SARARA TREE CAMP – NAMUNYAK WILDLIFE CONSERVATION TRUST – MATHEWS MOUNTAINS

Sarara Tree Camp is nestled into a forest glade within an hours walk of Sarara – found within the lands of the Namunyak Wildlife Conversation Trust – an area of approximately 850,000 acres which lies folded around the southern corner of the fabled Mathews Mountain Range of northern Kenya.  This is home to the Samburu people, a group of semi-nomadic pastoralists who have long shown tolerance for the wildlife that co-exists alongside their cattle.

The conservation work carried out by the Namunyak Trust to date has been hugely successful.   As a result of the severe ivory poaching crisis of the 70’s and early 80’s there were no recorded elephants remaining in the Mathews Ranges by 1985.  Today, several thousand elephants are living and breeding peacefully in the southern Mathews Range area.  Elephant, buffalo, leopard, bushbuck and a wide array of other life roam beneath you on the forest floor, offering incredible wildlife experiences from the comfort of your beautifully appointed tree tent.

This off the grid, solar-powered camp is entirely eco-friendly, with every precaution and expense taken to preserve the natural habitat surrounding it and is entirely community-owned.

LOCATION

Sarara Tree Camp is set in the Namunyak Wildlife Conservation Trust in the Mathews Mountain Range in Northern Kenya.

TREE CAMP

There are just eight beautiful tents which are raised up into the forest canopy, allowing an array of wildlife including elephants and buffalo to roam the forest floor beneath you.  Each tent is en-suite, with solar heated outdoor showers looking into the forest.

For families there is the family suite which 2 tents close together, each with ensuite toilet and basin and adjacent outdoor shower.

ACTIVITIES AND WILDLIFE

Day and Night Game drives 

Sarara has established itself as one of the ‘hot spots’ for quality leopard viewing in Africa and equally, for close-up sightings of the normally extremely shy lesser kudu antelope. The African wild dogs are frequently encountered in the Sarara valley too. Elephant, buffalo, giraffe, gerenuk, impala and warthogs are now regularly seen on our game drives and bush walks and are very much on the increase in numbers.Unusual sightings include striped hyena, aardwolf, civet cat, African wild cat, greater kudu, grevy zebra and cheetah.

Early morning game drives are a good time for seeing giraffe, kudu, and elephants. Starting off early, the guides can have you back in time for breakfast at camp or make up a picnic breakfast for you out in the bush.

The night game drive takes you out into the bush to search for the nocturnal star of sarara, the leopard. Leopard sightings are currently running at around 80% for guests staying three nights.

Horse Riding

One of the best ways to view game is on horseback with Sarara’s bush ponies

Guided Walks

Our Samburu naturalist guides can take you out for an early morning walk through the bush to take an up close and personal look at the glorious flora and fauna surrounding the camp. If you wish, we can set up breakfast for you on a hilltop or in a dry river bed.

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary

A visit to the Reteti Elephant Sanctuary is one of the best things you can do to help strengthen the community and protect all elephants who live in the RESCUE centre located on the Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy in northern Kenya.

During your visit, you will pair with a keeper who will accompany you the entire time to tell you about our work and answer any questions. From a special viewing platform, you will watch the elephants come in from their walk to receive their bottles and then have mud hole playtime. Afterwards, you will be given a behind the scenes tour of the sanctuary.

Samburu Village Visits

Visit a local Samburu village and get to learn their culture and way of life

Il Konono Blacksmiths

An insight into the men who pass down from generation to generation the skill of crafting as you watch your bracelet being made for you.

Ololokwe Day visit

A full day trip with a packed breakfast and lunch out from Sarara to the sacred Mount Ololokwe.

Singing Wells 

Sarara means the meeting place and at the Singing wells, all the neighboring communities come together to water their wildlife as they sing and catch up on happenings around the community. Its a spectacular culture that you would never want to miss.

Scenic Flights

Private scenic flights can be arranged up to the famous Mount Kenya, sacred Mount Ol olokwe or up to the spectacular Lake Turkana. There is no better way to see the diverse landscape

Fly Camping, beading with local Samburu women

GIVING BACK

The Sarara Foundation operates across three key pillars: 

Education & Health

The Sarara Foundation is heavily investing in a sustainable and opportunity-rich future for the next generation of indigenous communities of Northern Kenya.

We offer critical support to a historically underserved society through:

→  World-class, culturally relevant education from infancy to young adulthood

→  Healthcare service focussing on paediatric, maternal and deep trauma interventions

Sarara’s conservation approach focuses on human environmental impact and human-wildlife conflict.

Special emphasis is placed on managing the effects of rapid population increase and resulting issues with pollution, biodiversity, natural resources and wildlife.

Our work includes:

→ Rangeland Restoration through re-seeding and re-greening programs

→ Supporting Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, located in Namunyak Conservancy

→ Wildlife returning and monitoring

The Samburu tribe has lived side-by-side with a healthy, robust environment for many generations; our core role is to offer support in navigating a rapidly modernising and fast-paced world where traditional wisdom is often forgotten.

Enterprise Development

Through sustainable enterprise development and key partnerships, we endeavour to empower the indigenous Samburu community through economic stimulus programs.

Our programmes include:

→ Milk to Market program where Samburu women sell excess goat milk, not required by their families, to Reteti Elephant Sanctuary

→ Beadworks program involves over 50 women who produce beaded items sold in the Sarara Eco Lodge’s tourism shop

→ Sarara has built three eco lodges wholly owned by the community surmounting to fifty beds, which currently employ 125 people from the local community,

Through building self-sustainability and economic empowerment the Samburu can safeguard their cultural heritage, the land they call home and biodiversity which they share it with.

SARARA TREE CAMP IS CLOSED FROM 1ST NOVEMBER – 1 DECEMBER EVERY YEAR

THE CAMP WELCOMES CHILDREN AGED 6 YEARS AND OLDER