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Now there is a way to recapture the romance of the Dark Continent from an era gone by at the Camp of Hidden Treasures (Campi ya Kanzi in Kiswahili) and have the safari you might have thought was no longer possible. Now, safari enthusiasts may choose to enjoy Nineteenth Century ambiance coupled with Twentieth Century luxury.

Set 15 miles from majestic, snow-capped Kilimanjaro and bordering both Amboseli and Tsavo, the Camp is located on a nearly 400-square-mile (250,000 acre) private Maasai ranch.

You may ask, what makes this safari so special, indeed unique? For our select clients, they will be the only travelers (a maximum of twelve) in the entire private ranch. Only our clients, their attendants, the animals and the Maasai will be permitted on the ranch. This allows proper integration into nature--it will let them feel as if they are visitors in a strange and wondrous place unhampered by man's world.

Fantastic bio-diversity including, at last count, 437 elephants, 819 giraffes, 560 buffalo, 16 leopards, 25 lions, hundreds of plains animals including: hartebeest, zebra, gnu, waterbuck, Grant gazelle, Thompson gazelle, impala, and others. Rhino and cheetah have been seen as well.

Six individual thatched-grass roofed, wooden-platform, twin-sleeping tents fully equipped with antique furniture, paraffin lamps, 220v electricity, hot and cold running water, flush toilets, bidets, basins, and showers.

A warm and inviting main lodge with spectacular views of Kilimanjaro and the Tsavo hills. Called Tembo House (elephant in Kiswahili), the lodge has the graceful ambiance of a private home.

Game drives in "open" (no roof or windows) Land Rover Defenders

Maasai and Camp director escorted game tracking on foot

No small ranch, this. In fact, it is approximately two-thirds the size of the Maasai Mara. Because of the diverse nature of the Camp, we highly recommend that travelers spend a minimum of 4 days and nights at the camp, five nights is ideal to sample all that the Camp has to offer.

Mealtime at the camp is always a pleasure as crystal glasses, fine table settings and lantern-lit dinners are all part of the Camp's ambiance. Further, the chef has been trained to provide Italian cuisine as well as other international and local dishes.

A safari at the Camp includes: full board, complementary South African house wine, soft drinks, beer and spring water. Specialty wines, spirits, champagne and bottled water are available as well as limited laundry service.

Since the camp is located conveniently to the large, well-known game parks, side excursions may be arranged with ease and in a cost-effective manner.

The Camp is open all year long. The best months for visiting the Camp are from December until June. August is an average month. During the rainy season, the roads remain usable,and the Camp is, generally, quite beautiful.

Campi ya Kanzi is a result of the recommendation of Dr. M. Sommerlatte's wildlife management study, funded by the Kenya Wildlife Services Revenue Sharing Plan, that the best usage of the land for the Maasai and the wildlife would be small-tourism safaris. This means safaris with low impact on the natural habitat.

Low impact is the essence of the Camp of Hidden Treasures. This is a new breed of safari camps, and the creation of this camp was no mean feat. Indeed, the Camp had to receive permission from 929 Maasai landlords in order to be built.

The camp employs several Maasai villagers and warriors and one of the most unusual aspects of the camp is that visitors are able to get know the Maasai on a first name basis and be welcomed into the Maasai community.

Therefore, another aspect of this special safari is that not only do you benefit from this unique opportunity but so do the Maasai--your patronage will help the conservation efforts taking place in east Africa, rather than hamper them.