Camp Mwaluganje

 

 

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Location
Accommodation Style
Food & Drink
Communications
Culture
Transport
Projects
Video

 

 

Overview

 

Camp Mwaluganje (Mwa-loo-gan-jee) is one of the most amazing locations on the planet (in my humble opinion of course!). It has the densest population of elephants per square mile for anywhere worldwide and we are fortunate enough to operate a mobile camp there for our working safaris. Regardless of what programme you join us for, you will have the opportunity to spend time camping and working in the Sanctuary alongside the Wildlife Rangers, local communities and of course, the elephants. The Sanctuary is community owned and you will play an instrumental role in developing initiatives aimed at reducing human-wildlife conflict.

 

 

Location

 

Your journey to Mwaluganje starts from the Indian Ocean. A 45-minute drive winds through stunning landscape and into the Shimba Hills region. As you pass through Kwale town you have a last opportunity to grab a few supplies before crossing the elephant grid (yep, just like a cattle grid but bigger) and into the bush. Our camp is located inside the park and from an amazing vantage point on a hill, you have 360-degree views over the Park and herds of elephant.

 

 

Accommodation Style

 

For Gap and Team this is full on Ray Mears style and its 2 person dome tents complemented with some fairly basic bush amenities. Our camp is co-located with the entrance to the Sanctuary and has a fresh water supply that feeds our makeshift showers.

For our Life programme you have the choice of staying in dome tents (for the more adventurous amongst you) or the luxury of Travellers Camp, which is equipped with walk in Safari tents and en-suite bathrooms. The tents are positioned around a water hole and you wake in the morning to tea and coffee delivered to your door and the opportunity to sit on your veranda and watch the elephants as you eat breakfast.

 

 

This is a working safari location and it is important that you understand what it is like to live and work in the African bush. There is no getting away from the fact that it is often hot and dusty and you will spend some bumpy hours following herds around the park. With this in mind it is liberating to leave the majority of creature comforts behind and enjoy the rare opportunity of sitting around a campfire before you retire to your tent and fall asleep to the sounds of wildlife. The only complaints we seem to get is that we should make this a rougher experience than it already is!

 

 

Food & Drink

 

The kitchen is situated under the shade of a large Baobab tree and staffed by local cooks. As with all our camps, the quality of the food is excellent and despite the fact that you are in the middle of the bush, you can expect excellent standards. Fresh water is available and free to drink and all diets catered for.

 

 

Communications

 

It is possible to get a phone reception in certain areas of the Sanctuary and our camp is also equipped with radio back to our office on the coast. We check in and out of the sanctuary and have additional communications available through the Sanctuary authorities.

 

 

Culture

 

You will also visit the local school and interact with the community who live in and around the sanctuary. This is an opportunity to learn about their lives and understand how they live alongside the wildlife. Many of the local people are subsistence farmers and rely on their crops to exist. This is the primary source of human and wildlife conflict as people die every year trying to protect their crops from elephants. It is a delicate balance to be maintained and we hope that you will take time to understand the issues during your stay.

 

 

Transport

 

There are parts of the park which can only be accessed with 4x4, however we use a variety of vehicles depending on group sizes and the time of year. We also have a vehicle permanently stationed at camp to deal with any emergencies.

 

 

Projects

 

We have been involved with a wide range of projects over the past few years in Mwaluganje and are working with the KWS to continually develop new initiatives. We have a permanent Zoologist (Amy Bentley) on our Team and she assumes responsibility for coordinating all our wildlife programmes. Our projects are designed to increase revenues to the local community and protect the elephants by reducing the impact of human and wildlife conflict. Example projects are:

 

 

 

• Construction of a road drift to give access to all areas of the Park
• Elephant identification in support of the KWS
• Construction of Sanctuary buildings
• Making elephant dung paper for sale to tourists
• Community projects at the local school
• Game trail marking
• Snare clearing
• GPS Mapping
• Production of Tourist Information Boards

 

 

 

 

 

 

Follow the link to find out more about the project initiatives for Camp Mwaluganje.

 

Video

 

 

 

 

I loved the place, the people, the food - I know how to make Chapattis! I am now a qualified open water diver, and wow was that good - saw 2 humpback whales, 5 dolphins, and 2 turtles, as well as a blow fish - he was amusing! The community are amazing, so welcoming and the kids just waved every time they saw us. But nothing can beat the friends I made out there. I got on the plane to Kenya scared and worried that I wouldn't get on with anyone. By the end, I didn't want to leave Kenya. I’ve made a group of friends who I know I will see back in the UK; the Camp Kenya family. Thank you so much! You guys are fantastic! I've had the best experience of my life, and it's changed my perspective of so many things - I now want to go back to do the next part on my diving... I want to eventually become an instructor!!!

Leander Moore