Supporting Wildscreen Festival 2023

Travel Guide

Unleash Your Photography Skills at Porini Camps

Our Porini Camps and conservancies are a paradise for photography enthusiasts. In this video, Jeevan, a talented photographer from the USA, shares his first-hand experience and insights from a professional’s perspective.

Beyond the breath-taking landscapes and abundant wildlife, we understand the unique needs of photographers. That’s why we provide specially-adapted land cruisers with lowered window openings, designed to maximise your photography opportunities.

Our driver guides are not just skilled in navigating the wilderness; they are also trained in positioning the safari vehicles strategically, ensuring you have the best vantage points to capture those picture-perfect moments.

More Safari Photography Tips can be found here: Safari Photography Equipment

Porini Safari Camps: Safari Highlights

Travel Guide

Porini Safari Camps: Safari Highlights

We would like to thank our Porini Safari Camps’ guest, David Taylor, for sharing with us his wonderful images and video “Kenya Wildlife” which was filmed earlier this year.

This shows some of the highlights of his stays at Porini Amboseli Camp, Porini Rhino Camp, Porini Mara Camp and Porini Lion Camp.

David, who visited us from Australia, said, “We saw so many amazing wildlife moments – lion and cheetah kills, leopards, hyenas, birthing wildebeests, aardvarks, elephants and so much more! This video shows some of our special wildlife sightings”.

Find out more:

Porini Safari Camps

Magnificent Ol Kinyei!

Travel Guide

Magnificent Ol Kinyei!

This recent video shows the success in wildlife and biodiversity protection in Ol Kinyei Conservancy and some of the sights that our Porini Camps guests get to enjoy during their stay.

The video entitled “Magnificent Ol Kinyei Conservancy – Serves You, Serves Nature!” was filmed in April 2023 and produced by Afrikalive.tv.

Ol Kinyei Conservancy is home to Porini Mara Camp, Porini Cheetah Camp and our Ol Kinyei Adventure Camp – and our Porini Ol Kinyei Safari Cottages are opening later this year.

Guests also have access to the neighbouring Naboisho Conservancy.

Lion Kills Baby Zebra in Porini Rhino Camp, Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Wildlife

View of elephants, giraffes, and zebras from the Porini Rhino Camp lounge/mess tent (Photo by Edwin Mirara)
View of elephants, giraffes, and zebras from the Porini Rhino Camp lounge/mess tent (Photo by Edwin Mirara)

Lion Kills Baby Zebra in Porini Rhino Camp, Ol Pejeta Conservancy

Porini Rhino Camp, located in the Western part of Ol Pejeta Conservancy has been experiencing a lot of wildlife action lately with various wildlife flocking the tented camp. Guests at the camp have been seeing many elephants, giraffes, zebras, rhinoceros, birds and lions. There are even some rarely-seen animals such as stripped hyenas that have a den just behind one of the guest tents. Recently, our staff at camp got to witness one of the most exciting wildlife interactions, a female lion hunting down a baby zebra.

According to Porini Camps Relief Manager, Edwin Mirara, he was busy in his office at camp when he suddenly heard some loud galloping outside. He quickly went to check what was happening only to be met by a cloud of dust left behind by a herd of zebras and impalas on the run, being chased by a female lion. Excited that this was taking place within the camp, he rushed to get his camera, jumped into a safari Landcruiser together with one of the guides and followed the action.

Following a short chase that ended about 30 meters from one of the guest tents, the lioness, believed to be a member of the Ajali Pride, managed to catch one of the weakest in the group, a baby zebra. For smaller prey, lions use their paw to slap the rear of the animal on its legs or haunch to knock it off balance and then drag it down. A bite to the neck or throat quickly kills the animal. The lioness then carried its kill away from the camp, across the seasonal river adjacent to the camp, and into an open field about 100 meters away.

Lioness carrying its kill  (Photo by Edwin Mirara)
Lioness carrying its kill  (Photo by Edwin Mirara)

She was then joined by another lioness believed to be her sibling who joined her in devouring the fresh meal. Lions eat – a lot! Male lions will eat up to 7kgs in a day while females eat 4.5kgs. However, It is believed that both male and female lions are capable of eating up to 15% of their own body weight in just one feeding. They are also known to be very greedy and will hunt an animal even if they are not hungry. In fact, lions are so greedy that even when digging into this tiny zebra, they will not hesitate to hunt down any other animal that comes close to them. This being a small meal, the lionesses shared the meal grudgingly. 

In about 15 minutes and after a brief scuffle, the lionesses successfully succeeded in splitting the meal into two and after eating to their fill, one of them carried its remaining share to what is believed to be its cubs. Unfortunately, our team did not manage to see where the cubs were hidden. However, the two females are known to have seven cubs between them. In most cases when a pride is feeding, the smallest and weakest lions often lose out altogether when even hungry mothers will not share the kill with their own offspring.

One lioness taking remaining kill to cubs (Photo by Edwin Mirara)
One lioness taking remaining kill to cubs (Photo by Edwin Mirara)

The Ajali Pride has been around Porini Rhino Camp for about three weeks now due to the large number of animals that visit the waterhole that is right in front of the camp. The lions also go to the waterhole at night to drink water.

Women Self-Help Group receives Solar-Powered Milk Coolant – Maasai Mara

Community

Women Self-Help Group receives Solar-Powered Milk Coolant – Maasai Mara

A Maasai women group from the Greater Maasai Mara region in the former Ol Kinyei Group Ranch has benefit from a 3,000-litre solar-powered milk coolant donated by the World Wide Foundation for Nature(WWF) with funding from the German government in partnership with Gamewatchers Safaris and Porini Camps.

Dubbed “Ol Kiwu Self-help group” the 18-member group received the milk coolant as a result of leasing their land out for wildlife habitat conservation and tourism. Land which today constitutes the 18,700-acre Ol Kinyei Conservancy. 15 out of the 18 group members are Ol Kinyei landowners.

The coolant, officially launched on 30th April 2022 at Endonyo Narasha, is aimed at providing an alternative income to the Maasai women who will sell their product to commercial milk suppliers at a better price thus improving their livelihood. The Maasai’s life is largely centered on cattle herding and this project will enable them to increase the income they receive from the same cattle.

WWF has installed a total of 56 solar panels to power the milk coolant. Speaking during the launch of the project, WWF Kenya, Sub-landscape Coordinator, Samson Lenjirr said that the WWF is committed to improving the livelihoods of people who commit their land to wildlife habitat conservation.

“This is a purely 100% funding from WWF Germany and what we call the BMZ II that is through the Federal Ministry of Corporation through WWF and majorly what this has done is to ensure improvement of livelihoods that touches more on the people directly but of course with an inclination in wildlife conservation,” said Mr. Lenjirr.

In addition, Gamewatchers Safaris and Porini Camps paid for the piping for water and provided a loan to the women group to enable them to pay rent and for a security personnel among other things before they start making a profit from the project. Gamewatchers Safaris and Porini Camps Managing Director, Dr. Mohanjeet Brar, says that the project is important as it helps landowners reap greater benefits from setting their land aside for wildlife conservation.

“This is an area where there is no other milk cooling plant so what happens is that during the time that the cows have produced plenty of milk, there is no market for it. So, often the milk gets wasted, and they are not able to access higher prices. However now with the milk cooling plant in place the women will be able to actually buy from the surrounding community members, so people will have access to sell their milk at all times and they can now sell in bulk to commercial companies like Brookside,”  says Dr. Brar.

Kenya’s largest milk processor, Brookside Dairy Limited has already visited and shown interest in purchasing milk from the cooling plant. 

Ol Kiwu Self-help group Chair lady, Kileku Ene Sholo, who is also a landowner expressed her gratitude to the WWF and Gamewatchers Safaris and Porini Camps for the project saying that she now sees the importance of wildlife conservation.

This is something amazing because today we are with donors who have brought a project great as this. We thank you very much because you have brought us something very important. Something that most people would only dream of having. And now whenever I see this milk coolant, I will be thanking the wild animals,” said Shololo.

Over the years, Gamewatchers Safaris and Porini Camps have participated in various projects to provide benefits and amenities for communities that live outside the conservancies including providing bursaries and scholarships, digital learning, set up of predator-proof bomas and deterrent lights, toilet construction, beekeeping and more.  Learn more about our community outreach projects and how you can be part of it here: https://www.porini.com/about-us/supporting-communities/

WWF Kenya and Gamewatchers Safaris have been working closely with local communities and stakeholders in mitigating against human-wildlife conflict, habitat management, and securing existing rangelands while at the same time improving livelihoods.

Exploring Africa’s Wilderness on foot – Mara Walking Safaris

Travel Guide

Exploring Africa’s Wilderness on foot – Mara Walking Safaris

Have you ever imagined taking a slow-paced adventurous tour inside Africa’s wilderness on foot? Walking safaris are exactly that. Also known as bushwalks, walking safaris are completely different from game drives as they awaken all your senses allowing you to notice smells, sounds, and even colors of the wilderness.

Walking is prohibited in most of Kenya’s National Parks and reserves, however, in conservancies, it is an exciting option. One of the activities that we offer guests at Porini Camps is guided walking safaris. To ensure their safety, we ensure guests are accompanied by experienced and professional Maasai safari guides and armed rangers. 

Exploring the bush on foot brings you really close to nature as you learn about vegetation and animal behavior in detail.

“You get to learn about the trees, their traditional uses by the community, you get to see and sometimes even try wild berries, you get to see wild carrots, those that you can use as food, and you also could get to learn about some medicinal plants as well as animal footprints, animal “poo”, you will be able to understand more through the little things that you don’t usually get to see when you are on a drive,” says Jimmy Lemara, a professional guide, and manager at Porini Mara Camp.

Before embarking on the walk, all participants are briefed on the dos and don’ts of the adventure. First, when walking through the bushes, all guests are required to walk in a single file. Second, while walking on the open plains, guests are encouraged to walk together as a group. This ensures the animals remain at ease. Thirdly, guests are required to be as attentive as possible and listen to their guide throughout the walk.

During a stay at Porini Mara Camp, I had an opportunity to join Jimmy Lemara, a professional guide and manager at the camp together with two other guests who wanted to experience the magic of the bush on a walk. We left the camp at around 4.30 pm when the sun was not too hot carrying our Porini branded metallic water bottles. 

A few metres from the camp we came across the skull of an elephant. Jimmy and the other Maasai guides examined the skull and established it belonged to an old female elephant.

“This was a female and it had the second last set of teeth, so this was the last set coming out. Do you see this? The teeth are broken at this point. So this set is almost finished and the other set is pushing from the back here. Elephants get six sets of teeth and at the end of this one, there will be no more, an elephant dies of starvation because they cannot chew so they can’t eat,” Jimmy explains while pointing to its teeth with his rungu (Swahili word for a wooden club popular among Maasai’s as an emblem of warrior status).   

Jimmy further explains that the elephant died of stomach complications as reported by the veterinary. 

Next, we come across the Orange-Leaf Croton (Croton dichotomous), a tree with a natural insect repellent that is used by the local Maasai people to sweep their houses to keep flies away. Cats such as lions, leopards, and cheetahs also take shade under this tree to avoid insect bites and fly disturbance. It is the fly season in the Mara, so Jimmy tells us we can pluck some branches with leaflets and rub them on our clothes and skin to keep the flies at bay. Surprisingly, it does work.

As we continue walking, we spot another interesting-looking acacia tree. The tree has straight spines and large bulbous bases. Jimmy says it is called the Whistling Thorn (Vachellia drepanolobium).

“It is called a Whistling thorn because ants make holes in the bulbous bases and then when the wind blows, it makes a whistling sound as it blows through the holes. If you look at it a little closer, there are holes that ants use to go into the plant. Oh! Look… I just touched it and the ants are coming out. So they have a relationship with the plant. The plant provides them with food and they in return, protect the plant from the browsers. So, if a giraffe tries to browse on the soft parts of the plant, then all these ants will come out and get to the tongue,” says Jimmy.

When we reached the base of the hill, we came across a Greater honeyguide (Scientific name Indicator indicator). The Maasai warriors whistled to communicate with the bird which then made a distinctive call it led us to a tree that had a wild African bee honeycomb. Historically, the bird relies on man or on honey badgers to get wild honey out of a hole in a tree. In a very random and unique experience, we watched the warriors cover themselves with their Maasai shukas to protect themselves from the sting of the bees, light a fire right next to a tree to smoke the bees out, and harvest the honey right in the middle of nowhere. They made sure they left some for the honeyguide. Watch the video of the wild honey harvesting experience here: https://youtu.be/NIe0nU-5D34

We reached the top of the hill at sunset, around 6 pm, where we enjoyed a peaceful sundowner with a magnificent view of the conservancy as we enjoyed the taste of freshly harvested wild honey.  

Watch: Ol Kinyei Conservancy Walking Safari With Jimmy Lemara – Maasai Mara 

Jackson Liaram, a Porini Guide says that you can also expect to see medicinal plants used by local people for medicine, perfume, or decorations while on a bushwalk including Elephant pudding (Cissus rotundifolia), a succulent used to treat eye allergies and infection; Sandpaper bush(Cordia ovalis), an evergreen bush with rough leaves used to smoothen walking sticks and fingernails and Elephant pepper tree (Warbugia ugandensis), a tree with quinine. The Maasai used its bark and roots in a concoction that is used to treat malaria.

Guided safari walks are part of the package at Porini Camps. So next time you visit one of our camps, make sure you request a guided walk with Porini Maasai warriors for a chance to get engrossed in the wilderness and track the footprints of the big cats and their prey.

African Wild Dogs seen from Porini Amboseli Camp

Conservation

African Wild Dogs seen from Porini Amboseli Camp

A rare sighting in Selenkay Conservancy!  Guests from Porini Amboseli Camp were treated to a viewing of African Wild Dogs yesterday whilst returning to the conservancy from a game drive in Amboseli National Park.

Safari guide Daniel Sayialel identified them as two male and one female and they were seen relaxing in the shade after killing an impala. They did not seem to be shy of the presence of the vehicle.

Also known as African Hunting Dogs, African Wild Dogs are one of the world’s most endangered mammal species. They live and hunt in packs – males stay within a pack whilst females migrate to find and join new packs once sexual maturity is reached. Just like our fingerprints, the markings of African Wild Dogs are unique – no two patterns are the same.

Photos by Daniel Sayialel

10 Reasons to Choose a Porini Camps Safari

Travel Guide

10 Reasons to Choose a Porini Camps Safari

With a seemingly endless choice of locations, camps, lodges, transport and activity options, planning a safari can be over-whelming. So to help you make some informed decisions, here are 10 good reasons why you should choose Porini Safari Camps for your next African adventure …

NB  there are many other reasons, such as our consistently high Tripadvisor ratings, our World Travel Awards, our Eco-Warrior Gold Ratings, our competitive prices and our three decades of experience creating safaris that benefit the wildlife, the environment and local communities as well as our guests .. but here are just 10 reasons to start with:

1. Exceptional wildlife-viewing in our private Conservancies

Our conservancies are brimming with wildlife year-round. The truly wild animals freely wander in to our reserves, attracted by the tranquil, protected habitat, away from the crowds of tourist minivans in the adjacent National Parks.

Guests at our Porini Safari Camps are treated to some spectacular sightings in and around our Conservancies, and our safari guides show visitors the varied flora and fauna on daily game-drives and guided walks.

Our visitors capture some wonderful wildlife photos. Guest Matthew Grodzins stayed at our Porini Camps in Amboseli, Ol Pejeta and the Masai Mara and he has kindly shared these great images.

2. See various locations in one trip by combining two or more Porini Camps

To really make the most of your time in Kenya you can easily combine stays at two or more of our Porini Camps. Each camp is set within its own wildlife conservancy, surrounded by nature, with opportunities for seeing a broad range of Africa’s iconic animals. But the differing topography and habitat in each area gives a different feel and game-viewing experience.

Porini Amboseli Camp is renowned for its good numbers of elephants, the Mara conservancies have Africa’s highest density of wild lions and Porini Rhino Camp is set within a world-famous rhino sanctuary where visitors can see the World’s last two Northern White Rhino as well as the rest of the Big Five.

The latest addition to our Porini Camps collection is Rhino River Camp which is situated in 80 acres of privately owned wilderness right on the edge of the Meru National Park – a beautiful wilderness which is home to all of the Big Five and much more. Meru is famous as the home to George & Joy Adamson and Elsa the Lioness of the book and film “Born Free”.

A great combination is our Meru & Mara Safari which stays 3 nights at Rhino River Camp before flying to the Masai Mara for a further 3 nights at Porini Mara Camp.

3. Close-Up Wildlife Encounters in our Photography Hide

Guests at Porini Rhino Camp in Ol Pejeta Conservancy have been enjoying the new photography hide which has been carefully placed to enhance wildlife-viewing at the watering hole right in front of camp.

The watering hole offers visitors an opportunity to observe the wild animals that come for a drink – and the hide allows guests to get close (safely!) to the animals which can freely stroll into camp.

Spending time in a hide can, with a little patience, result in some incredible sightings, as our repeat guest Matt Caldwell found during his recent visit.

4. Family Tents now at four Porini Camps – ideal for groups

Our Porini Camps in Amboseli (Selenkay Conservancy), Ol Pejeta Conservancy and both of our Masai Mara camps now feature large Family Tents.

The Family Tents are comprised of two Twin / Double Tents each having its own separate bathroom, with an additional lounge area between them, giving a large private space which is ideal for any family or group travelling together. They are simply priced as two tents, but have the advantage of the extra space.

The Family Tents are proving popular but are subject to availability at the time of booking – so do book early to secure them!

5. Customised Photographic Vehicle for Game Drives

Photography enthusiasts can now embark on a safari in our new specially-equipped photographic vehicle at Porini Lion Camp.

This specially-adapted Landrover has lowered window openings to maximise photography opportunities, and the centre row of seats has been removed allowing increased space for photographers to move to the most advantageous positions.

Our regular guests Olli Teirila and Alison Buttigieg captured this video from the vehicle on their recent safari in the Masai Mara while visiting the Porini Camps:

Video: Photographic Vehicle at Porini Lion Camp …

 

6. Guided Walks with Maasai Warriors

Who better to guide you on your African safari than the Maasai people, whose presence has helped shape Kenya’s history for centuries?

Some of our safari guides and spotters descend from generations of Maasai warriors who have made their home on East Africa’s savannah plains near the most important game reserves in Africa.

Walk with them through the vast conservancies and learn the secrets of the savannah without crowds of visitors and noisy vehicles interrupting your journey.

A guided safari walk enables you to get closer to the flora and fauna often missed when in a vehicle. Search for “Africa’s Little 5”, discover how to track the footprints of big cats and their prey. You can even learn how to throw a spear!

7. Breakfast in the Bush

A defining moment of any decent African safari is taking breakfast in the bush – but not all safari lodges and camps can offer this.

Each of the Porini Camps includes this experience. As a Porini guest you will awake at dawn to hot coffee or tea and biscuits served to your tent, then you are off on an action-packed morning of game-viewing while the wildlife is at its most active. Having made the most of the morning’s animal activities, you are treated to a full picnic breakfast out in the bush.

How better to enjoy your breakfast than “Out of Africa” style, immersed in nature and with views of the African plains?

8. Experience an authentic Maasai Village

There is something otherworldly and powerful about visiting the Maasai boma, or village. Perhaps it’s the hearty, cheerful greeting of the children, youths and all the family members in their colourful garb. Perhaps it’s the high-pitched singing of the women or the energetic jumping dance of the lithe young men.

Whatever it is, the visit will be a memory that will stay with you and challenge your perceptions. It’s a definite must-see on your Kenya safari.

From Porini Amboseli Camp Maasai warriors will escort you on a guided walk to their village where you will be welcomed and invited to find out about the Maasai culture, traditions and way of life.

Find out more (video): Bush Walk to Maasai Village …

9. Porini Safari listed in Kenya’s Top 15 Experiences

The Kenya Tourist Board recently pronounced one of our Porini Safaris – the “Paka Kubwa Safari” – as one of the 15 best signature experiences in Kenya.

Paka Kubwa means “Big Cat” in Swahili and this eight day tour offers an excellent chance of seeing the big cats – and much more – by combining Nairobi National Park, Selenkay Conservancy, Amboseli National Park, Ol Pejeta Conservancy and the Masai Mara National Reserve & Conservancies.

Find out more: Paka Kubwa Safari special offer …

 

10. Your Visit Will Support Conservation

As a local Kenyan company, we are committed to helping preserve East Africa’s unique wildlife and natural landscapes in close co-operation with local communities.

We believe that the best way to do this is to establish wildlife conservancies to enlarge the area of protected habitat for wildlife and to ensure that this benefits the local communities while giving our guests a rewarding wildlife watching experience.

“What a marvellous example of how people and wildlife can live alongside one another. Thank you all.” Sir David Attenborough at Porini Amboseli Camp

In this short video clip, our Founder, Jake Grieves-Cook, explains the “conservancy concept” that we have championed for more than two decades and which has proved very popular with so many of our regular guests who keep returning to stay at the Porini Camps.

View the video: Protecting Kenya’s Wildlife for the Future …

The Porini Cheetah Camp Experience

Travel Guide

The Porini Cheetah Camp Experience

Meet Jui and Nirmalya Banerjee, our hosts at Porini Cheetah Camp, as they describe how the camp was conceived and developed, and what makes a stay at the camp so special.

Porini Cheetah Camp is one of our accommodation choices in Ol Kinyei Conservancy in the Masai Mara. The conservancy is a vast area of pristine habitat that has been set aside for wildlife, and only our Porini guests have access to this area.

The camp opened in June 2017 and, like all the other Porini camps, it is a small-tented camp designed to maximise your wildlife experience.

The conservancy, which is part of the wider Masai Mara ecosystem, is considered a hotspot for big cats, especially cheetahs which are regularly seen with cubs. It is also home to large herds of elephants, apart from the plains game for which the Maasai Mara eco-system is justly famous. Safari drives can also be taken in the nearby Maasai Mara National Reserve and the adjacent Naboisho Conservancy.

The Porini Cheetah Camp is located close to the Olare Lemunyi watercourse, between the White Rock feature on the one hand and a marsh fed by a permanent underground spring that is a magnet for the antelopes and zebras, especially in the dry season. The White Rock is an excellent location for sun downers because of the view from the top.

A stay at Porini Camps directly supports conservation by protecting habitat and also supports local communities through land leases and employment.

New Community Rangers Graduate in Ol Kinyei

Community

New Community Rangers Graduate in Ol Kinyei

Congratulations to these 14 recruits who recently completed their training as Ol Kinyei Conservancy community rangers and who are vital to the protection of wildlife.

Ol Kinyei Conservancy is a vast area of protected habitat in Kenya’s Masai Mara region. The conservancy attracts many different animal species including elephants, lions, leopards and cheetahs.

It is income from our low-impact safari camps (Porini Mara Camp and Porini Cheetah Camp) that pays for the conservancy land and for the rangers that keep this habitat safe for wild animals.

Porini Camp guests benefit from day and night game drives by 4×4, escorted walks with Maasai guides, sundowners and meals in the bush in this exclusive area, away from tourist crowds, and they know that the proceeds of their tour arrangements are directly supporting wildlife and local people.