Of Wild Camel Safaris at Tumaren Camp!

 

‘We must be lost!’ No one voiced it out, but everyone was sure thinking it… We’d been driving for ages to find Tumaren Camp, with no visible ending in sight.

The sun was burning so hot that it might as well have been in the car with us. 😀

Plus, we were starving! What breakfast we’d taken that morning at El Karama Lodge had simply vanished.

Personally, I was bordering on ‘hangry’; you know that imperfect balance between hungry and angry? Scary feeling, I tell you… 😀

 

Stopping to ask for directions, we found out that we’d been going the wrong way for a while…

We took that chance to stretch our wary limbs and ‘reset’ our systems. After all, true adventure is getting lost in the middle of nowhere, no? 😀

 

 

Exploring Tumaren Camp

Our saving grace came in the form of Emanuel. At first he looked like a random guy asking for a ride, but thankfully, he was our guide. 😀

Turns out, he’d been waiting for hours but couldn’t reach us because our phones had ‘zero’ signal.

Tip: Always carry a basic phone (i.e. mulika mwizi) while exploring   limited network areas, as it will easily get connectivity.

 

On arriving at Tumaren Camp, I promptly felt a sense of liberation. 🙂

I liked the vastness of the camp (without a visible fence,) which offers wide views of the landscape littered with wildlife.

Tumaren Camp, owned by Kerry Glen and James Christian, is situated in North-East Laikipia, within Naibunga Conservancy and lies on a 3,000 acre, community group ranch.

 

Our hosts, a mix of Samburu and Maasai men clad in traditional Maasai garb, welcomed us with the warmest of smiles and cool drinks.  😀

We took a quick look at the camp, as they were setting up lunch. They have lavish lounge/dining area and 4 classic safari tents that’re tastefully furnished. 🙂

 

And oh the showers! Set up outside, the spacious, luxurious showers are a like dream! 😀

 

P.S. Their mobile camping equipment can accommodate larger groups.

 

 

Fun Things To Do at Tumaren Camp

Rock Climbing

As evening rolled in, we went out rock climbing, for sun-downer with drinks. 🙂

 

The views are remarkable! We spotted a herd of elephants, and a group of baboons playing about in the distance…

 

Making Fire

I never thought I’d say this: but we saw men make fire with two sticks! Whoa! 😀

Gabriel Ewoi and Moi Elekeshine talked us through the process…

Did You Know? The secret ingredient to making fire with two sticks is dried elephant dung + lots of patience and persistence. 😀

 

They persisted until it sparked a flame! It was incredible, to watch!

 

 

Bonfire

One of the best parts about camping, is the bonfire, yes? 🙂

The evening slowly slipped away, with stories around the bonfire & soothing music from Rachel’s precious, portable speaker.

The camp came alive, and for some reason I felt safe at Tumaren Camp; the place without a visible fence. 😀

 

Ride Into The Wild On Camel-back…

The next morning, we woke up in high spirits and breakfast was a breeze! The pancakes were esp. memorable. 🙂

I’d never ridden a camel before and was eager to tick it off my bucket-list! 😀

 

Tumaren Camp operates Karisia Walking Safaris, which offers custom-made camel safaris for adventure lovers.

With your daily provisions set, you get to explore the wild on camel-back and set up camp wherever the night finds you. Fun, right?

 

Moi Elekeshine told us about how one of the camels, #58 once escaped from the jaws of death. He’d wandered from camp one night and into the hands of two lions…

By some miracle, he managed to fight them off and got away with battle wounds…

 

Riding takes a bit of getting used to, though it’s really comfortable… Mutua’s camel- #58 was notorious for bending down to catch a snack, so his ride was extra bumpy. 😀

 

 

Tj had fun droning on giraffes, especially one brave fella that stuck around eyeing his drone, even after the rest had run off.

 

 

Tumaren is a great escape into the wild, with something to do, for everyone-young and old. 🙂

 

***

Many thanks to our kind, amazing hosts at Tumaren Camp for going out of their way, to make us feel safe and welcome! 😀

And cheers to my fellow #DestinationLaikipia explorers; Rachel, Mutua, Tj and Josh! 😀

 

Photography Credits:

Josh Kisamwa

Tj (the_mentalyst)

& Marion Mithamo

 

 

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Thanks for keeping up with this #DestinationLaikipia series my friends! I appreciate you! 😀

I would love to read your comments, questions and feedback. Do leave a comment down below 😉 😀

 

<Stay.Inspired.Always>