TRIPS
TRAVELLING
VISAS
These are necessary for all but East African citizens. You can get them either on arrival or apply ahead of time. They cost $51 per person and last three months (2021). Your passport must be valid for another six months and have two free (facing) pages.
INSURANCE
Please make sure you have full travel including emergency evacuation from remote areas and medical insurance before you leave home. We recommend AMREF for all guests visiting.
WHAT TO PACK
We are considered a low to no Malaria area here. Being a high altitude, our days are usually hot and our mornings/nights are chilly - so bring a little bit of everything! For a full packing list, see here.
GRATUITIES
These are of course not compulsory and entirely up to your discretion. Just contact us for advice on how to plan for this.
MONEY
Our currency is the Kenya shilling, which is currently (roughly) around 100 to $1. The lodge is a cashless environment (except for tips) but we have a card machine and wifi for online banking and MPESA.
TRANSPORT
We recommend private charters that land directly on the registered El Karama Conservancy just 1 km from our lodge. Should this not be in your budget there are plenty of other options including scheduled flights landing in Nanyuki, our nearest town and road transfers. The lodge can help book any transfer you require and we also have an in-house itinerary builder and recommended agents if you need help with your safari planning. Check the boxes below for more advice and get in touch.
PRIVATE CHARTERS
Traveling by private air charter is the most convenient to travel in Kenya. Our guests can land on the El Karama Conservancy airstrip, located just 1km from this lodge meaning you can step off your international flight and be at the lodge within just over an hour!
If you would like to charter a plane or helicopter to make your journey to us quicker and hassle free, just get in touch and let us book this for you for the best available rates with our partners.
DOMESTIC FLIGHTS
Kenya’s busy tourism sector has ensured that we have great flying links in most parts of this country. Outside of our own registered airstrip at the conservancy HQ, which can receive private planes and charters, the nearest public airport is Nanyuki Civil Airstrip, just one hour by road from the lodge. We can arrange transfer cars to meet you off your flight, bringing you to us in just over an hour, most of which is a game drive!
Map and directions
ITINERARIES
Sometimes it’s difficult to wade through the many lists of lodges and areas to visit in Kenya. To help build your perfect safari, we have come up with some safari ideas, visiting places that you can book through our lodge, which will complement your stay here. They even include special discounts and offers for El Karama guests only. We also work with some terrific international agents that we can recommend who know us well and use our lodge for their clients throughout the year.
Please don’t hesitate to email us with any questions or to hear more about our itinerary suggestions;
we are more than happy to help guide you.
WILDLIFE AND
CONSERVATION
We believe that by involving guests in the day to day of what it means to live alongside wildlife and to protect it today, your safari will be more meaningful and you will leave with even more respect for the natural world around you. As a visitor you are a crucial component in the conservation success of this region. Through your safari you are directly contributing to the protection of a unique habitat. This lodge offers specific conservation activities all year round including annual census events for various important species. Contact us for more information on how you can participate.
All wildlife in Kenya is owned by the Government of Kenya. Properties that protect wildlife do so at their own cost through income generating strategies. There are no government grants, fiscal advantages or credit schemes available in Kenya. This is why our model of eco-tourism is designed the way it is: to generate an income that directly contributes to the survival of a crucial habitat for the future generation of Kenyans.
Itinerary 2
FAQs
If you have any further queries, have a look through this document - or get in touch with us directly and we’ll help you with whatever you need to know.
