Travel Report by Marian Smith 24-08-2006

Last summer I stayed at Campi ya Kanzi with various family members and my boyfriend. We were only there for four days, but the amount we did and saw has made the experience a lasting one to this day, one year later.

This is no ordinary safari camp -- it marries luxury and sustainability in the most symbiotic
of ways, and sits in Kenya's magical Chyulu Hills, which brings to it a certain mysticism and surrealism that pushes the boundaries of beauty.
But what makes this camp an even more valuable place to visit is its cultural partnership with the Maasai people of the land. This nomadic tribe actually owns the land -- and the camp itself. Luca and Antonella Belpietro, the friendly and generous couple who run Campi ya Kanzi, work with the Maasai to sustain their culture, the environment, and the wildlife. As the Maasai work at the camp (and continue to live traditionally on their land),
the camp brings in money from tourists, which in turn fuels projects that Campi has set up to support the Maasai culture. The Maasai who work here are proud and independent. They are fully aware that the industry for which they work is helping their culture, not destroying it.

To see such successful preservation in action makes this a superb safari camp, one step
ahead of others. And what is more, guests live in complete comfort -- Italian bed linens, hot water, impeccable service -- all the while making only the smallest of dents on the environment. This is thanks to solar panels, natural water purifying systems, a vegetable garden and a prudently-used generator, among others.

You would be missing an extraordinary slice of Africa if you did not go to Campi ya Kanzi.

I wish them all the best and hope to return one day soon!