Sarara Camp

The region surrounding Sarara Camp was recently devoid of most of its wildlife, having been scourged by poaching. Championing ecotourism, the Sarara Foundation stepped in to create community driven initiatives, which have helped lead to its ecological revival.

Indigenous people have a huge part to play in African conservation projects. The Namunyak Conservancy, where Sarara Camp falls within, is home to around 23,000 semi-nomadic Samburu pastoralists. The conservation of wildlife and natural habitats here are dependent on there being beneficial opportunities to the Samburu. The Sarara Foundation has developed a nomadic education system, created a mobile health clinic and implemented training schemes to empower individuals and promote more self-governance. The wildlife has benefitted greatly, thanks to the many locals that have been employed as rangers, or as elephant keepers at an elephant orphanage operating inside the conservancy. Elephant and endangered reticulated giraffe are two species that have hugely benefitted from this symbiotic relationship between community of people and wildlife.

Sarara Camp is an all-inclusive luxury safari camp, more akin to a lodge, albeit you’ll be sleeping under canvas. The tented rooms come with beautifully designed interiors, whilst there are plenty of wonderfully carved wooden fixtures such as the exquisite private verandas and communal decking space. A small swimming pool can provide welcome respite in the warmer hours of the day, and excellent meals are prepared and served in a communal setting, overlooking the waterhole where elephants and other ungulates – perhaps even a leopard if you’re lucky – come to have a drink.