|
|
PORINI ECOTOURISM CAMP- AMBOSELI
Porini Ecotourism Camp is situated in
the Eselenkei Conservation Area, found a few miles north of Amboseli National
Park. It’s an important dispersal area and rangeland for wildlife migrating
out of Amboseli. The area is well
off the beaten track and has not been visited by tourists until now. It lies in
the heart of Maasailand and the animals are truly wild and not yet habituated to
the presence of vehicles. The numbers of tourist visitors are being limited to a
maximum of 8 per day to retain the wild and un-spoilt nature of the area and to
minimize the impact on the environment.
Within the Conservation Area the following animals have been seen in recent months: elephant, lion, leopard, cheetah, Thomson's and Grant's gazelles, gerenuk, impala, Oryx, lesser kudu, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, warthog, striped hyena, jackals, bat-eared fox, African wild cat, serval cat, genet cat, mongoose, ostrich, honey badger and porcupine. Lots of bird life, especially birds of prey is seen daily.
Accommodation while on safari is at Porini Camp, within the conservation area. The facilities include 4 brand new spacious guest tents, comfortably furnished and with en suite bathrooms including shower, wash basin and flush toilet. The camp is small and is on the lines of the traditional luxury safari camp but with more comfortable bathroom arrangements than were available to the big game hunters of earlier years! The camp is private is only available to clients on an escorted safari itinerary with a maximum of 8 guests.
Transport on this safari is on specially designed Toyota Land cruiser 4-wheel drive safari vehicle. Going on safari in a "proper" safari vehicle gives a far better safari experience than traveling in the vans with window seats used by other tour operators! And as Eselenkei Conservation Area is a private game reserve you will not see any other vehicles or minibuses
In May 1997 Porini Ecotourism agreed with the local Maasai community to set aside the area as a reserve for wildlife so that the habitat could be protected and wildlife conserved. The community is receiving a rent for the lease of the area by Porini Ecotourism plus an entry fee for each tourist visitor. A network of tracks has been installed for access to the Conservation Area and game viewing by four-wheel drive vehicle. All roads have been constructed using local Labour so that members of the community gain employment from the Conservation Area. In addition to the road maintenance team, ten Game Scouts have been employed to carry out patrols to see that the wildlife is protected.
Porini Ecotourism has also been involved in assisting the community in repairing their windmill pump, in providing uniforms for the Community Game Scouts, in donating funds towards developing the primary school and nursery school and in deepening an existing watering hole for the community livestock. For a reservation to Porini Ecotourism, call EA-ECOCONSULT on Tel +254 722 407558-email volunteersafrica@yahoo.com.
SARARA ECOTOURISM LODGE
The lodge is situated on Namunyak Conservation Area. Namunyak is a vast Samburu community wilderness area, administered by the Namunyak Wildlife Conservation Trust in close conjunction with the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. The conservation area is an un-spoilt wilderness with few roads. The trust therefore emphasizes on walking excursions with local Samburu game scouts as guides. Riding camels are provided at no extra charge to carry equipment for fly camps and picnics. During the heat of the day, the camp has a free form swimming pool as well as a nearby natural rock water slide – offering great fun for all the family.
The conservation area is host to many elephant during the dry season. The nearby Sarara wells provide the only permanent water for many miles. There are numerous buffalo, which however prefer the forested hillsides during the drier periods, venturing down into the low country in the wet season. Lion and cheetah are resident at all times but are easily seen. The Leopard is very common too.
Wild dog has also been seen in a group of 30. Other animals are Grevy’s Zebra, reticulated Giraffe, Gerenuk, Dikdik, Black-Rhino and a host of other wildlife. The camp is run by Acacia Trails, and work in hand with the Samburu community. The Sarara area therefore maintains a low impact on the environment, and provides quality tourism. The local community is also assisted to earn a living. For a reservation to Sarara Ecotourism Lodge, call EA-ECOCONSULT on Tel +254 722 407558-email volunteersafrica@yahoo.com.