Elephant Watch Camp | Samburu National Reserve One Of Kenya’s Best Safari Lodges

I look over the banks of the Ngiro River, marvelling at the rugged beauty of the landscape surrounding us. I’m at Elephant Watch Camp, a luxury safari lodge nestled beneath kigelia and acacia trees in Kenya’s Samburu National Reserve – home to one of the largest elephant populations in the country. It was set up by world-famous elephant conservationists Iain and Oria Douglas-Hamilton (whose Save the Elephants foundation is downriver) precisely so visitors who share their interest in elephant conservation would have a place to stay. It’s run by their daughter Saba Douglas-Hamilton, herself a committed conservationist, so it’s very much connected to the family. I feel so fortunate to be here, where I can benefit from their years of research to better understand these fascinating creatures.

Our room at Elephant Watch Camp is unlike anything I’ve seen before. The breezy tent, one of six, has billowing drapes of colourful fabric under a high, thatched roof and a decidedly carnival-like feel. The furniture is all hand crafted, built out of branches and logs that were knocked down by elephant or flash floods, in perfect harmony with the sustainability ethos of the camp. Side tables and solar-powered bedside lamps create a warm, cosy atmosphere and a private verandah with a daybed gives us a good vantage point over the river. I particularly love the en-suite bathroom, which has ochre-coloured mud walls that curve around soaring trees, open to the vast African sky. I decide to freshen up with a quick shower, which in itself is a novel experience. The water for it was drawn from a well, heated in the sun and poured into hand-painted buckets. I pull one cord to start the flow of water, and another to stop it. It’s completely reviving, and I emerge ready for our afternoon game drive. Our smiling Samburu guide tells us he’s been trained by Save the Elephants to recognise 900 individual elephant on sight; that his family, like the elephant, has been living here for centuries. I know this will be an unforgettable afternoon.

Elephant Watch Camp is completely different to other places. As Saba puts it, the camp’s raison d’etre is conservation … instead of being a lodge with an activity attached, it’s an activity with a lodge attached – the activity here being an elephant experience. The luxury of the camp is not in opulent features like spas and pools, but in intimate, authentic elephant encounters. On our game drive we were able to get really close, as the elephant clearly knew our guide, stretching out their trunks in greeting. And because he knew them well he was able to tell us all about their history, relationships and characters, from the drama queen to the naughty young bull and his ever-hungry sister. Plus, I love that the camp is completely eco friendly.

• Sustainable, comfortable camp with six tents under thatched roofs. It’s set on soft sand along the Ngiro River in Samburu, under shady trees.
• VIP elephant experiences with highly trained guides, exclusive access to the Save the Elephants research centre, private vehicles available (additional cost) and flexible meal times.
• Game drives, bush meals, bush picnics, bush sundowners, walking safaris, mountain hikes (additional cost), helicopter excursions (additional cost), tour of the Save the Elephants research centre, Samburu dances (additional cost) and cultural visits.
• Children welcome, and lots of children’s activities.

• Not only do African safari lodge prices shift with the seasons, they also change based on your length of stay, room type, travel party composition, special offers, if your trip involves stays at sister lodges – and for more reasons besides.
• It’s worth noting that depending on your itinerary, your lodge cost will make up about 75–85% of your total safari trip cost.
• Our safaris are tailor-made to match your personal safari dream, we’d be delighted if you’d allow us to create a bespoke proposal for you. Simply enquire now – our quotes are complimentary and obligation-free.
• However, to help you get an idea of safari lodge prices we’ve created three safari-lodge categories with various price ranges, to find out more click here.