Elewana Tortilis Camp Amboseli

Tortilis Camp has 16 standard safari tents. These all have thatched makuti-covered roofs and polished wooden floors, decorated in an authentic safari style rugs and bright bed coverings. Ensuite bathrooms include a double basin and indoor shower, and the rooms come with either twin beds or a double bed. The beds look out onto your private veranda, perfect for relaxing on after a long day. Natural light floods the rooms through wide, netted windows and in the evenings the space is lit by the soft glow of lamps.

Decorated in the same style as the standard tents, the family tent has one double ensuite bedroom and one twin ensuite bedroom with an interconnecting room. A stunning view of Mount Kilimanjaro can be seen from your private veranda, and guests of this tent can cool off in a private swimming pool, shared only with the private house. An extra bed can be added to each room if requested.

This spacious, private house is traditional, authentic and luxurious. Decorated with warm colours and features this house has one ensuite double bedroom, with a deep bath and one ensuite twin bedroom. All beds are facing wide, netted windows which afford a view over the surrounding area, so guests can enjoy the sunrise or sunset from the comfort of their own bed. There is a spacious open air lounge and dining area and a large private veranda with a cushioned sofa. Being slightly raised, the views of Mount Kilimanjaro and the surrounding luscious plains from this veranda are breathtaking.

Dinner is available in the main area of camp. This is covered under a high thatched roof and has open sides so guests can dine on freshly cooked, delicious food whilst keeping an eye out for meandering animals and take in the intensely beautiful vista during sunset.

Tortilis Camp offers a full bush breakfast where guests can place themselves within the bush and enjoy the smells, sounds, gentle breeze and glorious views. Traditional ‘sundowners’ are also offered – after a day spent on safari relax with a gin and tonic and watch the spectacular sunset.

Game Drives are available at Tortilis Camp, with either Bronze or Silver level certified guides by the Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association. In open, custom built 4×4 safari vehicles, explore the plains and vegetation keeping an eye out for elephants, lion, giraffe, zebra and impala, to name a few. Every drive and experience will be unique.

Many of the guides at Tortilis Camp are from the local Maasai community and who have been exploring the surrounding area since they were younger. Exploring the plains on foot allows for you to get to place unreachable by vehicle, it is a quieter and more intimate experience. Follow animal prints, marvel at micro-ecosystems and watch out for dung beetles. The guides have an array of information on traditional uses of wild barks and herbs and will be more than happy to share their knowledge.

The local Maasai Tribe are known for their exceptional beadwork and brightly coloured shukkas; they coexist with the wildlife and live off their cattle and goats and it is because of this lifestyle that vast areas of land are protected and preserved. Guests can visit a Manyattas – a semi-permanent hut – and the families will guide you around. Traditional handicrafts will be available for guests to purchase here.

Not just a safari lodge, Tortilis Camp also is a place for rest and relaxation. Cool off in the glassy swimming pool, with a cocktail from the bar service or play a board game with your family from the selection available. Guests can also receive a soothing massage in the onsite spa room.

Around 60% of the staff at Tortilis Camp are employed from the local communities, with each staff member supporting around 8 dependents, 40 local staff members support between 300 and 400 people. Cultural understanding is emphasised at Tortilis Camp which creates pride and empowers the local communities to preserve their traditions. The camp pays fixed rent to the Maasai landowners to help preserve and protect the land they operate on and specifically to preserve the Kitirua Conservancy, a wildlife corridor connecting Amboseli and Tanzania.

Each guest will pay a conservancy fee which will go to wildlife protection and anti-poaching initiatives in the Kitirua Conservancy. Currently the camp is working in partnership with the Big Life Foundation, “whose efforts are widespread across the 2 million acre Amboseli ecosystem and are crucial to securing a successful future for Amboseli’s wildlife.”

Currently Tortilis Camp is helping to rehabilitate and maintain the 2.2km squared Olengaiya Swamp elephant enclosure which helps woodland wetlands to naturally rejuvenate by creating a sustainable rotational elephant grazing plan. Guests can make a donation to this project to aid the conservation efforts.

Tortilis Camp is a member of the Pack for Purpose initiative which allows travellers to supply local communities with equipment and resources they may need for community projects. School committees work closely with Elewana Camps to notify them of any needs, such as stationary, uniform or food and sports equipment. Specifically, Tortilis Camp supports the local Esiteti Primary School where guests are given the opportunity to donate these supplies in person.

All properties owned by Elewana Collection are actively trying to minimise their environmental impact by employing state-of-the-art power systems. They use both solar and power-storage technology to make sure their emissions and fuel use are minimal. One of their main eco initiatives is their reduction of single use plastic and plastic waste. At arrival at an Elewana property guests receive a reusable aluminium bottle that can be filled from filling points within the property.

This eliminates plastic water bottles being used, and when this initiative was implemented in six Elewana camps in Kenya it prevented over 160,000 single use plastic bottles from ending up in landfill a year. Guests of Elewana properties are encouraged to “go to war with the straw.” Elewana Collection are members of The Global Sustainable Tourism Council, which establishes global sustainable standards and aims to “increase sustainable tourism knowledge and practices among public and private stakeholders.”

Food and supplies are sourced locally wherever possible at Elewana properties, helping to ensure that the surrounding communities feel the benefits of tourism. Conservation efforts are promoted with the communities which they work with as well as staff and guests. In most Elewana properties, 50-75% of the staff are employed from local communities. With each staff member supporting around 8 dependents, a lot more people in the community benefit from this employment, and families which may have previously been reliant on livestock for their living can now enjoy a steady income.

Elewana is part of the Land and Life foundation which is a charity committed to help support the local communities and preserve wildlife and their habitats in and around the areas of Elewana’s properties. Elewana covers 100% of their operational costs which means all donation can go towards these projects. The Foundation focuses on four projects to help achieve its goals: the Wildlife Warrior Program, medical and education support, and nature conservation.

Healthcare in some of these communities can be lacking, due to poor education, lack of supplies, lack of facilities, and stretched workforces. Through donations, Elewana and the Land and Life Foundation have “provided free healthcare to over 1,285 patients, as well as trained clinicians from 5 clinics across Kenya, serving nearly 40,000 people.”

The Land and Life Foundation support the Aitong Health Clinic in the Maasai Mara for 8 years through providing medical supplies and holding free clinics, and in 2018 they partnered with Ewaso Dispensary in Laikipia. So far, 4,520 patients have been treated free of charge and donated vast sums of medical treatments/equipment including syringes and needles, oxygen pumps, antibiotics, hormonal contraceptives and pregnancy tests and blood pressure machines and cuffs.

Elewana understands that the land on which their properties lie, and the nature within it, needs to be protected. There are programmes designed to negate these hostilities by protecting farming lands and providing safe deterrents to ward away elephants crossing into farming land, without harming them before they damage crops. In Kenya, as well as Tanzania, Elewana supports “Parks Beyond Parks”, which is conservation efforts in areas that lie outside the national parks.

Education initiatives, such as the Wildlife Warrior Program, are in place to educate the new generation about the importance of the conservation and protection of these diverse landscapes. With the help of donations, by 2018, 40 children have been granted scholarships for the remainder of their schooling. The Land and Life Foundation supports a number of school in key conservation areas across Tanzania and Kenya as they understand the need of ensuring that local communities can actively benefit from tourism.