Elephant Watch Camp

Situated in Kenya's Samburu National Reserve, near the banks of the Ewaso Ngiro River, Elephant Watch Camp is an eco-luxurious retreat managed by a team of amiable staff and professional guides who collaborate with leading conservationists to visit and support the local elephant population.

The camp is managed by Oria Douglas-Hamilton, who has been studying elephants for over 40 years and has shared her scientific discoveries with the world. The camp features six cozy tents with bathrooms, all constructed from natural materials, including trees felled by elephants. These tents are situated in a woodland by the Ewaso Nyiro River. The camp emphasizes eco-friendly principles, obtaining electricity from solar power, sourcing food locally from the Mt. Kenya foothills or their organic farm in Naivasha, and meticulously managing and recycling waste.

A Fusion of Luxury and Sustainability

Elephant Watch represents the pinnacle of luxurious eco-living and an exceptional wildlife adventure. With strong connections to elephant conservation in Kenya’s Samburu National Reserve, it offers an uncompromised African adventure. Guests can spend their days observing wild animals, guided by knowledgeable professionals and meet leading conservationists. Upon returning to camp, they will luxury that is deeply considerate of the environment. retreat provides an escape from the chaos of modern life, offering a rejuvenating connection with nature.

Accommodation at Elephant Watch Camp

Six spacious, netted tents at Elephant Watch Camp are designed to catch the breeze and ensure maximum privacy and protection. Each tent hangs under a wide thatched roof with its veranda and stunning view. The walls are a mix of canvas and netting which keeps bugs out but allows in the sounds and scents of the wild. Cold mineral water is stored inside the tent and fresh tea, coffee or fresh fruit juice is delivered in the morning.

Each room has a king-size bed with cotton sheets, feather pillows, bedside lamps, a torch, towels, a kanga bathrobe and a “bush cupboard” with plenty of space. The wide veranda includes a daybed. Bathrooms are en suite and each built around a tree for maximum shade and privacy. Hand-painted buckets are filled with clean cool water by day, so are steaming hot by the evening. Laundry is collected every day.

Cell phone reception is available through Safaricom/Vodaphone and Airtel, while Wi-Fi is accessible across the camp.

Dining Experience

Ingredients for the chefs’ inventive fusion of Italian and African-inspired dishes come from the family’s organic farm in the Rift Valley and the local farmer’s market at nearby Mount Kenya. The meat comes from an organic farm in Naivasha, or from the lush cattle ranches of Laikipia, where livestock is pasture-raised and free to roam.

Cold avocado and gazpacho soups, fresh tropical juices, daily baked focaccia, rye rolls and crunchy cookies, homemade ice-creams, relishes, jams, honey in the comb (from the organic apiary), and fresh pasta and rice salads are all on offer at the Elephant Watch Camp restaurant. Picnic breakfasts and lunches can be prepared for unwrapping on river banks as a herd of elephants stroll by. One of the specialities is a roasted goat – Samburu-style fresh off the fire.

Conservation

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Elephant Watch camp enjoys a fantastic relationship with Save the Elephants, a charity founded in 1997 and based in Samburu National Reserve. The camp and charity share observations and Elephant Watch guides have the rather remarkable skill of recognising every single one of the 66 families that call Samburu home.

The camp fundamentally aligns itself with environmentally responsible practice; all energy is solar-based, water is hand-pumped from an onsite well, and all the buildings are constructed using local materials such as fallen trees and palm thatch.