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Kalepo Camp
Kalepo Camp is a small exclusive-use safari camp located at the northern end of Namunyak Conservancy. This luxury tented camp consists of 5 guest tents overlooking a dry river bed, with sweeping views of the majestic Mathews Mountains. Set in the heart of Samburuland, this is the perfect place from which to explore the authentic Samburu people and their culture. Our guests can experience everyday life in local villages; meet local people and immerse themselves in daily activities including the ‘morning milking’ and witness the spectacle of the ‘singing wells’.
Why we like it here
This is truly wild country where the Samburu people co-exist with wildlife as they have done for centuries, making for an authentic cultural and wildlife experience.
Kalepo’s tents are tastefully decorated with all the basic comforts. Over-head fans and beautiful soft high-quality linen add to the finishing touches. Open to the elements, the tents allow guests to shower under the stars or while enjoying the wildlife!
Passionate about cooking with an infinite love of food; Kalepo’s chef takes absolute care and delight in creating an all-round delicious dining experience. With the added bonus of our on-site organic herb and vegetable garden, the food is grown with care and made with love. From international dishes to authentic Swahili cuisine, Kalepo’s meals are wholesome, tasty, healthy and tailor-made to suite all guests dietary requirements.
Things to be aware of
Exclusive use of the camp including all meals and soft drinks, house wines, spirits and liqueurs.
In the northern frontier of Kenya lies the Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, an area of 850,000 acres of pristine wilderness surrounding the Mathews Range of mountains. The savannah plains and lush mountain slopes are home to elephant, leopard, reticulated giraffe, wild dog and kudu in ever-increasing numbers. This remote and dramatic landscape is also home to the local Samburu people whose age-old traditions, including the famed Singing Wells, are as much a part of the fabric of this land as the wildlife.
Namunyak surrounds the Mathews Mountain range and includes the Kitich forest; a treasure trove of rare and often uncatalogued species. It is home to the rare and beautiful De Brazza colobus monkey and the IUCN red-listed sub species of the Cycad, Encephalartos tegulaneus. Namunyak serves as a critical wildlife refuge for many species and holds important northern populations of giraffe, gerenuk, leopard, African wild dog, impala lion, greater kudu and many bird species. The conservancy is particularly important for elephant as they move seasonally between the Mathews Range and the Mt. Kenya and Ngare Ndare Forest, a route they have been using for decades. Poaching for ivory in the area has been particularly bad in the past, with 34 elephants within the first three months of 2012.
Given the scale of the problem, Namunyak is of particular focus for the ‘9.1’ anti-poaching unit. Established with the help of NRT in 2009, the team consists of 12 rangers drawn from all four conservancies in which it operates (including Melako, Sera and Biliqo-Bulesa.) All rangers were trained by a former British army officer and have also received advanced medical training, and are a vital weapon in the war on poaching. They work closely with the 61 local rangers from the Namunyak communities. Over the past three years (2012 – 2014) 9-1 and conservancy rangers have contributed to a 43% reduction in elephant poaching in NRT conservancies. This, at a time when other African countries face rising poaching levels, is a significant achievement, and one which the rangers are rightfully proud of.