. Meeting the 200-odd students here was a wonderful experience. We kicked around the soccer balls we’d brought, played games, told jokes, and generally had a blast. Towards the end of our visit, two of the classes sang for us, which was quite touching. Saruni Samburu partners with Pack for a Purpose, so guests wishing to bring donations know exactly what’s needed and that it’ll go right to the school.

Saruni’s most unique activity is its Warriors Academy, which can run from one day to one week. Here, guests get an lesson on the history of the Samburu people, meet and shadow real Maasai and Samburu warriors, and learn from them myriad skills. These include tracking wildlife, shooting bows and arrows, throwing spears, building a fire and a bush camp, and tending to cattle and goats. Anyone with nimble fingers can try their hand at making the vibrant beaded collars the Samburu wear. For inspiration, visit to the lodge’s gift shop, where proceeds from many of the lovely pieces go back to the local community.

Hemingways Nairobi: Living in Luxury Among Lions

Posted by 25A Magazine

Nairobi can be intimidating for a first-time visitor. First, there’s the sea of people in long airport lines, followed by the wagon-wheel spoke pattern of tedious traffic jams the minute you leave the parking lot. Then, there’s the steady march of pedestrians walking too close for comfort to the roads and highways. And then are bastions of big baboons that sit waiting for handouts (happen to have apple or candy bar in your car?) lining the lush green rural roads as you come into Karen, an area east town where many visitors stay. Mind you, entering Nairobi for the first time is exciting—yes even exhilarating—still it can be slightly overwhelming, especially after a long flight from New York.
But I have a cure for that.

 
What first-time travelers need is a way to ease into Africa a little at a time. A good night’s sleep in a clean, well-lighted place will give you all the fortification your body and spirit may need and will enable you to see all the chaos of Kenya as merely exciting pieces of a grand African adventure.
My solution? Check into Hemingways Nairobi.

Ernest “Papa” Hemingway would be proud of this place, a luxury hotel set against the backdrop of the Ngong Hills on land that was once the coffee farm of Out of Africa author Karen Blixen (aka Isak Dinesen). Sure, many fans of the macho great white hunter Hemingway picture Papa in the wild: wearing khakis and a pith helmet, shaving with a mirror hung on a tree branch, using a canvas sack sink and a bucket shower, sleeping on an old green army cot in a low tent. They imagine him roughing it in the bush or at least sleeping in concrete cell-like hotel rooms with a one-bladed ceiling fan spinning overhead. But do they know Papa and (3rd wife) Mary spent months at a time living at The Ritz in Paris?

Sure, Hemingway could rough it with the best of his macho compadres, but the truth is he often stayed at posh high-end hotels. And why not? Who doesn’t love a hot shower, crisp ironed sheets, and cups of strong espresso? Who wouldn’t enjoy a smooth Scotch sundowner drink in a leather Chesterfield sofa lined bar with an attentive bartender and pleasant low lighting?

A plantation-style boutique hotel in the tony green subdivision of Karen, Hemingways Nairobi is an exclusive all-suite property that feels like it’s far from the bustle of central Nairobi, even though it’s just a serene chauffeur-driven ride from the city. A sophisticated, but still casual enough to feel comfortable, property providing full butler service, a gourmet restaurant, brasserie and bar, Hemingways is situated perfectly for quick side trips to Nairobi National Park, the Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage, and other local attractions.
Hemingways Nairobi has a tranquil ambiance. Each of the 45 suites is a generous size, all with walk-in dressing rooms and a terrace with arresting views of the Ngong Hills. Enjoy a light lunch in the Brasserie overlooking the well-tended gardens.

The subdivision of Karen, where Hemingways Nairobi is set, is the site of Karen Blixen’s farm, as highlighted in the film Out of Africa. Her house is now a museum less than a mile from the hotel. While there, take an exhilarating trip to Nairobi National Park to see buffalo, giraffe, lion, leopard, baboon, zebra, wildebeest, rhino and cheetah. Then return to Hemingways Nairobi for international cuisine in the fine dining restaurant with its Hollywood theme inspired by movies about Africa, featuring a wall filled with quotes about Africa from movies and writers, including Hemingway himself.

Each of the suites at Hemmingways is named for famous people with ties to Africa. There is a Hollywood wing with rooms celebrating actors, like William Holden who filmed movies here before buying the Mount Kenya Country Club. There is also a writer’s wing with suites celebrating famous writers like Hemingway, Beryl Markham, Karen Blixen and more. There’s even an explorers’ wing with suites dedicated to people like Dr. David Livingstone (“Livingstone, I presume?”). I’ve long been fascinated with Out of Africa author Karen Blixen, so I was pleased to book the Blixen Suite—which is one of the finest suites I’ve ever had the privilege of enjoying.

Entering the Blixen Suite, I felt as though I’d entered my own large posh apartment. The pale yellow walls matched the color of the afternoon sun that fell on the hills outside the suite’s two big verandas. Guests are greeted by fresh flowers in the sitting room, dining room, bedroom and baths, and when I arrived an ice bucket in my room held a cold bottle of champagne.

A butler, Maxwell, was never more than a phone call away and was constantly ready to spoil me. He first came and showed me how to use the television and music system and all the light controls, and then asked if he could unpack my clothes or draw a bath for me. That evening, Maxwell even left a hand-written poem tucked into a little scroll on the dresser by my bed during the turn-down service. Such thoughtful small touches set Hemingways apart from other hotels in the area.
  
To help loosen the tense muscles after a long flight, schedule a massage at Hemingways spa, where beauticians will perform the sacred rituals and the secret arts of cleansing and reinvigoration. Be sure to book the hotels signature Kenya Coffee Scrub Ritual, an invigorating coffee exfoliation followed by a nourishing full body massage. Afterward, relax in a resting room overlooking the pool with views of the Ngong Hills or visit the salon where professional stylists and beauticians can take care of your coiffure, manicure, pedicure, threading and waxing. There is nothing but peace and pampering at Hemingways.
  
Author Karen Blixen writes, “You know you are truly alive when you’re living among lions.” Hemingways may seem like a posh international hotel, complete with a spa, fine restaurants and good bars—and certainly it is—but what makes it special is that, even though it is safe and gated, still there you are living among lions, and Africa, a land of wild adventure, waits outside its doors.  
Papa would have loved this place.

hemingways-nairobi.com

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World's Most Amazing Helicopter Rides

Posted by Fodor's Travel

The sound of whirring blades, the feeling of liftoff, and the stunning views of the ground falling away from you can only be found one way: aboard a helicopter. Whether you’re flying over the Hong Kong skyline or hovering above Iguazu Falls, a heart-stopping, jaw-dropping ride will thrill adrenaline junkies and avid photographers looking for the perfect, unobstructed shot. Some landscapes simply demand a view from above, so climb aboard one of these twenty helicopter rides for an unforgettable experience.

By Abbey Chase

LAIKIPIA PLATEAU, KENYA

Kenya’s western territory is one of the country’s less-visited areas, but its wildlife conservation efforts have made it one of the best places to see Kenya’s unspoiled scenery away from the crowds. The diverse landscape includes semideserts, scrubland, cedar and olive tree forests, and wide expanses of savannah. Helicopter rides in the area can take you past the 17,000-foot peak of Mount Kenya and the dramatic sheer cliffs of Ol Lolokwe. Three-day safaris with Tropic Air begin in Nairobi; traverse the deserts of Northern Kenya, the Hoodoo Valley, Lake Logipi, and the Suguta sand dunes; and end at the Melako Conservancy.

Plan Your Trip: Visit Fodor’s Kenya Travel Guide

Five O'Clock Somewhere: Giraffe Manor, Nairobi's Animal Haven

Posted by ForbesLife


Giraffes enjoy run of the land at the 1930s Giraffe Manor.–Courtesy The Safari Collection/Giraffe Manor

When Nairobi is green during the rainy season cute warthogs meander around the Giraffe Manor lawn serving as mini lawnmowers. As the sun sets over the distant Ngong Hills, the little guys are pure entertainment when you kick back on the property’s patios to nurse an extra-large bottle of local Tusker lager. Or, maybe you prefer to sit back with a G and T in the plush drawing room, where you’ll enjoy an equally fine view out the picture windows.

The big draw at Giraffe Manor is, of course, the namesake creatures who are thoroughly habituated to living on the hotel compound. At present, the property has nine individuals from the endangered Rothschild species who come around to the vine-clad manor insisting on snacks which the staff keeps available in handy pellet form.

With drink in one hand, you’ll soon get the hang of holding out your other hand and having an 18-inch-long tongue nimbly extract every morsel. And you and the giraffes will play this game for as long as they decide to keep hanging out before ambling back into the woods.

Before retiring for candlelight dinner in the intimate wood-paneled dining room, you will want to explore the manor’s several outer buildings, including an orchid house and a gift shop of high-quality Kenyan crafts. Visual artists displayed in the manor are for sale as well: In the high-ceilinged lobby hang several of Alexandra Spytlatos’s large format, mixed-media giraffe paintings. Nairobi-born Andrew Kamiti is a self-taught artist known for his bird paintings; silver animals rendered in the lost wax technique are by jewelry maker Patrick Mavros.

Resident giraffes just can't stay out of the manor's breakfast room. –Courtesy The Safari Collection/Giraffe Manor

You can further entertain yourself reading nature books by the huge fireplace in the drawing room which is filled with wool rugs and objets like an old Victrola. Photos from the early-1930s when the manor was new depict stars like Ava Gardner and Clarke Gable, and show ranch hands lassoing rhinos in order to transfer them in those pre-tranquilizer days. For fans of those old Out of Africa days, the Karen Blixen Museum in her former home is minutes away. 

Not far away too is the celebrated David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust where twice a day the public can watch staff feed baby elephants as they wallow in mud pits. You won’t want to leave without fostering an individual elephant whose entire life bio will be shared with you. Right next door to the manor, the Giraffe Centre supports education and conservation.

Back at Giraffe Manor, you’ll always find a hot water bottle under your sheets, and a nightly giraffe fun fact card placed on the bedstand (e.g., giraffes only sleep five minutes at a time). Come morning, the pacing giants are active again. Just be careful as you enjoy your breakfast of eggs, fresh fruit, and Kenyan coffee, as they will poke their neck through the window and perhaps whack you hard on the head. Just grab some food pellets and start taking those selfies.

Off the Grid: Rustic Luxury in the Maasai Mara

Posted by Glamping.com

When was the last time you sat down to eat with an interesting mixed group, surrounded by wide-open plains, the stars blazing overhead, and not a single distraction? This is standard mealtime at Naboisho Camp, an all-inclusive safari camp inside the 55,000-acre Mara Naboisho Conservancy, within Kenya’s Great Rift Valley.

Our safari began in earnest when, dressed in standard Maasai checkered shuka, our guides Wilson and Benjamin greeted us at the Mara Serena airstrip. Piling into the open Land Cruiser, we set off on the 45-minute game drive that would lead us to Naboisho Camp. The intimate nine-tent camp is one of just seven housed in this exclusive conservancy, which is community-owned. It’s part of the Greater Mara Region and borders the Maasai Mara National Reserve.

Less than 10 minutes into our drive, with Wilson and Benjamin’s keen eyes on the bush surrounding us, we’d spotted a sounder of warthogs, which led us all to think fondly of Pumbaa, the flatulent warthog from The Lion King. Just ahead was a striking Acacia tree from whose branches hung a few dozen nests belonging to the social weaver. By the time we pulled into Naboisho Camp, we’d seen a few giraffe, a zeal of zebra, a gorgeous lilac-breasted roller (Kenya’s national bird), and a herd of antelope—and that was all before lunch.

Meals at Naboisho Camp are a communal affair, served either outdoors in the shade of a big Acacia tree or on a long wooden table in the dining room. There is no Internet (in emergencies, the office computer can be used) and this renders mealtimes full of good conversation. Camp managers Helen and Roelof Schutte sit down to dinner nightly with guests; on our first night at Naboisho, over a salad of snap peas and tomatoes, we learned that after college, Helen worked at Disney World, inside the Animal Kingdom park. On the second night, we spoke with Roelof about his experiences growing up in South Africa.

After dinner, our group retreated to the fireplace to continue our discussion over drinks, but guests tend to turn in early at Naboisho Camp, happily worn out from a day of game-drives. At night, a ranger accompanies each guest back to his or her tent, though tent really does not do justice to the accommodations at Naboisho Camp. This is glamping in the truest sense of the word. Each of the nine tents (two of which are for families) has a verandah with day bed, wicker chairs, and an infinite view of the bush. Ensuite bathrooms have a flush toilet and hot running water shower; towels are thick and plentiful. The plush beds are a most welcome respite after a day in the Landcruiser. Rangers patrol the property all night, and on the desk in each room are a flashlight, an air horn, and a walkie-talkie whose calls go to the staff. In the morning, we watched the sun rise over the grass, sipping coffee and munching a few biscuits that had been delivered at our requested wake-up time.

Days at Naboisho Camp start with either breakfast in the main lodge or with a morning game drive and bush picnic. Sitting in the shade of a tree, sipping Kenyan tea and coffee and tucking into a veritable feast is a lovely way to begin a day of activities. Naboisho offers game drives and bush walks and can easily arrange visits to a nearby homestead, where you can meet a local Maasai family. We had picked up a soccer ball in Nairobi, and as the sun set over the plains, we kicked it around with the half dozen kids in the homestead. It’s hard to decide which is a better way to end a day at Naboisho Camp: watching pint-sized locals trying to score a goal, or having a sundowner around the roaring bonfire while listening to the guides’ stories. Luckily, you don’t have to choose.

Kenya's Best Eco-Resorts

Hemingways Nairobi: Living in Luxury Among Lions

Posted by 25A Magazine