Elewana Tortilis Camp Amboseli
Tortilis Camp has a prime location for witnessing the majesty of Kilimanjaro. Elewana Tortilis Camp Amboseli is named after the umbrella thorn tree, the acacia tortilis. Located in the border of the national park, game drives, walks, sundowners and bush meals take place both inside the park and in the conservancy, where guests enjoy exclusivity. The tents are all spacious, with king or twin beds and elegant en suite bathrooms. There is a main lounge, bar and dining area, all built with natural materials and thatched roofs, with magnificent views of Kilimanjaro. The private house and family tent are located slightly separate to the main camp, upon the hill where they share a pool.
Community
Tortilis employs 60% of its staff from the community, training them from scratch to become guides, barman and waiters. With each employed person in Kenya with an average of 8 dependants, our staff support between 300 and 400 members. Walking safaris with Maasai guides give the guests a chance to find out, first hand, about Maasai culture. In 2010, Tortilis camp donated KES 1,000,000 towards the building of Esiteti Primary School, which opened its doors with great ceremony in August 2011. Since 2011, Tortilis clients have donated nearly US$11,000 for sports equipment, books, stationary and construction work for Esiteti Primary school.
Conservation
Without fences in the national park borders, the wildlife roam freely between protected areas and privately owned land where their security falls into the hands of the locals. To promote wildlife conservation, it is recognised that they should receive long term benefits from tourism.
Pack for a purpose
On your safari, you can really make a difference by donating stationary, text books, uniforms and food in person, directly to the pupils of a school. We work closely with each school to make sure that each donation addresses a genuine need. Tortilis supports the Esiteti Primary School just 20 minutes’ drive from camp, where you have the chance to donate vital supplies directly to the person. If you are considering bringing donations from abroad, visit the Pack for a Purpose website for very specific advice on what is needed. Please do note that when flying within Kenya, the internal flight weight restriction is 15kg and may therefore limit what you can carry with you to the camps and donate to the rural communities in person. We can always, however, donate anything over and above your weight limit on your behalf at a later date.
Guiding
Tortilis Camp guides are based in camp in Amboseli, and know their backyard intimately. More than half are Masai, and have combined Tortilis Camp guiding experience of 80 years, the head guide has been at Tortilis Camp since it opened. All the guides are Gold, Bronze or Silver level Kenya Professional Safari Guides Association certified. Amboseli is famous for its magnificent elephants, which have been studied for over 20 years by Cynthia Moss. Tortilis guides know the individual elephants, and their family relationships – plus the territory of resident lions and other local fauna. They have exclusive access to the 30,000 acre Kitirua conservancy and know every hyena den, the seasonal flowers, migratory birds. Tortilis Camp walking guides are Masai from the area, and have been walking in this wilderness since they were very young.
Game drives
The Tortilis camp guides are based at the camp. They know the individual elephants. More than half of the guides are Maasai, and have between them 80 years of experience. Tortilis Camp has open game drive vehicles, the first camp to use open vehicles in a National Park. 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. Clients will share game drives unless “exclusive use of vehicle” has been pre-booked at an extra charge.
Guided walks
Tortilis Camp’s walking guides are Masai from the local community, who have been walking over these plains since childhood. Take the time to leave the car behind and enjoy the small things – tracks, dung beetles, micro-ecosystems. The guides are happy to share their knowledge of the terrain, traditional uses of wild herbs and barks, and the Masai way of life.
Swimming pool
Enjoy the cool waters in the heat of the day! Within the lush green gardens, the pool is shaded by palms and acacia Tortilis, and a haven for tropical birds. The swimming pool has bar service and board games.
Bush breakfast and sundowners
Take a moment to sit back, enjoy the spectacular views, the smells, the colours, and the gentle breeze. Bush breakfasts are a chance to enjoy a full breakfast, al fresco, in the middle of the plains, surrounded by wildlife. Sundowners are a safari tradition – after a day of safari; stop, watch the spectacular sunset; traditionally with a gin and tonic in hand.
Cultural visits
In the heart of Masai country, Tortilis Camp offers visits to local Masai homesteads. The Maasai 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, and will want to take the opportunity to sell their traditional handicrafts – bargain hard. Tortilis camp works with closely with the Maasai community, and there are ways that you can get involved. Known for their beautiful beadwork, spear in hand and bright red coloured shukkas. The Maasai co-exist with wildlife as they are traditionally nomadic and pastoral, they live off their cattle and goats; this is their lifestyle, jobs, and currency – it is thanks to this lifestyle that vast tracts of wilderness teaming with wildlife have been preserved.
Weddings and honeymoons
Over the years, Tortilis Camp has hosted very many beautiful weddings, blessings, and renewal of vows for our guests. From small simple ceremonies involving merely a glass of champagne at the end of a gamedrive; to elaborate three day events, with over 30 guests taking over the whole property. Options include legal marriages conducted by the local commissioner or religious minister, or Blessing by the chief of the local tribal community. Discuss your ideas with your travel agent, or contact us for more information.
Tents
With Mt. Kilimanjaro peering down over the entire camp, each of Tortilis Camp’s 16 tents has a glorious view of the mountain. Each makuti-covered tent consists of a main bedroom with twin or double beds, en-suite bathroom and a spacious verandah. Let us know if you require twin beds or double bed.
Family tent
With outstanding views of Mt Kilimanjaro, enjoyed from the comfort of your own private family verandah, Tortilis camp’s new family Tent is another great addition to this child-friendly safari camp in Amboseli. The family tent consists of one double en suite bedroom, one twin en suite bedroom, and a spacious private verandah. Featuring a brand new swimming pool shared with the Private House.
Private house
With Mt. Kilimanjaro peering down over the entire camp, Tortilis camp’s private house has a glorious view of the mountain. The private house consists of one en-suite double bedroom, one en-suite twin bedroom, and a spacious sitting / dining room with verandah. Featuring a brand new swimming pool shared with the family tent.
Amboseli national park covers 392 sq. kms, only a small portion of the surrounding 3000 sq. km of the Amboseli ecosystem. Tortilis Camp is on the south western edge of the park, facing the mountain and is accessed from within the National Park. It overlooks its own private wildlife conservancy, Kitirua, 30,000 acres. Away from the busy eastern side of Amboseli, and with its own private conservancy, guests experience a wild and private
Amboseli
The area is famous for the dramatic views of Kilimanjaro, the highest free standing mountain in the world, and the highest peak on the African continent. Kilimanjaro at 19,340ft or 5,894m rises dramatically out of the 4000ft Amboseli plains. An extinct volcano with two peaks, rocky Mwenzi and Kibo a crater rim. The glaciers on the mountain are slowly disappearing with global warming, but it remains snow capped as any precipitation on the mountain settles as snow. Despite being in Tanzania, the best views of the mountain are from Amboseli. Tortilis Camp is on a south-west hillside facing the mountain, so it has the most dramatic views of all.
Climate
The days are warm, rising to maximum of 30 deg C, but comfortable with minimum humidity. The evenings are cool with cosy blankets on the beds. Rainfall is mostly in November with an average of 220mm per year.
