THE ABUNDANT WILDERNESS OF MASAI MARA
Elewana Elephant Pepper Camp Masai Mara
The Masai Mara is a vast wilderness abundant with a diverse range of fascinating wildlife, rolling plains, and lush forests. Located in the Mara North Conservancy, the heart of the Masai Mara ecosystem, Elephant Pepper Camp is the perfect base from which to explore the wonders of the Mara.
The vast, fertile plains of the Maasai Mara boasts a plethora of wildlife; with over 450 bird species and both resident and transient populations of lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant, giraffe, to name a few, the plains are dense with game. Elephant Pepper Camp is perfect for those wanting to observe the spectacle of the migration, classified among the “Seven Wonders of the World”, when, from July to November, over 1.3 million wildebeest and zebra cross from the Serengeti in search of greener pastures.
The camp’s remote location allows the stars to shine bright at night, undimmed by harsh lighting; guests enjoy the unique experience of listening to the sounds of lion, leopard and hyena foraging and hunting, whilst being cosseted with traditional and modern comforts such as a campfire and cosy duvets.
Upon waking, tea and freshly-baked biscuits ease guests into a morning of game drives or bush walks across the conservancy in the company of highly experienced local guides and wildlife rangers. Blankets warm the guests on night game drives back to camp after sundowners in the bush. Delicious Northern Italian cuisine, fresh baking and sensational salads complete the rustic luxury sensation.
The Elephant Pepper Camp guides are based in camp, in the Masai Mara, and know their backyard intimately. All the guides are Bronze or Silver level Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association certified, and some of the guides have guided in this area for 20 years! Mara North Conservancy, is a privately managed conservancy in the core of the Masai Mara, game-driving in Mara North is restricted to those vehicles belonging to lodges within the conservancy, so Elephant Pepper guests have this outstanding part of the Masai Mara, almost to themselves. Game-driving is outstanding, with a resident pride of lions, cheetahs and leopard; and of course the famous zebra and wildebeest migration surrounding camp in months of July – October. Being private, yet central to the vast Masai Mara eco-system, the Elephant Pepper guides have easy access to the reserve, zebra and wildebeest crossings, and outstanding game-viewing within the conservancy.
Elephant Pepper Camp has open game-drive vehicles. The current fleet are new, specially fitted, 4×4 Toyota Landcruisers. The vehicles are unrivalled with feature enhancements specifically designed for comfort and photography – open sided with 3 rows of seats, photographic equipment stands, and charging sockets. This is the best part of the Masai Mara – a year round game viewing experience like no other!
Elephant Pepper Camp has undergone extensive refurbishments in the beginning of 2014, and the results are impressive.
The 8 (4 doubles & 4 twins) spacious luxury safari tents are larger, brighter and offer more spacious bathroom areas. Combined with Indian Raj Campaign furniture, mixing dark wood with intricate brass fittings, the tents have a very classy & elegant feel.
The tents are set underneath a grove of fig and Elephant Pepper Trees and are spaced out to ensure privacy. From your personal veranda or hammock you can watch wildlife roam on the savannah plains. There’s also running water throughout the camp, including the showers – providing more comfort for you!
Known for their beautiful beadwork, spear in hand and bright red coloured “shukkas” (blankets worn as clothes); the Masai are the hosts, it is they that have kept this land pristine, living in harmony with their cattle and the incredible wildlife that the Mara is home to. They are a people who are proud of their heritage, and although they find some of the new western trappings useful – mobile phones, motor bikes, they prefer to continue to live in their traditional way.
Many of the Elephant Pepper Camp staff are Masai, and enjoy welcoming you to their home, not far from camp. The Masai live in semi-permanent huts known as Manyattas and it is the role of the wife to construct the hut from cattle dung and grass. The families will show you round their home for a fee (payable separately, ask the manager for details), and will want to take the opportunity to sell their traditional handicrafts – bargain hard!
Elephant Pepper Camp has been the driving force in creating the Mara North Conservancy (MNC) which covers a core parcel of over 70,000 acres bordering the Masai Mara National Reserve to the north and effectively increasing its size by 20%. The conservancy, established in 2009, provides some of the Masai Mara ecosystem’s prime game viewing, whilst guaranteeing over 800 Masai landowners stable revenue, transparent financial management and the preservation of the ancient balance between wildlife and traditional pastoralism.
Elephant Pepper Camp is one of only six camps in Kenya to have been awarded “Gold Level” Eco Rating by the internationally recognised civil society organisation Eco Tourism Kenya. The camp achieves environmental best practice by combining old fashioned safari camp know-how with the latest technology, leaving a minimal footprint. Almost invisible under the Elephant Pepper trees with completely removable tent structures, the camp relies entirely on solar power and uses only LED lighting.
Elephant Pepper Camp has always worked directly with the community in this area since the late 1980s. Ensuring that the landowners benefit with a fair income from tourism. Since 2009, Elephant Pepper Camp has contributed over US$ 415,000 in lease payments and bednight fees directly to the Maasai landowners.
With the fixed payments coming in, these landowners have opened bank accounts, are able to plan their expenditure and even start accumulating savings. This helps them to set up local businesses and invest in the education of the future generation. Elephant Pepper Camp also employs over 80% of its staff from the surrounding communities.
On your safari, through the Land and Life Foundation, you can really make a difference to the communities you are travelling near, by donating stationary, text books, uniforms, food and sports equipment in person, directly to the staff and pupils of a school.
At Elephant Pepper Camp, they support the local Ololomei Primary School which caters for 448 students from Pre School (age 6-7) to Standard 8. If you are considering bringing donations from abroad, visit the Pack for a Purpose website for very specific advice on what is needed.