A&K Elephant Safari in aid of Tusk

A&K Kenya Elephant Safari
July/August 2010

Abercrombie & Kent, the world-renowned Safari company has put together a special Elephant Safari in aid of Tusk. Based in Kenya, this safari will not only take you to some of the countries most beautiful places, but during your stay you will meet some of the world's leading experts on elephant and the conservation of the species.

Wednesday 14th July
Fly London Heathrow to Nairobi with Virgin Atlantic on an overnight flight.

Thursday 15th July
Sirikoi Camp, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

Upon arrival into Nairobi you will be met by an A&K representative and assisted through immigration and customs. After collecting your luggage you will be taken to the apron to board your charter flight to Lewa. The flight is just over an hour and weather permitting you should have superb views of Mt Kenya.

On arrival at the Lewa airstrip you will be met by your guide and driven to Sirikoi Camp. Hot baths and showers and a hearty breakfast will be waiting for you.

Sirikoi Camp
Sirikoi is located on Lewa Wildlife Conservancy. Accommodation is in tents and a delightful double cottage all with decks overlooking the dam and Sirikoi River. Each tent contains Victorian baths and huge showers, all stylishly and comfortably furnished.
While here, Ian Craig will be the guest speaker who will talk about the environment and elephants as well as the Northern Rangelands Trust.

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is in the heart of the Laikipia region, a broad swathe of lava plateau that reaches the foothills of Mount Kenya on one side and in contrast, the wild deserts of the Northern Frontier District on the other. Outside of the Masai Mara, Laikipia can boast the greatest wildlife experiences in Kenya.

Lewa Downs is probably East Africa’s finest conservancy and has been the home of the Craig family since the 1920’s. Delia, the grandmother, was awarded it in a post war colonial land lottery. She had qualified to enter the land hand out through her services as a nurse in the trenches. With a handsome chunk of Kenya to her name, she was soon married to David and they ran the area as a cattle ranch up in to the late 1980’s.

At this time and with the support of various benefactors, Royal and otherwise, they decided to concentrate on the conservation of game and are now one of the country’s great success stories. Having originally hunted out the rhino themselves, they now have over sixty, both black and white, on their property. They also have a thriving predator population and a plethora of plains game and smaller beasts.

Friday 16th and Saturday 17th July
Sirikoi Camp, Lewa Wildlife Conservancy

Action packed days with game drives, exciting guided walks down hidden valleys ending with a bush breakfast, horse riding can be arranged. Sundowners in special places with wonderful views to the north. Night drives are great fun.

All meals are included during your stay at Sirikoi Camp.

Sunday 18th and Monday 19th July
Elephant Watch Camp, Samburu

After breakfast you will be driven to the airstrip to take your private charter to Samburu, about a 15 minute flight. You will be met by vehicles from Elephant Watch Camp driven on game drive to camp. Refreshments will be available before you check into the tents.

This is an Eco Camp built on the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro river, using recycled dead trees. It is home to some of the largest bull elephants in Samburu which are never far away, but Samburu warriors escort guests after dark and keep watch throughout the night. Other animals here are the slim necked gerenuk antelope, reticulated giraffe, grevy zebras, beisa oryx, over 350 resident birds with an extra 70 different migrant species.

Each day opens with a new adventure. Early morning or evening bush walks along well-travelled elephant paths, or collecting medicinal plants or honey and always accompanied by Samburu warriors. At times one can witness the great river crossings of camels and cattle, while walking to Samburu ceremonies and learning about their culture, dances and fire making.

Your hostess, Oria Douglas Hamilton was, born and raised in Kenya, she is an author and artist. Her husband Iain will be there to give an intriguing talk on the Samburu elephants, their movements, family structures and what happens in their day to day lives.

The tents are wide, breezy desert-type style tents, under thatch, and the sand floors covered in natural woven palm mats. The bathrooms are built around a tree giving the guests a novel washing experience with painted buckets filled with sun-heated water (from the camp well).

Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st July
Sarara, Namunyak Mathews Range

After breakfast you will be taken to the airstrip to connect with your charter to Sarara, a 15 minute flight. You will be met and driven a short distance to the camp.

Namunyak (meaning 'a place of peace') is a vast tribal community wilderness area administered by the recently formed Namunyak Wildlife Conservation Trust by Piers and Hilary Bastard, the parents of one of our private label guides, Joffy. This family orientated camp is situated to the north of Ol Donyo Sabache (Ol Lolokwe), just below Warges peak, in the fabled Mathews Mountains of Northern Kenya.

Sarara tented camp has six luxury sleeping tents, each with its own flush loo and open-air bush shower. Comfortable beds, plus quality bed linen, bathrobes, towels and other essentials are provided.

There is a beautiful lounge / dining banda which overlooks a natural swimming pool and waterhole and has unrivalled views of the Mathews Mountains beyond.

Namunyak is a truly un-spoilt wilderness conservation area with few roads. The emphasis here is mainly on walking excursions, with local Namunyak community game scouts as guides. This is an amazing opportunity for the family to be able to interact with the local pastoral Samburu peoples. One of the great highlights of such a trip is to experience the “singing wells” of the Sarara sand river. These are wells that have been dug deep in to the sands to extract by leather buckets water for the tribal livestock herds. As the warriors pass the water up from hand to hand in sequence they sing out as they work ancient songs in praise of their cattle and of brave deeds.

Sarara is a dry season refuge for several hundred elephant and numbers increase dramatically during the rainy seasons. Lion and leopard are resident and there are two separate groups of the endangered African Wild Dog, with one pack numbering at least thirty individuals. Other wildlife species of particular interest include kudu, grevy's zebra, striped hyena and gerenuk. There are even black and white colobus monkeys in the forest.

Thursday 22nd to Saturday 24th July
Sanctuary Olonana, Masai Mara

After breakfast you’ll be driven to the airstrip for your charter flight to Masai Mara (approx 1 half hours) where you’ll be met at the by your driver/guide and taken on a game drive en route to Sanctuary Olonana. You may be rewarded with sightings of elephant, buffalo, giraffe and a host of other plains’ game.

One really has to visit the Masai Mara. This reserve is one of Africa’s greatest parks though it suffers a rather unfair reputation for being crowded with mini buses.

The wildlife is abundant and the swaying grasslands ensure that animals are never out of sight. Elephants browse amongst the large herds of wildebeest and topi, eland and buffalo, Thomson’s and Grant’s gazelle. The plains offer a rich variety of food for the dominant predators: lion; leopard; hyena and cheetah. In the Mara River, hippos submerge to snort and grumble while crocodiles sunbathe, mouths agape, on the riverbanks.

Dr Chris Thouless will be in camp for a couple of nights to give a talk about human elephant conflict and can answer any questions that may come up having had a week on safari in different parts of the country.

Sunday 25th July
After lunch you will be driven to the airstrip for your private charter back to Nairobi. Upon arrival at Wilson Airport you will be met by an A&K representative and transferred to Jomo Kenyatta Airport for your departure flight with British Airways to London Heathrow.

Donate Now!

Prince William Talks about Tusk

About Tusk

Join our growing online community on facebook to keep up-to-date with our news