March 2007

Dear friends,

Greetings from the Masai Mara! I’m taking a few minutes of your time to update on the latest news from Saruni and I hope to meet you again in the future

Saruni Samburu open in 2008
In partnership with the Kalama Wildlife Conservancy (www.nrt-kenya.org/kalama.html) and Northern Rangelands Trust (Lewa’s conservation arm), we are happy to announce that Saruni Samburu will open in early 2008. Bordering the National Reserve and located on 3,000 hectares of incredibly pristine land, it is designed by Mark Glen to represent the nomadic lifestyle of the local people. Our ambition is to make it the best lodge of Samburu, where small scale, high quality tourism is still an exception. Built on the top of an amazing mountain, with 360 degrees-view over all of Northern Kenya, it will be accessible with scheduled flights and will have a capacity of 14 guests. At the Samburu Wellbeing Space extensive beauty and massage treatments will be available. Night game drives and game walks within the Kalama Conservancy will be a speciality, as well as game drives inside the Samburu and Buffalo Springs National Reserves.

Drawing safaris
We are launching a new product: the drawing safari. Guided by the lodge’s resident artist, Mariane Tveter Hostmark, they are designed to suit both amateur or experienced artists who want to use pastels, sketching, oil or watercolours in the African savannah with 5-star comfort. Your clients will have a dedicated vehicle and a guide who will pace the safari according to the special needs. Mariane and a Maasai guide will lead the artists to little known rivers, mountains, acacia valleys where there will be the freedom and time to contemplate and create, whilst taking advantage of our knowledge of light conditions, weather and location of the subjects that most interest an artist on safari. This special program is set for a group of minimum 4 people in the high season and minimum 2 in the low and middle season, for a minimum of 4 nights. This allows the artist to discover the different aspect of life in the Mara: the landscapes, the Maasai, the animals, the colours that come with the ever changing weather. When the group is spending an extended time in one location, a special tent will be erected to provide shade and comfort. As part of this package, each participant will receive a hand-made box containing the essential tools for an artist on safari. Mariane, from Norway, has been living in the bush for two years. Before moving to Africa she has studied art in Oslo and Rome, holding exhibitions in various countries. From 2008, drawing safaris will be also available at Saruni Samburu.

Wi-fi in the bush
For those guests who want or need to keep in touch with family and business during their safari, we have decided to go wi-fi. Our clients can now browse the web and check emails from their cottage, from Kuro House and from the library, where an extra computer is placed for those who don’t travel with their own laptop. For this year, we’ll charge no extra costs for the use of this facility.

Bravo Gio
It is believed that the job of a safari camp manager is one of the most difficult in the world: you have to be, all at the same time, a good host, a good bushman (or woman) who knows the bush but also a man (or woman), a good mechanic, a gourmet, a good administrator and an over-all problems-solver. Well, that’s exactly who Gio Tomaso Risso Ricci - Gio in short - is. The new manager of Saruni is a Kenyan of Italian background, with a university degree in biology and a passion for the trees, engines and people. We are happy to welcome Gio, who needed only a few weeks to become an instant success with guests and staff. His email is: manager@sarunicamp.com.

Guiding stars
Since the beginning we have been strong supporters of the Koyiaki Guiding School, the first (and only) college for professional safari guides in Kenya. Located in their Koyiaki Group Ranch here in the Mara, the school has been created to allow young and promising masai to become leaders in the tourism industry on their own land. Every year we sponsor a Saruni employee who has shown interest and talent for guiding. This year’s graduate is Saruni Kisemei, our ex head-waiter, 23 years old and voted by his fellows students the “most smiley of the year”. Saruni is a Masai name that means “The Provider” who will look after you or the place where to go if you need help and peace and tranquillity. On 1st of June Saruni Kisemei will officially be a member of our guiding team. His contagious smile and his passion for birds and animals, combined with his knowledge of the local culture, will make game drives and game walks with him a special experience.

Best regards,
Riccardo