Elewana Elephant Pepper Camp

Located in the Mara north conservancy, the heart of the Masai Mara ecosystem, Elephant Pepper camp is the perfect base from which to explore Mara. Upon waking, tea and freshly-baked biscuits ease guests into a morning of game drives or bush walks in the company of experienced guides and rangers. Blankets warm the guests on night game drives.

The camp is one of six camps in Kenya to have been awarded Gold Level Eco Rating by the civil society organisation Eco Tourism Kenya. It achieves best practice by combining safari camp know-how with the latest technology. The camp relies on solar power and uses only LED lighting. Rubbish is disposed and glass is sold to the recycling plant Central Glass.

Community

The 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, the 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. The camp also employs over 80% of its staff from the surrounding communities.

Get involved

On your safari, through the Land and Life Foundation, you can really make a difference to the communities you are travelling  by donating stationary, text books, uniforms and food. We work with the committees to make sure that each donation addresses a need. In 2007 the camp raised funds to build a classroom, in 2009 we added a kitchen and in 2010 we provided the school with desks and chairs. 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.

Guides

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 our guides have guided in this area for 20 years! Mara North Conservancy, is a privately managed conservancy in the core of the Masai Mara, gamedriving 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. Gamedriving 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 gameviewing within the conservancy.

Game drives

The camp guides are based in Maasai Mara and are Bronze or Silver level certified. The camp has open game drive vehicles. The vehicles are unrivalled with feature enhancements specifically designed for comfort and photography. Cattle are not allowed into the reserve, therefore from the months of November through to June, the grass is high within the Reserve, and the plains game, followed by their predators tend to avoid the Reserve, and stick to the Conservancy which has balanced grazing, and lush short green grass. During the months of July to October, when the zebra and wildebeest migration flood into the whole Mara eco-system, the grass in the Reserve is trampled and eaten, and gameviewing is similar within the Reserve and within the Conservancy.

Migration river crossings

The great migration of thousands of zebra and wildebeest coming north from the arid Serengeti plains looking for fresh grazing mill around the whole of the fertile Mara eco-system for as long as the grazing lasts, usually about 4 to 5 months. The Mara River crossings happen during the middle of the day, when the animals are thirsty, come to the river to drink and are pushed across by the crowds of animals behind them. We recommend staying out for the whole day with a picnic lunch; the Elephant Pepper Camp drivers know all the crossings, including the smaller private areas that you can enjoy a few hours by the river away from the crowds.

Guided walks

Take the time to leave the car behind and enjoy the small things – animal tracks, flowers and micro-ecosystems. We have experienced walking guides, together with Masai from the local area, that can take you on a delightful ramble from camp – a whole new perspective of the eco-system around you. Elephant Pepper Camp is also perfect for young explorers! Our experienced Guides love organizing fun walks for kids within the camp. Little ones will learn how to make a fire, throw a rungu, fire a bow and arrow and track wildlife. As a memento of their adventure, children can take home their very own cast from the tracks they discovered!

Cultural visits

Known for their beautiful beadwork, spear in hand and bright red coloured shukkas; the Masai are our 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 camp staff are Masai, and enjoy welcoming you to their home, not far from camp. 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!

Safari tents

Elephant Pepper Camp has undergone extensive refurbishments in the beginning of 2014, and the results are impressive – if we may say so. The 8 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 verandah or hammock you can watch wildlife roam on the savannah plains. We are also happy to announce that we have installed running water throughout the camp, including the showers – providing more comfort for you! All tents can fit one extra bed, to accommodate children under the age of 16 years. For families we recommend our brand new Family Tents.

Honeymoon / Family Suites

Elephant Pepper Camp’s two Honeymoon / Family Tents are the ideal accommodation for couples that want extra space and privacy and for families. The spacious suites each comprise of an ensuite master bedroom and a sitting room, which can be converted into a second bedroom for children under the age of 16 years. The lush bathrooms have double wash basins, flush toilets and hot water showers. Located at either end of the camp, the Honeymoon / Family Suites offer spectacular views over the savannah plains from your private veranda.